All posts by roderickbarnes

The phrase “Stupid is as stupid does” was popularized by the character Forrest Gump in the 1994 namesake movie Forrest Gump. The main character used it to highlight an important principle in assessing people: judge people by their actions rather than labels or preconceived notions. The adage underscores the idea that what people do matters more than what they say or how they are perceived.

Figure 1 – Tom Hanks played the character Forest Gump.

The saying “Stupid is as stupid does” implies that intelligence or wisdom is not determined by how smart someone appears to be (certificates, scholarly accolades, academic degrees) or claims to be but rather by their actions. It suggests that a person’s behavior reflects or reveals their true level of understanding, judgment, or intelligence.

In essence, someone who consistently makes foolish or poor decisions, regardless of their potential or background, can be considered “stupid” because their actions define them. Conversely, a person might not be formally educated or considered traditionally smart but can display wisdom and intelligence through thoughtful or effective actions.

We can generalize this saying: The person is as the person does.  In other words, the true character of the person is conveyed by their conduct. Jesus put it this way:

You will know [people] by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. — Matthew 7:16-18 (NKJV)

In His grip by His grace,

Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

²⁰ Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” ²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

When given an opportunity, the recent convert immediately does what Christ asks of us all; Saul witnesses (Acts 1:8; Acts 9:20). God likes immediate obedience. More than just telling the truth Saul proclaimed or declared it. That is, he preached the Christ in the synagogues. Is there a difference between telling the truth about Christ and preaching Christ? Yes.

• Telling the Truth About Christ — When we tell the truth about Christ it is often not planned. In the moment or in an informal setting we relate information about Jesus. The goal of telling can be as high as compelling someone to make a decision or as simple as conveying information that may be of use. Our personal testimony is not preached; it is shared as we have opportunity and given out with the goal of giving the listener evidence for the reality of Jesus’ resurrection in our own lives. Telling, when we seek to make it known that Jesus is Lord and through Him alone we can find forgiveness, is one way of fulfilling the command to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). We should tell the gospel often and tell the gospel well. (There is an excellent book on this aspect of witnessing by Mark McCloskey — Tell it Often Tell it Well: Making the Most of Witnessing Opportunities.) Telling about Christ presents information that will help a listener understand the why and how of choosing Him.
• Preaching Christ — Where telling is informal and happens in the moment as there is opportunity, preaching is planned. The preacher actively seeks an occasion to deliver a message and aggressively engages the audience with an agenda. The goal of the preacher is not merely conveying information; the aim to use the message proclaimed to promote transformation or action in the hearers that brings them into alignment with the will of God. Where telling is often informal in its context, preaching is formal and characterized by greater intentionality, preparation, and a clearly stated desired outcome. Preaching Christ pushes people. It pushes them to repent and turn to Him or to maintain a resolve to follow Him. Preaching is for a change or a charge stand strong.

Yuletide art often displays the angel of this passage in the air above the shepherds. However, the stood before them of Luke 2:9 does not indicate that the heavenly messenger had an elevation greater than that of the shepherds. Absent from the text is any mention of wings, hovering (See 1 Chronicles 21:15-16), or clouds. I do not believe that the author’s command of Greek and attention to detail leave this open to interpretation. When Luke has meant stood over he has clearly conveyed that idea. E.g., later in the same work (4:39) Luke uses the same verb and a preposition to communicate that the Lord stood over Peter’s sick mother-in-law. In the material that concludes Luke’s gospel more angels appear (24:4); the same verb that was translated stood before them, now in the plural, is used in the same way. These angels, appearing to activate immediate obedience in the disciples, are on the ground with the men to whom they are speaking.

In general when angels appear for judgement they do not make themselves available for conversation; they are not present to communicate but to condemn. In passages where angels appear in the air they are not merely aloft – they are agents of judgement (1 Chronicles 21:16) or positioned against the enemies of God (Revelation 7:1-2; 8:5,13, 14:1-19). Notable exceptions are found in the passage where an angel of God calls to Hagar out of heaven and later to Abraham (Genesis 21:17; 22:11). In these exceptions it does not say that the angel appeared but called out. But you will say, “What about Balaam’s donkey?” (Numbers 22:22-33) And to this I will say that the Angel does not appear to Balaam. It was the donkey that saw the angel standing against the wayward prophet.

