Acts of Jesus Study Guide: Acts 6

Overview

The rapid growth of the church left some basic functions of the community in disarray. In particular, certain widows were not receiving food each day, and this became a point of criticism within the broader community. The disciples gather and decide that while they must keep their focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word, others should indeed be appointed to fill this gap. A spiritual leader named Stephen is chosen who becomes both a model for the Spirit-filled life and a target for persecution.

~Read Acts 6~

Key Questions

Hellenists were those who embraced and embodied Greek culture. Luke notes that the Jewish Hellenists who are familiar with local customs point out that certain widows are being neglected. What do you think was motivating their comments?

Their critique was fair regardless of the reasons behind their words. The disciples recognize this and decide to act. Does godliness save us from mistakes and oversights? How should we respond to the frustrations and accusations of organizational problems?

The 12 disciples recognize that they should keep a laser focus on preaching the Word and prayer. Why does it matter that the church keeps the main thing the main thing? What are some examples of losing focus and being imbalanced in the church today?

The feeding of the poor was daily practice. In that day there was not a separate government agency that provided a cultural safety net. How does this tie back to Luke’s comparison of two temples?

If you were writing a job description for working in a soup kitchen and waiting tables, would you make the top requirements be an excellent reputation in the community and uniquely wise and insightful? Why are the requirements so spiritual for such a mundane task? What does this say about how they view this role of service?

Was serving the marginalized less important than preaching the Word, or was it something else?

Applying Truth

The Church is unlike any other group in the world. We are called to care for the poor, fight for justice, and promote righteousness, and yet the Church is not primarily a humanitarian effort, a social justice cause, nor an anti-(fill-in-the-blank sin) lobbyist group. The foundation for all the Church does is Christ.

However you are called to make a difference in this world as your live out your faith, do so with Christ at the center. The story of the early Church is the continuing work of Jesus through people who are led by the Spirit. May He lead us, and may we follow with Him at the center of our lives.