Problem Within The Church
Problem Within The Church
As we have studied the early Church from chapters1-5 of Acts, we may reach the erroneous conclusion of a perfect church. By chapter 6, things have kind of settled and a number of years have elapsed. The Church is still just in Jerusalem (vs.7 below) and had not gone beyond (to Judea, Samaria and end of the earth Acts 1:8).
I thank God that He inspired Dr. Luke to include this chapter 6 highlighting the problem the Church was experiencing. Many including myself have expressed that reading the book of Acts so far, it seems like we can never measure up to the early Church. Thank God that Jesus has not come to condemn us but to bring us life. So it is refreshing to know that the people of the early Church are just like us. God is perfecting His Church and making us all like Christ. The best of any believer in Christ is still a man or woman (with sinful nature) who still need the grace of God. Let’s not forget that and now see the problem of division that has arisen in the early Church.
Acts 6: 1-7
1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Grecian or Hellenistic Jews were those ‘born in lands other than Palestine who spoke the Greek and were more Grecian that Hebraic in their attitudes and outlook’. The Hebraic Jews are ‘those who spoke the Aramaic and/or Hebrew language(s) of Palestine and preserved Jewish culture and customs’. In our day, it represents all kinds of ethnic and cultural groups or classifications especially in the big cities such as the blacks, the whites, the southerners, the northerners, the Hispanics and the Spanish, the Ibos and the Yorubas. You can see we are just like them in our cultural distinctions.
2. You can see that the fact that they two groups are both Jews was not enough to exempt them from any divisions. It proves that our ethnic ties can go but so far. There must be more to unite us than ethnicity. Are you relishing in your ethnic make-up as if you are the one who chose to be born white or black or etc?
3. The problem was the neglect of the Grecian Jewish widows in the care for their needs. The problem was real and not imagined. It was a legitimate complaint. We follow our natural instincts to take care our “own” and those who look like us. It is okay as long as it is not at the expense of others who also need our help. We are not to play favoritism but to love all as Jesus did. The body of Christ is one – neither Jew nor Gentile.
4. Thank God the apostles did not dismiss the complaint and explain it away with such words as “they are being lazy” and so forth. We are good at doing that. We must acknowledge the problems and divisions that once while arise in our midst and in the body of Christ. There will be divisions, so let’s face them squarely. Are you having an individual or corporate conflict right now? Please deal with by listening to the Holy Spirit’s direction. Let’s stop explaining things away with all kinds of excuses.
5. Then, it was the expectation and practice that the Church will take care of the ‘true” widows in the Church (1 Tim. 5:316). We must involve the people and the body of Christ to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. We are not go in some corners to whisper and talk about other groups. We must avoid the cliques that exists among us.
6. The solution came from the people, the body of Christ. The apostles, “gathered the disciples together”. Notice that the solution was not starting a new denomination of the First Baptist of Grecian Jewish Church. A lot of our misunderstandings and divisions can be dealt with if we called the people together and discuss the issues that confront us.
7. The apostles selected men full of the” Holy Spirit” and “wisdom” to deal with the problem at hand. Most of the men selected were the Grecian Jews, and you can tell by their names. The solution should come from those who were complaining and they had representation. Men full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom says that these men have been observed for a period of time and they have displayed attitudes and obedience to the word of God. Contrary to my Pentecostal foundation (that taught speaking in tongues as evidence of being filled), being full of the Holy Spirit is an observable trait. The Spirit has to be demonstrated in character and conduct. See similar qualifications for the office of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 (worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in wine, not pursuing dishonest gain)
8. Contrary to the way the early church did it, most churches these days are looking for deacons who are business men and women and those who can bring resources and cash to the treasury. Are your elders and deacons filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom?
9. Everyone had a part to play in the early Church. The apostles gave themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. The deacons ‘waited on tables” that is service and others served by working hard and providing for the needs of members who were less blessed with material provision.
10. I like how this segment ends. It says “The word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith”. Even the internal problems in the Church could not stop the spread of the Gospel. Problems should not stop us either. The Church is not yet perfect and that is why we hang unto our savior who is perfect.
When you feel weighed down by the inconsistencies of sin that once a while crop up in and among us, be encouraged that we are on the way to perfection. The difference between a believer and nonbeliever is that the believer has trusted Christ for his/her forgiveness of sins and for righteousness before God. We may have disagreements in our homes, church, work or school, but we must work it out. We must confront in love and seek solutions that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. I have been through some ugly church splits in the past that could have been avoided. May God help us to be one? Amen
As we have studied the early Church from chapters1-5 of Acts, we may reach the erroneous conclusion of a perfect church. By chapter 6, things have kind of settled and a number of years have elapsed. The Church is still just in Jerusalem (vs.7 below) and had not gone beyond (to Judea, Samaria and end of the earth Acts 1:8).