When heaven’s ministering spirits show up on the ground (Daniel 8:15-17) or in a dream they are present to help men (Genesis 31:11; 32:1; Exodus 3:2; Judges 13:3; Matthew 1:20; 2:13; 2:19; 28:5; Luke 1:11-13; 1:28-30; 2:9; John 20:12; Acts 5:19; 7:30, 35; 10:3; 11:13; 12:7; 27:23). Since this note was first penned I have given more thought to the subject. Furthering the argument that an angel standing with or before men is present to help, are the prior appearances of Gabriel in Luke’s gospel. There are two instances that should be considered. First, there is the appearance of Gabriel to Zacharias.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. ¹³ But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. (Luke 1:11-13)

The angel appears for a meeting with a particular person: appeared to [Zacharias]. And the participial phrase describing how he appears says that he was standing on the right side of the altar of incense. The angel has made himself known to Zacharias through a visible appearance and he is standing on the ground in the Holy of Holies. They are literally on common ground.

Second, there is the appearance to Mary. That is, there is another appearance of the same angel to a person; Gabriel appears to Mary six months after the appearance to Zacharias. This same angel is said to come in (Luke 1:28) and then later to depart from her (Luke 1:38). Nothing is said about whether or not he was standing on the ground. However, unless the poor virgin girl in Nazareth lives in a place with huge vaulted ceilings, the angel is near or on the ground. We will not argue from silence (argumentum ex silentio), since the passage does not explicitly say that the heavenly messenger had his feet on the earth. But it is not unreasonable to think that he did.

Finally, at no point did the angels that appear in the advent story try to get attention for themselves. They did not encourage future communication with themselves, ask for worship, or indicate that they would be an ongoing source of enlightenment. The angels of God do not distract His people from Himself; they appear to promote obedience and devotion to God alone. Angels that seek or accept devotion are demonic (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:8-11)!

Does it matter? Is there any relevance in this rumination to our day-to-day efforts to live effectively in the service of Jesus? The significance may be in helping me to interpret the meaning of visits from angels. Because, to be sure, they are continuing to visit us (Acts 12:7; Hebrews 13:2). (No, I am not preoccupied with the appearance of angels or trying to explain the community and operations of beings not of this world. I am merely working with Scripture to uncover guidelines for evaluating visits by angels.) Recently, there have been people claiming that orbs of light in the sky might be angels. They have even posted videos of communication with these things; in one case the light seems to respond. (Note: the person presenting the material is in the active practice of witchcraft and other activities expressly prohibited by God.) Does it matter? Consider the following as assessment guidelines:

Angel Appearance Assessment Guidelines

1. Angel Appearance Assessment Guideline 1 – If the angel is in the air above me, based on the Scriptures, this is an indicator that they are not visiting to communicate and are not promoting my personal welfare.
2. Angel Appearance Assessment Guideline 2 – If the angel appears on the ground and talks to me, they are obviously wanting to communicate and, based on the Scriptures, they may be here to help.

3. Angel Appearance Assessment Guideline 3 – The angel must not seek attention for itself, try to get me to stay in communication with itself, or promote spiritual ideas that indicate a better life that is not centered on Christ. Angels of God do not self promote or distract from the gospel.

One author warns us against putting too much in the names that we find in Scripture.

While some have seen great significance in the meaning of “Amittai” (“truth”) and the name “Jonah” (“dove”), we must be careful not to interpret these in a way that goes beyond the book’s obvious intent. (Smith, 1995, p. 224)

Fanciful interpretations are to be avoided. Thank you, B. K. Smith. And yet care must be taken to avoid the other extremes — (1) seeing no meaning in names that have meaning (Genesis 17:9; 21:3-6; Exodus 2:10; Matthew 1:21) and (2) failing to recognize the relationship between names in the text and the clear intent of the original author. With trepidation and respect for the skills of the commentators that issue such words of caution, I submit the following.

The name Jonah (יוֹנָה) means dove. New covenant readers of this book, conditioned by the gospel accounts of Jesus’ anointing (Isaiah 11:2; Matthew 3:16; Luke 3:22; John 1:32), cannot help but to think Spirit when they encounter the word dove. Amittai (אֲמִתַּי), the name of Jonah’s father, means truth. Taken together the names form a word picture that indicates early in the text the role that Jonah has: a spirit of truth. He is a spirit of truth sent by God to a society that needs to be (i) confronted by someone they cannot ignore, (ii) convicted of sin, and (iii) converted away from violence. Insofar as God is willing to communicate His displeasure and declare the inevitable result of continuing in acts of evil, Jonah is God’s kindness, a sober warning, and a missionary of God’s mercy. And it works. Indeed, Jonah’s words will cause the city to repent and thus avoid the wrath of God; in this sense Jonah is successful as an agent of compassion. He foreshadows the compassion ministry of The Spirit of truth (John 14:17; 16:13) who now works in the world convicting it of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (John 16:8-11).

