The Seven Deacons
Chapter 9

The Seven Deacons
[This chapter is based on Acts 6:1-7.]
In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a
murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were
neglected in the daily ministration."
The early church was made up of many classes of people, of various nationalities.
At the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, "there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." Acts
2:5. Among those of the Hebrew faith who were gathered at Jerusalem were
some commonly known as Grecians, between whom and the Jews of Palestine
there had long existed distrust and even antagonism.

The hearts of those who had been converted under the labors of the apostles,
were softened and united by Christian love. Despite former prejudices, all were in
harmony with one another. Satan knew that so long as this union continued

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to exist, he would be powerless to check the progress of gospel truth; and he
sought to take advantage of former habits of thought, in the hope that thereby he
might be able to introduce into the church elements of disunion.
Thus it came to pass that as disciples were multiplied, the enemy succeeded in
arousing the suspicions of some who had formerly been in the habit of looking
with jealousy on their brethren in the faith and of finding fault with their spiritual
leaders, and so "there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews."
The cause of complaint was an alleged neglect of the Greek widows in the daily
distribution of assistance. Any inequality would have been contrary to the spirit
of the gospel, yet Satan had succeeded in arousing suspicion. Prompt measures
must now be taken to remove all occasion for dissatisfaction, lest the enemy
triumph in his effort to bring about a division among the believers.

The disciples of Jesus had reached a crisis in their experience. Under the wise
leadership of the apostles, who labored unitedly in the power of the Holy Spirit,
the work committed to the gospel messengers was developing rapidly. The church
was continually enlarging, and this growth in membership brought increasingly
heavy burdens upon those in charge. No one man, or even one set of men, could
continue to bear these burdens alone, without imperiling the future prosperity of
the church. There was necessity for a further distribution of the responsibilities
which had been borne so faithfully by a few during the earlier days of the church.
The apostles must now take an important step in

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the perfecting of gospel order in the church by laying upon others some of the
burdens thus far borne by themselves.
Summoning a meeting of the believers, the apostles were led by the Holy Spirit to
outline a plan for the better organization of all the working forces of the church.
The time had come, the apostles stated, when the spiritual leaders having the
oversight of the church should be relieved from the task of distributing to the
poor and from similar burdens, so that they might be free to carry forward the
work of preaching the gospel. "Wherefore, brethren," they said, "look ye out
among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom
we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to
prayer, and to the ministry of the word." This advice was followed, and by
prayer and the laying on of hands, seven chosen men were solemnly set apart for
their duties as deacons.

The appointment of the seven to take the oversight of special lines of work,
proved a great blessing to the church. These officers gave careful consideration
to individual needs as well as to the general financial interests of the church, and
by their prudent management and their godly example they were an important aid
to their fellow officers in binding together the various interests of the church
into a united whole.

That this step was in the order of God, is revealed in the immediate results for
good that were seen. "The word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests

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were obedient to the faith." This ingathering of souls was due both to the greater
freedom secured by the apostles and to the zeal and power shown by the seven
deacons. The fact that these brethren had been ordained for the special work of
looking after the needs of the poor, did not exclude them from teaching the faith.
On the contrary, they were fully qualified to instruct others in the truth, and
they engaged in the work with great earnestness and success.
To the early church had been entrusted a constantly enlarging work--that of
establishing centers of light and blessing wherever there were honest souls
willing to give themselves to the service of Christ. The proclamation of the gospel
was to be world-wide in its extent, and the messengers of the cross could not
hope to fulfill their important mission unless they should remain united in the
bonds of Christian unity, and thus reveal to the world that they were one with
Christ in God. Had not their divine Leader prayed to the Father, "Keep through
Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We
are"? And had He not declared of His disciples, "The world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world"? Had He not pleaded with the Father that they
might be "made perfect in one," "that the world may believe that Thou hast sent
Me"? John 17:11, 14, 23, 21. Their spiritual life and power was dependent on a
close connection with the One by whom they had been commissioned to preach the
gospel.

Only as they were united with Christ could the disciples hope to have the
accompanying power of the Holy Spirit and

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the co-operation of angels of heaven. With the help of these divine agencies they
would present before the world a united front and would be victorious in the
conflict they were compelled to wage unceasingly against the powers of
darkness. As they should continue to labor unitedly, heavenly messengers would
go before them, opening the way; hearts would be prepared for the reception of
truth, and many would be won to Christ. So long as they remained united, the
church would go forth "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an
army with banners." Song of Solomon 6:10. Nothing could withstand her onward
progress. The church would advance from victory to victory, gloriously fulfilling
her divine mission of proclaiming the gospel to the world.
The organization of the church at Jerusalem was to serve as a model for the
organization of churches in every other place where messengers of truth should
win converts to the gospel. Those to whom was given the responsibility of the
general oversight of the church were not to lord it over God's heritage, but, as
wise shepherds, were to "feed the flock of God,. . . being ensamples to the flock"
(1 Peter 5:2, 3); and the deacons were to be "men of honest report, full of the
Holy Ghost and wisdom." These men were to take their position unitedly on the
side of right and to maintain it with firmness and decision. Thus they would have a
uniting influence upon the entire flock.

