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New Year Challenge Day 6

Acts 6

Any church with people will have the same problems – people!  One of my former rectors used to say that the perfect church doesn’t have any parishioners, and he’s probably right!  Human problems aren’t something that the modern church has invented, even the very early Christian experienced human problems.

As the church continued to meet together and share their resources.  There was quite a lot of camaraderie and fellowship, yet there was still a lot of prejudice amongst the Christians. There was some perception that the Hebrew speaking Jewish widows than the Greek speaking widows.  They took the matter to the Apostles, who realised that dealing with practical issues could soon overtake their spiritual duties.  Their practical decision was to appoint seven overseers or deacons.  Their responsibilities would include the looking after the practical side of the church – including a Gentile convert to Judaism, and a certain Jewish man named Stephen.

Once the seven were chosen, the apostles laid hands on them and prayed for them.  This practice of laying-on of hands as part of the commission has continued to this very day, with this being a vital component of the ordination process today!

While others were being added every day, including a large number of priests, the deacons were looking after the church, and also taking part in the spiritual side of the church too.  Stephen was singled out for particular praise, and it is he that attracted the attention of some of the Jewish men who had been of Gentile backgrounds.  They argued with Stephen, but cannot resist the power of the Holy Spirit-given wisdom.  Their response wasn’t to give up their case – but to instigate a rumour of blasphemy against him.

This is enough to warrant a full-blown trial, so the people, elders and Sadducees arrested him and brought him to the Sanhedrin for trial.  The false accusations were brought before him, and they accused him of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the truths of his message!

The last verse brings a beautiful image – when the council looked at Stephen, they saw the face of an angel!  The trial will continue in the next chapter.

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