Growth and Delegation, Acts 6:1-7
Acts 6 is a transitional chapter in the overall structure of the book of Acts, as it marks a new stage in the newly established church. Luke uses the opening paragraph (6:1-7) to report on the neglect of the Hellenistic widows in the daily distribution of food, and in this narrative he introduces two men who will be key figures in the following chapters: Stephen, who will preach an extensive sermon in chapter 7 and whose death will trigger a persecution that will force many Christians in Jerusalem to flee the city; and Philip, who will accompany the persecuted Christians to Samaria (8:5) and preach the gospel in other regions (8:26, 40).
The specific content of 6:1-7 shows the apostles’ appropriate response to a problem presented to them. Verse 1 states the cause of the problem: “As the number of disciples increased…” With congregational growth come new challenges that demand an optimization of human resources to provide a timely and effective response to emerging problems or needs. Maintaining peace, unity, and sustained growth depends on this. The neglect of the Hellenistic widows could have been interpreted as favoritism, which generated “grumbling” (Greek: goggismos), a word used in the Septuagint to describe Israel's repeated complaining against Moses in the desert (Exodus 16:7-9; Numbers 17:5, 10).
In any case, the neglect of the Hellenistic widows in the daily distribution was real. The distinction Luke makes here between “Hellenists” and “Hebrews” is not racial but linguistic. Many Jews of the Diaspora, when they grew old, returned to Jerusalem to die there, which explains the large number of widows in the city. The apostles heard of the situation and summoned the church so that they themselves could find suitable men to take charge of the matter. They sought men with three qualities: (1) of good reputation; (2) full of the Holy Spirit; and (3) full of wisdom.
Ultimately, the congregation chose seven men who were “presented to the apostles, who, after praying, laid their hands on them” (v. 6). Prayer and the laying on of hands were rituals that served to entrust them to God and confer upon them authority for the exercise of their office, and in some cases, special gifts were transferred through the laying on of hands. Acts 19:5-6 says: “On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied” (see also 1 Timothy 4:14 and Acts 8:17). The result of the apostles’ wise decision was that “the word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (v. 7).
The word of the Lord continued to grow because the apostles did not stop praying and preaching the gospel to serve tables, but instead delegated this function to spiritual men. In this way, the crisis was overcome. Jesus taught his disciples the importance of delegation when he sent them out to preach two by two (Luke 10:1-2): “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” He also included several women among his close disciples, and they provided resources for his ministry (Acts 8:1-3).
The effectiveness of leadership can be measured by the willingness to delegate responsibilities to qualified men and women. Unfortunately, in their eagerness to protect small power bases and interests (almost always of an economic nature), some leaders prefer to work alone or almost alone, thus neglecting the needs of the church members and causing a stagnation in both numerical and spiritual growth. Men and women “attested to by the community,” filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, are the ones who should be leading the programs of the congregations.