Later in the history of the early church, when in various parts of the world many
groups of believers had been formed into churches, the organization of the church
was further

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perfected, so that order and harmonious action might be maintained. Every
member was exhorted to act well his part. Each was to make a wise use of the
talents entrusted to him. Some were endowed by the Holy Spirit with special gifts
--"first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Corinthians
12:28. But all these classes of workers were to labor in harmony.
"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of
administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it
is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is
given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by
the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the
working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to
another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all
these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally
as He will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:4-12.

Solemn are the responsibilities resting upon those who are called to act as leaders
in the church of God on earth. In the days of the theocracy, when Moses was
endeavoring to carry alone burdens so heavy that he would soon have

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worn away under them, he was counseled by Jethro to plan for a wise
distribution of responsibilities. "Be thou for the people to Godward," Jethro
advised, "that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: and thou shalt teach them
ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk, and
the work that they must do." Jethro further advised that men be appointed to
act as "rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers
of tens." These were to be "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating
covetousness." They were to "judge the people at all seasons," thus relieving
Moses of the wearing responsibility of giving consideration to many minor
matters that could be dealt with wisely by consecrated helpers.
The time and strength of those who in the providence of God have been placed in
leading positions of responsibility in the church, should be spent in dealing with the
weightier matters demanding special wisdom and largeness of heart. It is not in
the order of God that such men should be appealed to for the adjustment of minor
matters that others are well qualified to handle. "Every great matter they shall
bring unto thee," Jethro proposed to Moses, "but every small matter they shall
judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. If
thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to
endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace."

In harmony with this plan, "Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them
heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties,
and rulers

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of tens. And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought
unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves." Exodus 18:19-26.
Later, when choosing seventy elders to share with him the responsibilities of
leadership, Moses was careful to select, as his helpers, men possessing dignity,
sound judgment, and experience. In his charge to these elders at the time of their
ordination, he outlined some of the qualifications that fit a man to be a wise ruler
in the church. "Hear the causes between your brethren," said Moses, "and judge
righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with
him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well
as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's."
Deuteronomy 1:16, 17.

King David, toward the close of his reign, delivered a solemn charge to those
bearing the burden of the work of God in his day. Summoning to Jerusalem "all the
princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies that
ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and
captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and
possession of the king, and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty
men, and with all the valiant men," the aged king solemnly charged them, "in the
sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God," to
"keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God." I Chronicles 28:1,
8.

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To Solomon, as one called to occupy a position of leading responsibility, David gave
a special charge: "Thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and
serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all
hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him,
He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever.
Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee: . . . be strong." I Chronicles 28:9,
10.

The same principles of piety and justice that were to guide the rulers among God's
people in the time of Moses and of David, were also to be followed by those given
the oversight of the newly organized church of God in the gospel dispensation. In
the work of setting things in order in all the churches, and ordaining suitable men
to act as officers, the apostles held to the high standards of leadership outlined in
the Old Testament Scriptures. They maintained that he who is called to stand in a
position of leading responsibility in the church "must be blameless, as the steward
of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to
filthy lucre; but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy,
temperate; holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be
able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." Titus 1:7-9.

The order that was maintained in the early Christian church made it possible for
them to move forward solidly as a well-disciplined army clad with the armor of
God. The

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companies of believers, though scattered over a large territory, were all
members of one body; all moved in concert and in harmony with one another.
When dissension arose in a local church, as later it did arise in Antioch and
elsewhere, and the believers were unable to come to an agreement among
themselves, such matters were not permitted to create a division in the church,
but were referred to a general council of the entire body of believers, made up of
appointed delegates from the various local churches, with the apostles and elders
in positions of leading responsibility. Thus the efforts of Satan to attack the
church in isolated places were met by concerted action on the part of all, and the
plans of the enemy to disrupt and destroy were thwarted.
"God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."
I Corinthians 14:33. He requires that order and system be observed in the conduct
of church affairs today no less than in the days of old. He desires His work to be
carried forward with thoroughness and exactness so that He may place upon it
the seal of His approval. Christian is to be united with Christian, church with
church, the human instrumentality co-operating with the divine, every agency
subordinate to the Holy Spirit, and all combined in giving to the world the good
tidings of the grace of God.


[Chapter 10]