The dove, the Spirit of Truth, that came and settled on Jesus has now settled on us (Ephesians 1:13). So then, Jesus followers are now carrying the mantle of truth bearers and have become agents of compassion. As the Father sent the Son, so now the Son sends us (John 20:21). We are sent forth to our newer Nineveh to confront with compassion the fallenness of our world and to offer the gracious gift of saving truth through the gospel.

References

Smith, B. K., & Page, F. S. (1995). Amos, Obadiah, Jonah (Vol. 19B). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

In Koine Greek, the dative and accusative cases are both used to indicate relationships between words in a sentence. But the dative and the accusative serve different functions. In this very brief post I will compare these two cases with examples from the New Testament. If you are struggling to understand why the verb will be in one case accusative or in another dative or if you are having trouble falling asleep, read this post.

The Accusative Case

1. Direct Object — The accusative is most commonly used to indicate the direct object of a verb, i.e., the noun that directly receives the action.
   • Example: ὁ ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἄρτον ἔφαγεν (The man ate the bread). Here, τὸν ἄρτον (the bread) is in the accusative case because it is the direct object of the verb ἔφαγεν (ate).
2. Motion Toward — The accusative can also indicate motion toward a place or goal.
   • Example: εἰς τὴν πόλιν (into the city). Here, τὴν πόλιν (the city) is in the accusative because it indicates the destination of the motion.
3. Extent of Time or Space: The accusative can express the extent of time or space.
   • Example: ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν (the whole day). Here, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν (the whole day) is accusative, indicating the duration of time.

The Dative Case

1. Indirect Object — The dative is commonly used to indicate the indirect object of a verb, i.e., the noun that benefits from or is affected by the action.
   • Example: ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ παιδίῳ βιβλίον δίδωσιν (The man gives the book to the child). Here, τῷ παιδίῳ (to the child) is in the dative case because it is the indirect object. The book is affected by the action of giving. In this case, the child is the direct object and is in the accusative case.
2. Means or Instrument — The dative can express the means or instrument by which something is done.
   • Example: χειρὶ γράφει (he writes with his hand). Here, χειρὶ (with his hand) is in the dative case, indicating the instrument used.
3. Location or Sphere — The dative can indicate the location where an action takes place or the sphere in which something occurs.
   • Example: ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ (in the house). Here, τῇ οἰκίᾳ (in the house) is in the dative case, indicating location.
4. Reference or Respect — The dative can express respect or reference, showing in what respect something is true.
   • Example: τῷ νόμῳ δικαιόω (I am justified by the law). Here, τῷ νόμῳ (by the law) is in the dative case, indicating the respect or reference in which the justification takes place.

Summary

• Accusative: Primarily indicates the direct object, motion toward, or extent of time/space.
• Dative: Primarily indicates the indirect object, means/instrument, location, or respect.

In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.

References

The Ministry of the Spirit in Stephen (Acts 6:8-15)

⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. ¹⁰ And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

The Special Abilities of Stephen (Acts 6:8) — The former mentions of signs and wonders among the people were about work done by the Spirit through the apostles (Acts 2:43; 3:1-9; 4:33; 5:12, 15). This is the first time that we hear of supernatural work being done by the Spirit through people outside of the twelve. Why? That is, (1) why were these abilities formerly only seen in the apostles and (2) what changed?

The signs, miracles, and wonders of the apostles, and Jesus before them, served to certify that they were sent by God (John 3:1-2; Acts 2:22). Think with me on the purpose of such power in the life of the Lord. Jesus pointed to the signs and wonders being done through Him when He encountered detractors. He used them to reinforce His claims when people expressed reservations about receiving a Messiah from Nazareth:

• The Works Were Given to Help Get Over Unbelief (John 10:37-38) — If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.
• The Works Were to Help Deal with Doubt (John 14:11) — Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

The supernatural works being done through Jesus were aimed at helping people believe in Jesus. Through the works the Father attested to the veracity of the Son’s claims (Acts 2:22). The ministry of Jesus was validated by His miracles.

The ministry of the apostles was also validated by signs, wonders, and miracles (Hebrews 2:3-4). Through supernatural acts Jesus was made more credible. And through similar works the apostles were also validated. And so it is with the new deacons. That is, the signs and wonders serve as validation for deacons Stephen (Acts 6:8) and Philip (Acts 8:5-8). Stephen is now doing great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). In this way the new deacon is authenticated. Like Jesus and his apostles, the man upon whom the apostles have laid their hands is now being certified by miracles. Through the miracles Stephen is given a platform for promoting faith in Christ. Like Jesus and the apostles, Stephen is using the spotlight created by the miracles for declaring the word of God. And the Holy Spirit is on board with this plan; it is all part of the plan. Stephen is now someone to be regarded as having sound doctrine and speaking the words of life (Titus 1:9; 1 Timothy 3:9). And he was teaching!

