In the previous article, we set up some context for the first verse of Acts 6. Let’s take a look at that verse again.
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
Acts 6:1 NIV
In this account from the early church, something isn’t right: Greek-background widows (in a culture where widows didn’t necessarily have a safety net) weren’t getting taken care of with regard to the food that the church was distributing. As members of the church shared what they had with those in need, help was not getting to all of the church members who needed it.
We can speculate why this was the case (although perhaps it doesn’t matter): Maybe the announcements about food distribution were all posted in Hebrew, or maybe those who were organizing meals were – let’s say it – a little biased. It’s not a stretch to imagine, here in the first century, a particular Jewish person (or group) being committed to Hebrew culture, and thinking of those who had taken on Greek aspects to their lives as being inferior, or even – in the worst-case scenario – considering them to be “sell-outs”. Someone like that might have given preference to the other widows: those whose background matched their own.
We find evidence later in the New Testament of misguided people trying to persuade believers in Jesus that they must first become Jewish (particularly with regard to circumcision) before they could become Christians. Perhaps this event was an early precursor to that false teaching.
Or, if we give those tasked with the distribution of the church’s resources to these widows the benefit of the doubt, this could have been an accidental oversight [as suggested by Reese, p.247]. For instance, I can imagine there being a certain amount of food being available each day, and the widows (who are probably all Jewish, by the way, this early in the church’s history) are sitting at tables. Here, we could picture this room set up for a meal (like a modern-day church basement, set up for a dinner). In my city, there’s a mission called “Refuge of Hope” that feeds people every day with hot food, and I think about their dining room as an example.
In my hypothetical scenario, the Hebraic women are near the front, because they know the servers and speak their language, and are chatting them up. The Hellenistic women are in the back, gathered together because they are more comfortable speaking Greek with each other. When food comes out and gets brought to the tables, by the time the servers get to the back, the kitchen has run out. They shrug and say, “sorry”, but that leaves some of the women having to go home hungry.
(By the way, I know that this would never happen if our church’s food service director was in charge! She wouldn’t treat people differently, and I’ve never known her to run out of food. However, that’s a different time and place from what the early church experienced.)
I realize that this is the second article in a row on a single verse, but I would like for us to really internalize the challenge being faced here. There are different possible causes, but the end result is that certain members of a multicultural congregation are being marginalized. Regardless of whether this is intentional or unintentional, it’s not something to be ignored or swept under the rug.
And, perhaps this is a topic that is personal to you. You could be someone who feels left out of the church (despite Jesus’ intention for it to be as diverse and global as the human beings He created). Or, you might see evidence of this happening to others in our congregation. The Bible shares problems that God’s people experienced, so that – among other reasons – we can learn from others in similar situations to our own, and can make things better.
Even if this isn’t the case for you today, over the next few days (perhaps a full week, depending on the next time that you meet with other believers), I encourage you to try something a little different: Look for a chance to get to know someone else from the church who appears to be pretty different from yourself. (We need to reach out to those outside the church, too, but let’s consider today’s passage, and also reach out within the church.)
It can be awkward to talk to someone that we don’t know, but you can ask to join someone where they are sitting, or join a conversation with a mutual friend. Introduce yourself, ask about the other person, and think about these goals:
- If you find a need, see if you can help fill it.
- If you find a person who can meet a need that you have, ask for help (or perhaps an exchange).
- If you find a friend, praise God for His blessings.
And, if there is no one at your church who is significantly different from you (especially if your community is more diverse than your congregation), consider whether this is an opportunity to bring others into the church who might not visit without a personal invitation (and personal hosting) from you!
From Sunday School lesson prepared for October 15, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, October 15, 2023, © 2023 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- New Testament History: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Acts, by Gareth L. Reese. © 1976, College Press Publishing Company.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Acts, by Dennis Gaertner. © 1993 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 