David Bahn – Reflections

Acts 6:1-7

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

There is an urgency to the Apostles’ efforts to preach the Word in the Early Church that leads them to choose the seven first deacons to provide for the needs of the widows in their fellowship. And while this is set within the context of choosing between waiting on tables and preaching the Word, it would be a mistake to degrade the service of the Seven in deference to the preaching of the Apostles.
To be sure the one who seeks the privilege of preaching the word and leading the people of God in a local church seeks a noble thing (cf. 1 Timothy 3:1). But the ministry of “serving tables” is no throw-away exercise. James reminds us that true religion is that which, among other things, “cares for widows and orphans” (James 1:27). Micah testifies of God’s requirement of his people to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). The charge of serving tables is vitally important; and not only because a lack of care for one group of widows would easily become a foothold for Satan to hamper the spread of the word. To fail to care for the various groups of widows would dishonor the Word of God which the Apostles were preaching. The question was not whether this ministry needed to happen, but how the need would be met and by whom.
Too easily today we default to an either-or approach to social and spiritual ministry. Some would make the preaching office so overly-important that they dismiss the important task of social ministry and good-doing. Worse yet, there are those who would relegate the preaching task to only those who have special credentials. We will soon see Philip breaking that mold (cf. Acts 8)! And when further persecution breaks out against the church everyone but the Apostles is scattered, and those who were scattered preached the word wherever they went.
Thank God for those who wait on tables and testify to God’s work in Christ and in their lives! Thank God for those who have the full time responsibility for preaching the word! That God that he cares about the whole person: that we experience justice, kindness, and humility in our relationship with him and among the sisters and brothers in Christ with whom we travel along the Way.