The Speech of Stephen (Acts 6:9-10) — The teaching ministry of Stephen was controversial. He was saying things that disturbed both the camps of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. On account of Stephen’s teachings there arose men from five different synagogues disputing with him.

Freedmen were former slaves (or the children of former slaves) who had been emancipated by their owners; if their owners were Roman citizens, their freedmen were enrolled as members of their family. Many Jews who were taken captive to Rome at the time of Pompey’s conquest of Judaea (63 B.C.) were subsequently emancipated and thenceforth had the status of freedmen. (Bruce, 1988, p. 125)

Those who argued with Stephen were Hellenists; they were Greek-speaking Jews that were formerly dispersed among the nations. They have now come back to Jerusalem and gather according to cultural affinities.

In this verse, the term “synagogue” is singular, but Luke named five of them. First, there was the synagogue of the Libertines, a word that means “freedmen.” These were Jews who were once slaves of Rome or sons of Jewish slaves of Rome, but now had been freed. They came from Rome and built their own synagogue. Second, there was the synagogue of the Cyrenians, Jews from North Africa. Third, there was the synagogue of the Alexandrians, Jews from Egypt. The Jerusalem Talmud states that they built their synagogue at their own expense. The Babylonian Talmud tells the story of Rabbi Eliezer Ben Zadok, who acquired from some Alexandrian Jews a building formerly used as a private synagogue[ 148] “and turned it to his own use.”[ 149] Fourth, there was the synagogue of Cilicia, built by Jews who came from Asia Minor or present-day Turkey. The province of Cilicia included the city of Tarsus. Hence, these were people who came from the same region as Paul, and this synagogue of the Cilicians may very well have been his place of worship. That may also mean that he would have been involved in the disputations with Stephen and would have been among those who lost their arguments with him. Finally, there was the synagogue of Asia, meaning other parts of Asia Minor. (Fruchtenbaum, 2020, Kindle Locations 2805-2815)

But in their midst is a Hellenist full of faith and power, performing miracles, and preaching things that sound like blasphemy. They tried to take Stephen on and refute his statements. But he defeated all of them; they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke (Acts 6:10). What is going on? Is Stephen so smart that he can best anyone in an argument? While he was likely intelligent and certainly wise (Acts 6:3), that is not why he has become unbeatable in debate. Stephen, my fellow Jesus follower, is filled with the Spirit. (See the previous post in this series.) His invincible power in verbal combat is actually the outworking of God’s presence in a chosen vessel.

• The Precedent of God’s Presence for His Servant’s Speech (Exodus 4:12; Numbers 11:17) — Between 1,300 and 1,500 years before Jesus, God told a man who was not a capable speaker that he be helped with speaking. What man? Moses. Here below is Moses’ self assessment of his speaking abilities:

O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue. (Exodus 4:10, NKJV)

Figure 1 – Moses protested his calling to lead based on his difficulty speaking.

Do you see it? That is, do you see Moses’ low view of his own speaking abilities? In his own words he was not eloquent. No. Instead he had some problem speaking that made his oration slow in delivery and perhaps pronunciation. Did he stammer? Whatever the problem was, in light of the help he had, it was actually not a problem. In the moment and as needed God would enable Moses to speak. His mouth was aided by the indwelling Spirit in saying what the occasion required. This is God’s response of encouragement and about the help His servant would have in speaking:

Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say. (Exodus 4:12, NKJV)

• The Power is Unbeatable (Isaiah 54:17) — Between 700 and 740 years before Christ, Isaiah the prophet will add some clarity to what God will do through to make his spokespersons effective. Isaiah says that dealing successfully with opposition in our response to attacks is our heritage; when the time comes, we do not back down from the difficulty or danger associated with declaring the truth. This will be played out in the text that follows. The weapons formed against Stephen will not prosper.

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17, NKJV)

Further, instead of being condemned, the man of God will speak cutting truth about his accusers (Acts 7:54).

• The Promise of In-the-Moment Provisions of Irresistible Speech (Luke 21:12-15) — Jesus prepared his disciples for the moments when they would need to give an answer to their adversaries. He told them that they would be put on trial for the benefit of His Person and program (Luke 21:12). Jesus said those trials will look, at first glance, like a day of triumph for the enemy. However, it will be your opportunity! The Son of Man says, in effect, “What the devil would use as a time to demean you and discourage you will become a singular time of telling them the truth about who I am” (Luke 21:13); “The setback of being made to stand before your accusers will actually be a setup for you to stand for the Truth” (John 14:6).

