A. Neglect. When there is work to do and there is no oversight of the details, things go wrong (6.1, John 15.12).
B. Vocation. Deacons had to be appointed because it was not fitting that spiritual work should suffer in order that material provision be fairly distributed. Souls must not be neglected to supervise provisions for bodies, however important. (6.2,4).
II. The Provision of Deacons
A. The office of Deacon. Although the word 'deacon' is not used in this passage there is general agreement that the substance of the office is (6.3).
B. The appointment of Deacons. Concerning the appointment of deacons, Luke records the apostolic practice as follows, (6.56).
(i) The men chosen must be spiritually gifted (1 Timothy 3.8-12)..
(ii) The men are to be chosen by some suitable process of election.
(iii) The men are to be publicly set aside to the Diaconate by ministerial prayer and laying on of hands.
C. The duties of Deacons. Deacons are appointed to administer the temporal matters of the Church.
III. An Interference
A. The causes of this interference: (i) The Gospel was advancing. (ii) Stephen was being greatly used of the Lord. (iii) Stephen was a match for enemies of the Gospel in debate. (6.9-10).
B. The conspiracy. There is concern today that Christians are being unfairly targeted. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is no new thing under the sun. In those early days of the church men would stop at nothing to destroy the work of God (6.11).
Conclusion The truth of God cannot be defeated. (6.15, 22.17-20, 1 Timothy 1.12-16)
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Pastor Roy Mohon MA, Dip. Theol. is the minister of the Presbyterian Reformed Church at Stockton-on-Tees. The subordinate standard of the Church is the Westminster Confession of Faith. He has served as Treasurer and committee member for the Trinitarian Bible Society and has...
