Acts
Chapter 6
Institution of the Seven
In those days, as the number of disciples increased, the so-called Hellenists complained against the so-called Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
So the Twelve called the entire group of disciples together and said:
“It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at tables.
So, friends, choose seven respected men among yourselves, full of Spirit and wisdom, that we may appoint them to this task.
As for us, we will dedicate ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
The entire community agreed, and they selected Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit; Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenus, and Nicolaus of Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
They introduced these men to the apostles, who first prayed over them and then laid hands on them.
The word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem grew significantly, and even many priests accepted the faith.
Stephen Arrested
Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
Some people then came forward, belonging to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia.
They argued with Stephen, but they couldn’t match the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
Since they couldn’t face the truth, they paid some men to say, ‘We heard him speak against Moses and against God.’
So they stirred up the people, the elders, and the teachers of the law; they confronted him, arrested him, and brought him before the Council.
Then they brought forward false witnesses who testified:
“This man never stops speaking against our Holy Place and the law.
We even heard him say that Jesus, the Nazorean, will destroy our Holy Place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.”
And everyone sitting in the Council looked at him, and his face seemed to them like the face of an angel.
Commentaries
Institution of the Seven.
The Jerusalem Church faced a serious challenge with unity among its members. Luke emphasizes the peaceful solution proposed, which maintained harmony, and shows the powerful results a well-resolved conflict can produce. What a great example for our church today! One side consisted of the Aramaic-speaking, Hebrew-culture group—the majority—whose members included the apostles. Many of their customs and practices, some of which were discriminatory, were purely cultural. The other side was the “Hellenistic” group—Jews born and raised outside Palestine—who had a more universal outlook and were less strict about Jewish customs. This group caused the conflict, complaining about discrimination against their widows during food distribution. But beneath the surface, the real issue was deeper. The apostles suggested a solution everyone agreed on: selecting seven men—Hellenistic men, all with Greek names—to serve as deacons, focusing on the widows’ material needs because the apostles had a more critical role—preaching the Word of God.
Luke presents the solution as quick and straightforward, though one can imagine there were discussions, dialogues, discernments, and concessions, along with an atmosphere of prayer. With the laying on of hands, the apostles transmit to the seven chosen ones the task and the grace of God to fulfill it. Through this account, Luke conveys two messages. First, that a serious conflict did not break the unity of the young Church, but that diversity came from unity. Second, the Holy Spirit is not the exclusive domain of any Christian group, but acts where he wills. In fact, he began to act unexpectedly and wonderfully in that local community of Hellenistic Christians, pushing the Word beyond the borders of Jewish culture and people.
Stephen Arrested.
Luke’s depiction of this young Christian, the first martyr of the Church, is compelling: he is filled with the Spirit, passionate and brave, very active in sharing the Gospel, sharp in his accusations, and remarkable in his miracles. He genuinely acts as a prophet. When his opponents, the Jewish authorities, cannot succeed through reasoning and debate, they try to discredit him before the people with smear tactics. They accuse him of blasphemy for speaking against the Law and the temple, which symbolize Jewish identity. For Stephen, the Law and the temple have not been abolished but fulfilled through Jesus, whose coming completes them.