Bible Studies
The Selection and Appointment of Deacons (Acts 6:1-6)
Series: The Service of DeaconsIntroduction:
1. The only passage in the N.T. that addresses the selection and appointment of church officers is in Acts 6:1-6. 2. The passage distinguishes the selecting and the appointing of these individuals. Two different Greek terms are used to describe these processes.a. “Select” (NASB), “look ye out” (KJV) is from the Greek “episkeptomai” meaning to look at, examine or inspect with the objective of selection.
b. “Appoint” is from the Greek “kathistemi” meaning to put in charge.
3. The congregation was to select and the apostles appointed the seven to the task.Discussion:
I. The apostles involved the whole congregation in solving the problem.A. It might be reasoned that the apostles had a position that would have allowed them to have selected their own men as deacons, but they did not do this.
1. It was not their responsibility to do the work that was the congregation’s work to do.
2. Caring for these widows was not the apostles’ work, but the congregation’s work. Cf. Eph. 4:11ff.
3. They were not to do the work for the congregation, but they were to equip the congregation to do the work.
B. The congregation had a work to do and needed to do it.
1. Therefore they were the ones to select who would assist them in executing their work. Cf. 1 Tim. 5:9, 16.
2. Such is the case with the congregation here. It is your work, your responsibility, your selection.
II. The apostles put the ones selected by the congregation “in charge of this task” (v. 3).A. What did this entail? Verse 6 says, “They laid their hands on them.”
1. The “laying on of hands” was used in the O.T. in bestowing a blessing (ex. Gen. 48:13ff), to express identification (ex. Lev. 1:4; et. al.), to commission a successor (ex. Num. 27:23).
2. In this text it appears to show validation by the apostles of the selecting done by the congregation and a setting aside of the seven selected for the special work. The apostles had communicated the qualifications and this seems to communicate that the congregation had done its work well.
3. There does not seem to be anything particularly significant about “laying their hands on them.” There is no power transfer. No transfer of the Spirit of God, etc. Cf. to becoming a Knight in medieval times by placing of the king’s sword on the shoulder. Probably nothing more than a symbolic gesture.
4. It was public in nature and marked the beginning of their work. A public announcement serves the same purpose.
III. Note that in this process the Christians had identified those individuals who had the special qualifications suitable for the task. In other words, they identified those who had a special gift of serving in this work (Rom 12:4, 7; 1 Pet. 4:10). IV. The method of the selection process is not identified. What selection process shall we use? It is possible to write names of those qualified and willing to serve on a sheet of paper. Take these recommendations to those individuals recommended to determine their response to their recommendation. Those believed to be qualified and willing to serve could then be appointed publically. V. Must there be seven deacons?A. It would appear that there were already some serving food on a daily basis (Acts 6:1).
B. There may well have been more than seven deacons working in the Jerusalem church. The number probably reflects the size of the work to be done.
C. Often the number we select is limited by the number qualified and willing to serve. I do not see a specific requirement here for a specific number.
D. Some Christians of the second, third and fourth centuries believed this and allowed only seven deacons per city. (See the Canons of the Council of Neo-Caesarea, A.D. 315, noted by Strauch, p. 43).
Conclusion:
1. The care of the widows was the responsibility of the congregation. 2. They were the ones to select those to be put in charge of the task. 3. The apostles (as those communicating the message of God) identified the qualifications. 4. The congregation selected those qualified and the apostles publically set them to the task thus validating that the congregation had selected appropriately.
