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 to exist, he would be powerless to
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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 mur-
muring 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
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