What do we do with this? We are not far enough through the narrative of what happens to Stephen to say. Not enough of Luke’s account of the trial of Stephen has been considered. We need more to know how to operate in our day to face opposition? But here are some questions that will help us to think deeply about the text and God’s reasons for wanting us to be filled with the Spirit.

Questions for Group Discussion

1. What is the purpose of exceptional or supernatural work in the life of a believer?
2. Am I ever guilty of taking credit for what God is doing through me for His own purposes?
3. What would God have me do with the attention garnered through great work?
4. Am I preparing to use the platform occasioned by good performance to proclaim the truth about Jesus? Things that can help me to prepare for questions are (1) a time to pray for understanding, (2) a reading plan, and (3) study aimed at learning to explain the truth to others (Ezra 7:10).
5. Do I regard the company of God as sufficient equipping for everything I will face (Joshua 1:9; Matthew 28:20)? In what ways do I discount the value of God’s help? How could I be more positive about the provisions of God (Luke 21:12-15; Philippians 4:8)?

Note: The featured image for this post is of a friend and mentor — Pastor Dave Smith. One thing that Dave has taught me about being effective as a speaker is the importance of reviewing the entire message a few times before presenting. In the photo it is Sunday, 21 March 2021 and Pastor Dave is guest speaking at Communion Chapel.

Introduction

When we receive Jesus we receive pardon, we receive purpose, and we receive the Person of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Once He has come gone are the days of being without power, without counsel, without comfort, without companionship (John 14:15-18). Through the Holy Spirit the Lord keeps His promise to (1) never leave us nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5) and (2) enable us for amazing acts of service. But with His coming also comes the unresolvable conflict that results from being indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. When the Jesus follower surrenders gladly and becomes Spirit-filled, he also becomes, from the world’s perspective, as irritating as Jesus.

While we should always endeavor to promote peace, love our enemies, and be a blessing to the community – we should not be surprised when living like Jesus brings out unavoidable angst toward us from the world. Some believers, having failed to see or accept this truth, are working in vain to make peace with the world. They have a great zeal for Jesus. But the same believer is terribly wrong in thinking that their white hot faith is compatible with a society that is surrendered to Satan and cold toward Christ. The account in Acts 6:8-8:4, with the focus on Stephen, shows us as much.

The narrative about Stephen constitutes a major turning point in Acts. It ends a series of three trials before the Sanhedrin. The first ended in a warning (4:21), the second in a flogging (5:40), and Stephen’s in his death. (Polhill, 1992, p. 183)

In the few verses under consideration we see the consequence of being Spirit-filled.

Called to Conflict (Acts 6:8)

Luke has presented the Lord and His apostles as having power to perform signs and wonders (Luke 2:40; 4:1,14-15; Acts 2:43; 5:12). Now, for the first time in the records of Luke we are hearing of wonders and signs among the people being done through someone other than the Lord or one His apostles.

[Stephen] was the first other than the apostles to be described as working miracles. (Polhill, 1992, p. 184)

A naive reading of this verse begins to cheer about this new thing: regular people of faith are doing great work. But do not miss the fact that Stephen has already been introduced as a (1) a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3), (2) man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5). If you are mindful of his introduction the words of Acts 6:8 seem odd. You might think, “Okay. He was full of the Holy Spirit. It has been said three times. Got it!” But this third mention should make me ask if the author is trying to tell me something through the pattern of words (full of the Holy Spirit) and their rapid repetition (Acts 6:3, 5, 8). What do we find in the writings of Luke?

• Before Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness (Luke 4:1) – Jesus is said to be full of the Holy Spirit before He enters terrible conflict with Satan. He is victorious but certainly worn down and needed refreshing (Matthew 4:11).
• Before Jesus Rejection at Home (Luke 4:14-15) – Again Luke relates that the presence and power of the Spirit are pronounced in the man from Nazareth. This is what we are told just before Jesus’ claims cause anger in His hometown synagogue. He is successful in demonstrating the nearness of the kingdom but they try to kill him by throwing Him down over a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).
• Before Peter Preaches to the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8-12) – These words are used before Peter indicts the court and makes one of the most inflammatory remarks of Scripture – especially to a group that had just murdered the Messiah.

It does not take a Bible sleuth to see that where these words occur in the writings of Luke, we can expect to see conflict that cannot be resolved. The Spirit-filled person was called to it! The story with Stephen is no exception. Indeed, because of the threefold mention of his filling with the Spirit we should expect unprecedented animosity.

References

Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Maximizing Your Ministry Part 3 – Delegate Some Duties (Acts 6:1-7)

Acts 6:3 The apostles had already discussed among themselves the issue at hand. By the time they disclosed their assessment they were ready to give direction to the church. They directed the disciples to seek out seven… of good reputation. What kind of people? They give the qualifications along with the quantity requirement; essentially these are deacons.

