Meditations

Open Line Radio on August 2, 2025 Hour 2 @1:44

Question:

In Acts when they chose the seven men, did they choose deacons then or were they servers, which is also the definition of a deacon and are deacons called to preach the word?

Answer from Dr Michael Rydelnik:

https://www.moodyradio.org/radioplayer.aspx?episode=651232&hour=2

Summary of the answer:

In Acts 6, the bible did not use the noun, instead it uses the verb and is the same root word. What we have here are what would be precursors to be deacons. The choosing of the seven is taken from the synagogue structure. The synagogue have seven men who were overseeing the everyday working of the synagogue. They would care for the poor, the burial society that every synagogue had, the widows … . In Acts 6, the controversy was because there were Jews from the “diaspora”, the Hellenistic Jews and the Jews who were living in Israel and they were trying to get their communities all together.

If you read 1Timothy 3, the bible states that deacons are tasked to do the management of the congregation and elders are the ones who are the normal teachers of the word.

Scripture:

Acts 6

² Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. -nkjv

² Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. -kjv

² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.  -nasb

² So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. -niv