Chapter 9
The Seven Deacons
"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.
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