• Male (1 Timothy 3:8-12) – Although there are many teachers who would like to neuter this text, the direction of the apostles is not vague; they instructed the disciples, both men and women, to select seven men (ἄνδρας). The word for deacon does occur in the feminine in the New Testament (Romans 16:1). But in the identification of a role of a deacon, Peter and Paul, provide descriptions that are masculine. For example, in his letter to Timothy, Paul makes it clear that the deacon cannot be the husband of more than one wife. If the role were truly gender neutral, the same man who wrote that in Christ there is neither male nor female (Galatians 3:28), could have said as much when writing to Timothy.
• Reputable (Ecclesiastes 7:1; 2 Corinthians 8:18; 1 Timothy 3:8-9) – The men serving this role must have a good reputation. They will help to quell the complaining that arose if they can be trusted. Otherwise suspicions about their actions and motives will only make matters worse.
• Spirit-Filled (Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:18-19) – The work of God cannot be based on human giftedness. Those who would work effectively in the church must be not just indwelt by the Spirit; they must be filled. This means controlled.
• Wise (1 Corinthians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9; James 3:17) – Those who are led by the Spirit of God are not necessarily able to communicate effectively or help a group through a decision. They are surrendered in their heart but not wired to lead. The persons who will serve in this capacity must demonstrate the ability to take the counsel of the Spirit and use it to effect good results for a group.

Acts 6:4 What are the apostles going to do? That is, when seven men selected to handle this distribution have been put into place, what is left for the apostles to do? Without the duty of serving tables the apostles are freed up for their calling. Liberated from a work that they can do but are not called to, the twelve are going to give themselves continually to two things: (1) to prayer (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18) and (2) the ministry of the word.

68.68 προσκαρτερέω^a; προσκαρτέρησις, εως f: to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty—‘to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in.’ (Louw, 1996, p. 662)

The church does not have the written gospels or the epistles. Until these important documents have been created, the apostles are responsible for teaching the words of Christ to the people (Matthew 28:18-20). The work is difficult and requires focus and considerable time in prayer. In fact, when we consider the order of what the apostles will be devoted to, prayer is first. Our apostles are telling us two things:

The Principle of Putting Prayer First — Prayer is the prerequisite to preaching the word. Prayer is the non-negotiable need for a ministry of teaching the word. The apostles are telling us that those who would do well in a ministry of the word must hand themselves over to it. To what? To prayer! Those who would succeed in this work must turn themselves in for the unending undertaking of pleading for what is needed for the people of God.

The twelve make it clear that there must be a nonstop calling out to God for His help in (1) understanding the Scriptures, (2) explaining the Scriptures, and (3) asking for God’s grace in the heart of the listeners. After this, excellence in a calling to the ministry of the word requires a dogged determination to dig deep without distraction.

Questions for Consideration

1. Would I be described as given continually to the the work that God has called me to do (1 Timothy 4:15)? Imagine what your ministry would look like if you did not have to stop for things that are good but not what you are called to do?
2. Is prayer prominently featured in your ministry. Notice that the apostles are not

Concentrate on the Calling (Acts 6:1-4)

¹ Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 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. ³ Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit 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.”

Acts 6:1 The new community has been characterized by unity and sharing (Acts 4:32). In the recent past people that owned land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds to be distributed according to needs (Acts 4:34-35). Out of this generosity the needs of all the people were met — until they weren’t. At some point it became obvious that the distribution stopped being fair. Greek-speaking Jews (Hellenists) noticed that their Greek-speaking widows were neglected in the daily distribution of alms. The Hellenist’s complaint against the Hebrews, a quiet grumbling that eventually erupted in open criticism, was that the Hebrews were only taking care of Hebrew widows; Hellenistic widows were overlooked.

The care of the widows is good. But when the care is not done carefully it can cause hard feelings, discontent, and even division. Although the number of disciples was multiplying not everyone was feeling good about how their fellowship was treating the Hellenistic widows. Can you imagine the complaint?

“Excuse me, Peter, John, and the other apostles. Sorry to bother you guys with this but the Hellenists or Greek-speaking Jews are upset because their widows are neglected by the Hebrews in the daily distribution of alms. That is, when the food pantry or money is given out, the Greek-speaking widows typically get less or are left out altogether.”

