Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20080803.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Acts: The Continuing Earthly Ministry Of Our Lord Jesus Christ
Part V: The Ministry Of The First Local And Universal Church, Acts 3:1-8:3
E. Christ's Work To Delegate Out Ministry Responsibilities To Enhance Discipling
(Acts 6:1-7)
  1. Introduction
    1. When human needs arise in a church, but the pastoral party or parties are humanly insufficient to meet those needs while performing God's assigned will in the ministry, the pastoral party or parties must delegate out ministry responsibilities to other qualified leaders to see that the Church fulfills God's will.
    2. This important principle greatly affects us as a body, so it is beneficial for us to view it in Acts 6:1-7:
  2. Christ's Work To Delegate Out Ministry Responsibilities To Enhance Discipling, Acts 6:1-7.
    1. While the Early Church in Jerusalem was numerically expanding, Grecian Jews complained against Hebraistic Jews that their Grecian widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food, Acts 6:1.
    2. This was a potentially volatile problem: Hebraistic Jews had long segregated against Jews who adopted pagan Grecian culture as being worldly and thus ungodly, so for these "Grecianized" Jewish widows not to be fed from the donations re-ignited deep cultural hurts, Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 367.
    3. Since the Apostles were all Hebraistic Jews, they knew their circle of contact, being limited largely to the Hebraistic Jewish community, was part of the problem behind this issue, for their circle of communication was humanly limited, leading to their total ignorance of the Grecian Jewish widow need.
    4. To solve this problem, the Hebraistic Apostles called the entire assembly together, Hebraistic and Grecian Jews alike, to explain the problem, and to offer an edifying solution, Acts 6:2-4:
      1. Calling the entire Church together, the Apostles revealed that the Grecian widows had been overlooked not intentionally, but due to their own need to spend time ministering God's Word as a priority in the ministry versus detracting from that to reach widows outside their own circle of contact, Acts 6:2.
      2. Thus, the Apostles told the congregation to select seven men who were full of the Spirit and wisdom to whom they could delegate the ministry of handling the donations and distributions, and the Apostles would give themselves to their task of prayer and the ministry of the Word, Acts 6:3-4. [Note how this call fits with Paul's priority on the ministry of the Word for pastors, 1 Tim. 4:13-16; 2 Tim. 4:1-2.]
    5. This directive pleased the whole multitude, and that for several practical reasons, Acts 6:5a:
      1. This saying candidly explained that the problem of the unfed widows was not grounded in bias on the part of the Apostles, but in their human limitations as Hebraistic Jews: (a) They needed to be preoccupied with God's Word over other ministries, and (b) this priority coupled with their limited circle of contact could not adequately enable them to meet the need of the Grecian widows.
      2. The Apostles' suggested solution to this problem was met with acceptance, for they had demonstrated their eagerness to delegate the handling of the important donation ministry to others the congregation knew were aware of their needs, meaning they were sensitive to these needs they could not meet.
    6. The congregation thus chose seven men, all of whom had GRECIAN names, meaning the people chose to BALANCE the Hebraistic leadership in the 12 Apostles with Grecian leadership in the 7 men they would appoint to handle the donations in the body, Acts 6:5; Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Acts 6:5.
    7. The Apostles laid their hands on these 7 men, a powerful symbol of "commissioning and granting of authority" to them so they could assume their ministry, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T.; Acts 6:6.
    8. Accordingly, the need of the widows, be they Grecian or Hebraistic, were met while the Apostles still continued giving quality time to the ministry of the Word. As such, the of the Word increased along with the number who were trusting in Christ through the preaching of that Word, and many of even the temple priests were trusting in Christ for salvation, Acts 6:7!
Lesson: When the need exceeded the human resources of the Apostles to minister in God's will in their calling, they delegated out responsibilities to other qualified men so God's will could be accomplished.

Application: (1) May pastors use their limited human resources to minister God's Word as their first priority, and (2) may the Church assume responsibility for the needs pastors cannot humanly oversee! (3) May pastors then be willing to DELEGATE ministry responsibility to others for the glory of God!