Acts 6:1 ¶ And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 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. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
If Ananias and Sapphira weren’t enough to throw a monkey wrench into
communism, then the murmuring and complaining of the Greek Christians against
the Jews would. Their complaint was that their own widows were being neglected.
Every church at some point, because it is composed of fallible human beings,
although hopefully saved human beings, who will argue and whose self-centered
egos will sow discord and there is often favoritism and cliques, the in-crowd,
will have these problems. This can lead to people being neglected or perceiving
that they are being neglected. If this is typical human behavior, even saved
human behavior on this scale imagine how hopeless communism would be on a
national scale.
The twelve Apostles were already overworked and needed help and so
they could focus on the ministry of the word they needed deacons to assist them
with the care of the congregation. I am reminded of Moses and how he was in
danger of being crushed by his responsibility. He took the advice of his
father-in-law, Jethro, to keep from burning out.
Exodus
18:13 ¶ And it came to pass on the
morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from
the morning unto the evening. 14 And
when Moses’ father in
law
saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou
thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? 15 And Moses said unto his father in law,
Because the people come unto me to enquire of God: 16 When they have a matter, they come unto me;
and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws. 17 And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The
thing that thou doest is not
good. 18 Thou wilt surely wear away,
both thou, and this people that is
with thee: for this thing is
too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. 19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee
counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that
thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20
And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the
way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the
people able men, such as fear God,
men of
truth, hating covetousness; and place such
over them, to be rulers of
thousands, and rulers of
hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: 22 And let them judge the people at all seasons:
and it shall be, that every
great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall
judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command
thee so, then thou shalt be
able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of
his father in law, and did all that he had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel,
and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26
And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought
unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. 27 And Moses let his father in law depart; and
he went his way into his own land.
Seven men are chosen to oversee service to the congregation in the
way of physical needs. Most commentators report that these and those who follow
after them were called deacons. There are later listed certain requirements and
restrictions for deacons.
1Timothy
3:8 ¶ Likewise must the deacons be
grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a
pure conscience. 10 And let these also
first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be
grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For they that have used the office of a
deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Roman documents suggest that the early church had female deacons
as well.
Pliny the Younger was the governor Bithynia in what we know today
as Turkey, geographically Asia Minor. He wrote a letter about Christians to the
Emperor Trajan around 115AD. Here is the content of what we have today. Paul
could not go to Bithynia but Peter may have gone there.
Acts
16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they
assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
1Peter
1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and
Bithynia,
Here is one translation from the Latin between the two men.
“Pliny the Younger to the Emperor Trajan
It is my practice, my
lord, to refer to you all matters concerning which I am in doubt. For who can
better give guidance to my hesitation or inform my ignorance? I have never
participated in trials of Christians. I therefore do not know what offenses it is
the practice to punish or investigate, and to what extent. And I have been not
a little hesitant as to whether there should be any distinction on account of
age or no difference between the very young and the more mature; whether pardon
is to be granted for repentance, or, if a man has once been a Christian, it
does him no good to have ceased to be one; whether the name itself, even
without offenses, or only the offenses associated with the name are to be
punished.
Meanwhile, in the case
of those who were denounced to me as Christians, I have observed the following
procedure: I interrogated these as to whether they were Christians; those who
confessed I interrogated a second and a third time, threatening them with punishment;
those who persisted I ordered executed. For I had no doubt that, whatever the
nature of their creed, stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy surely deserve to
be punished. There were others possessed of the same folly; but because they
were Roman citizens, I signed an order for them to be transferred to Rome.
Soon accusations spread,
as usually happens, because of the proceedings going on, and several incidents
occurred. An anonymous document was published containing the names of many
persons. Those who denied that they were or had been Christians, when they invoked
the gods in words dictated by me, offered prayer with incense and wine to your
image, which I had ordered to be brought for this purpose together with statues
of the gods, and moreover cursed Christ--none of which those who are really
Christians, it is said, can be forced to do--these I thought should be
discharged. Others named by the informer declared that they were Christians,
but then denied it, asserting that they had been but had ceased to be, some
three years before, others many years, some as much as twenty-five years. They
all worshipped your image and the statues of the gods, and cursed Christ.
They asserted, however,
that the sum and substance of their fault or error had been that they were
accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to
Christ as to a god, and to bind themselves by oath, not to some crime, but not
to commit fraud, theft, or adultery, not falsify their trust, nor to refuse to
return a trust when called upon to do so. When this was over, it was their
custom to depart and to assemble again to partake of food--but ordinary and
innocent food. Even this, they affirmed, they had ceased to do after my edict
by which, in accordance with your instructions, I had forbidden political
associations. Accordingly, I judged it all the more necessary to find out what
the truth was by torturing two female slaves who were called deaconesses. But I
discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition.
I therefore postponed
the investigation and hastened to consult you. For the matter seemed to me to
warrant consulting you, especially because of the number involved. For many
persons of every age, every rank, and also of both sexes are and will be endangered.
For the contagion of this superstition has spread not only to the cities but
also to the villages and farms. But it seems possible to check and cure it. It
is certainly quite clear that the temples, which had been almost deserted, have
begun to be frequented, that the established religious rites, long neglected,
are being resumed, and that from everywhere sacrificial animals are coming, for
which until now very few purchasers could be found. Hence it is easy to imagine
what a multitude of people can be reformed if an opportunity for repentance is
afforded.
Trajan to Pliny the Younger
You observed proper
procedure, my dear Pliny, in sifting the cases of those who had been denounced
to you as Christians. For it is not possible to lay down any general rule to
serve as a kind of fixed standard. They are not to be sought out; if they are denounced
and proved guilty, they are to be punished, with this reservation, that whoever
denies that he is a Christian and really proves it--that is, by worshiping our
gods--even though he was under suspicion in the past, shall obtain pardon
through repentance. But anonymously posted accusations ought to have no place
in any prosecution. For this is both a dangerous kind of precedent and out of
keeping with the spirit of our age.”[1]
Female deacons were also present in the early Baptist churches of
the seventeenth century.[2]
Laying hands on someone to confer a blessing or authority was
established a long time prior to this.
Deuteronomy
34:9 ¶ And Joshua the son of Nun was
full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the
children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Notice how what was in the beginning thought to be merely a sect
of Judaism was cutting into the company of the priests.
[1] http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/pliny.html.
(accessed 3.28.2018).
[2] McBeth, H. Leon. The Baptist Heritage (Kindle Location
780). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