The Hellenists were Jews that had been “born outside the Land but had moved into the Land of Israel. These are the Diaspora Jews. Jews from the Dispersion who had migrated back into the Land of Israel” (Fruchtenbaum, 2020). They believed in Yahweh, had practiced Judaism, and had become followers of Jesus. However, owing to their long and multi-generational residence in other countries, they did not speak Hebrew. Does this matter to us today? Let’s talk ministry effectiveness. For those who would serve their subcultures well, it does. Serving your church well means being able to communicate effectively. This is not entirely based on your own ability to articulate the meaning of a passage or lead people in worship. It also means being able to listen well to people that we love when they are in difficult moments. In those moments, if their first language is not your first language, the ministry may be operating below its capacity.

The desire to speak one’s native tongue during times of high emotional is a deeply rooted psychological and cultural phenomenon. This behavior is often seen in multilingual individuals who, despite proficiency in other languages, revert to their first language when experiencing intense emotions such as fear, anger, grief, or joy. For those who would bring excellence to the service of people whose first language is something other than their own, without the ability to speak the language of the people you are serving, things are being missed. Consider diversifying your team. Prayerfully look at adding people to the team that speak the languages of the demographics you are serving. Why?

Psychological and Neurological Factors Favoring Diversity

• Emotional Resonance — The native language, often learned in early childhood, is intricately tied to an individual’s emotional development. Emotional experiences and expressions are encoded in this language. This means that the first langauge is the most natural medium for articulating deep-seated feelings (Pavlenko, 2005).
• Cognitive Load — Speaking a non-native language requires additional cognitive resources, as it involves not just language production but also the management of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and pronunciation. During emotional turmoil, cognitive load increases, and individuals may find it more challenging to maintain fluency in a second language. Reverting to the native language, which is processed more automatically and with less cognitive effort, becomes a natural response. Ministry Relevance: When trying to comfort or counsel someone who prefers to speak in another language, their ability to clearly communicate their perspective may be inhibited by cognitive load. Having someone who can talk with the person in their native language allows them to spend less energy in the mental work of translating their feelings into your tongue and more energy in the effort to be transparent and clear.
• Comfort and Identity — The native language is often closely linked to one’s identity and sense of self. In moments of vulnerability, people tend to seek comfort in familiar cultural symbols, including language. Speaking the native tongue provides a sense of security, continuity, and connection to one’s roots. This can be comforting during distressing times.

Sociolinguistic Perspectives

• Cultural Context — Language is a core component of culture, and expressing emotions in the native tongue allows individuals to tap into culturally specific ways of understanding and articulating feelings. For example, certain emotional expressions or concepts may not have direct translations in other languages, making the native language the most effective way to communicate these nuances.
• Social Bonds — Speaking the native language in times of emotional need can also be a way to strengthen social bonds with others who share the same language. It can signal a need for empathy and understanding from those within the same linguistic community, who are more likely to grasp the emotional subtleties being expressed.

Questions for Consideration

1. Can you or anyone in the leadership team of your ministry or church fellowship readily list the ethnic groups you serve?
2. How many groups are being served whose first-languages are not represented in the leadership team?

Acts 6:2 The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples to disclose and direct. Trained by Jesus to lead they recognize the importance of ensuring the participation of the church laity in dealing with difficulty. First, they disclosed their assessment of the situation and how it related to their apostleship: It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Notice that they did not speak against serving the widows. But they said they should not be the ones doing it. Some will see in their response a condescending attitude toward the needs of the poor. Some will read this passage and get the impression that the apostles believe themselves to be above serving widows. That is not the case. They have been trained to serve (Matthew 20:28; John 13:1-17), charged to serve (Luke 22:26; John 21:17; 1 Peter 5:3), and changed in order to serve effectively (John 14:26; 15:26). And they believe that serving the poor is an important part of church ministry (Galatians 2:10). In seeking to understand the response of the apostles we must prayerfully consider their calling. The apostles were to have a special foundation-laying ministry (Ephesians 2:20) of preaching, teaching, and penning the word. Each of the following passages sheds some light on their decision in this matter:

• Their Call to Preaching was the Main Plan (Mark 3:14) – ¹⁴ Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. This passage makes it clear that from the beginning Jesus had a preaching ministry in mind. Although He did teach them how to serve others in various ways, preaching was foremost among the reasons they were selected and trained.
• Their Call to Preaching was Primary (Acts 5:20; Matthew 10:14) – The angel did not tell the apostles to return to the work of distributing aid to the widows; they were directed to return to the ministry of declaring and teaching the word of God.
• Working with the Word was The Ministry of the Spirit Among the Apostles (John 14:23-26; John 16:13) – The apostles were supposed to teach all things that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). The Spirit of God needed to have their undivided attention. As the Helper was bringing to remembrance what Jesus taught them, they could not be distracted by the distribution of alms. Such work could be done by someone else.

Who wants to see the pilot of the airplane coming down the aisle asking if you would like cookies or peanuts? A lot of people can do that job. But flying the plane requires special training and our lives depend on it being done well. We want the pilot to remain focused on flying.