I thank God that He inspired Dr. Luke to include this chapter 6 highlighting the problem the Church was experiencing. Many including myself have expressed that reading the book of Acts so far, it seems like we can never measure up to the early Church. Thank God that Jesus has not come to condemn us but to bring us life. So it is refreshing to know that the people of the early Church are just like us. God is perfecting His Church and making us all like Christ. The best of any believer in Christ is still a man or woman (with sinful nature) who still need the grace of God. Let’s not forget that and now see the problem of division that has arisen in the early Church.
Acts 6: 1-7
1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. The Grecian or Hellenistic Jews were those ‘born in lands other than Palestine who spoke the Greek and were more Grecian that Hebraic in their attitudes and outlook’. The Hebraic Jews are ‘those who spoke the Aramaic and/or Hebrew language(s) of Palestine and preserved Jewish culture and customs’. In our day, it represents all kinds of ethnic and cultural groups or classifications especially in the big cities such as the blacks, the whites, the southerners, the northerners, the Hispanics and the Spanish, the Ibos and the Yorubas. You can see we are just like them in our cultural distinctions.
2. You can see that the fact that they two groups are both Jews was not enough to exempt them from any divisions. It proves that our ethnic ties can go but so far. There must be more to unite us than ethnicity. Are you relishing in your ethnic make-up as if you are the one who chose to be born white or black or etc?
3. The problem was the neglect of the Grecian Jewish widows in the care for their needs. The problem was real and not imagined. It was a legitimate complaint. We follow our natural instincts to take care our “own” and those who look like us. It is okay as long as it is not at the expense of others who also need our help. We are not to play favoritism but to love all as Jesus did. The body of Christ is one – neither Jew nor Gentile.
4. Thank God the apostles did not dismiss the complaint and explain it away with such words as “they are being lazy” and so forth. We are good at doing that. We must acknowledge the problems and divisions that once while arise in our midst and in the body of Christ. There will be divisions, so let’s face them squarely. Are you having an individual or corporate conflict right now? Please deal with by listening to the Holy Spirit’s direction. Let’s stop explaining things away with all kinds of excuses.
5. Then, it was the expectation and practice that the Church will take care of the ‘true” widows in the Church (1 Tim. 5:316). We must involve the people and the body of Christ to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. We are not go in some corners to whisper and talk about other groups. We must avoid the cliques that exists among us.
6. The solution came from the people, the body of Christ. The apostles, “gathered the disciples together”. Notice that the solution was not starting a new denomination of the First Baptist of Grecian Jewish Church. A lot of our misunderstandings and divisions can be dealt with if we called the people together and discuss the issues that confront us.
7. The apostles selected men full of the” Holy Spirit” and “wisdom” to deal with the problem at hand. Most of the men selected were the Grecian Jews, and you can tell by their names. The solution should come from those who were complaining and they had representation. Men full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom says that these men have been observed for a period of time and they have displayed attitudes and obedience to the word of God. Contrary to my Pentecostal foundation (that taught speaking in tongues as evidence of being filled), being full of the Holy Spirit is an observable trait. The Spirit has to be demonstrated in character and conduct. See similar qualifications for the office of deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 (worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in wine, not pursuing dishonest gain)
8. Contrary to the way the early church did it, most churches these days are looking for deacons who are business men and women and those who can bring resources and cash to the treasury. Are your elders and deacons filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom?
9. Everyone had a part to play in the early Church. The apostles gave themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. The deacons ‘waited on tables” that is service and others served by working hard and providing for the needs of members who were less blessed with material provision.
10. I like how this segment ends. It says “The word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith”. Even the internal problems in the Church could not stop the spread of the Gospel. Problems should not stop us either. The Church is not yet perfect and that is why we hang unto our savior who is perfect.
When you feel weighed down by the inconsistencies of sin that once a while crop up in and among us, be encouraged that we are on the way to perfection. The difference between a believer and nonbeliever is that the believer has trusted Christ for his/her forgiveness of sins and for righteousness before God. We may have disagreements in our homes, church, work or school, but we must work it out. We must confront in love and seek solutions that are inspired by the Holy Spirit. I have been through some ugly church splits in the past that could have been avoided. May God help us to be one? Amen
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