• The Call to Preaching was Personal (John 21:17) – Peter had pledged faithfulness but abandoned Jesus when he was faced with arrest and the promise of brutality. In a painful conversation with Peter the risen Lord both extended forgiveness and defined faithfulness. Jesus made it clear that the past failures were not important; He wanted Peter to go forward loving his Lord by feeding His sheep. And the love language of Jesus was not ambiguous: Feed His sheep, Peter! For Peter the priority of preaching was more than the common calling of Christ on their apostolic band; it was deeply personal to him.

It is with their calling in mind that they must say no to the request for their personal oversight and high participation in the distribution of alms to the poor. They say no in order that they would yes to what matters most – their calling. For the apostles, to personally prevent the problem that has been presented they would have had to take an enormous amount of time away from prayer and the ministry of the word. That would not be desirable; they were called and trained for a ministry of the word. As we consider the response of the apostles we are given a principle for our own day-to-day decisions about what we should and should not do. If we are going to render excellence to God and His people though our living, we do well to keep this in mind:

The Principle of High Quality Production — Excellence is never an accident. In order to effectively bring forth good fruit you must focus. There will be no casual completion of your calling. You must concentrate on your calling and cut out things that you are not called to do (1 Timothy 4:15). Being involved in many good things at the expense of your calling is not desirable to God.

Here is the question, friend: What can I do to become more fruitful in my calling? And here below are three things that will help you get answers and stay in His will.

• Get Clarity on Your Calling (Mark 3:14; Matthew 10:14; John 15:20; John 14:23-26; John 21:17)
• Regularly Review your Reasons (Psalm 1; Joshua 1:8) – Keep your plans for the year in view. Regularly retreat to review these plans and request from God insight into what needs to change. This helps with course correction when we begin to drift.
• Delegate Some Duties (Exodus 18:1-27) – Failure to delegate is the undoing of many. For those of us who want the ministry to grow we must make it a priority to spend time (1) mentoring the next generation, (2) involving other gifted people in the work we do, and (3) casting vision for what will happen with real focus.

Before I was blessed with an opportunity to serve as a pastor at Three Rivers Community Church in Martindale I was a volunteer with a few ministries in San Antonio, Texas. I remember like it was yesterday talking with a friend in the hotel lobby during a break at a winter conference. I was serving as a speaker along with James Mendoza. (Pastor Mendoza is an outstanding leader and teacher at Vista Community Church in San Antonio, Texas.) While at the conference a friend and ministry staff member with the ministry I volunteered with asked if I was going to sign up for another year. As much as I enjoyed serving as a speaker for their conference and for the campuses served by that ministry, I was certain that I would not be going much further with them. Why? Because I was not leading.

And in my home church, although I was asked to serve as a leader of a good ministry in that fellowship, I was certain that I would not be staying. Why? Because I was not teaching. During that same period of time I was also asked if I would lead media ministries for two different organizations. I gave each of them a no. Why? Because if I had accepted those positions I would not be focused in the areas that God has equipped and called me: leading and teaching. Friend, you must stay with what God had called you to do. It is not desirable that you would leave your calling to serve in other capacities. Be undistracted! Some will regard your steadfast decision to be undistracted as an indicator of arrogance. That may be true; you may be arrogant. But don’t be ignorant of the truth about your calling – you need to concentrate on it. Saying no to others is about saying yes to God even more. Or, as is the case with the apostles, your “no” is the outworking of a clarity and confidence about the calling of Christ on your life. Saying “yes” to things that you are not called to do means saying “no” to being truly devoted to your calling.

The Principle of Equal and Opposite Answers — When we are asked to do something, we have to realize that saying yes will always mean saying no to something or someone else.

It is not arrogance or a lack of a servant’s heart that will lead you to turn down an “opportunity” when it means being less available for what God is asking of you.

Questions for Consideration

1. Are you being asked to serve in ways that are within your skillset but outside your calling? Jesus had the skills or ability to do a lot of things. But he limited Himself to His father’s business.
2. Itemize your duties and things you have agreed to do. Look over the list and identify which items are related to what you are called by God to do. Take a moment to put that list on a separate sheet of paper or in an electronic document. Ask some other godly people if they agree. Let the first person you ask be Jesus. And give Him time to reply. Do not immediately rush off to ask others.

References

Pavlenko, A. (2005). Emotions and Multilingualism. Cambridge University Press.

Notes

In the featured image of this post I am seen with Rev. Patrick (Forrest Hills Presbyterian Church), Christina (administrative assistant), and Joshua (UTSA student and way cool partner in ministry). We were fellowshipping a bit.