Bible Study: Acts 5-6

This section begins with a very vivid story, continuing the theme of sharing all things in common, which we have seen already in 2:44-45 and 4:32-37. Apparently this practice of sharing property and providing for members of the community has a very long tradition, from the time of Moses and the Israelites receiving the Torah (instruction) in the Sinai wilderness, to the prophets, to the early church, to Martin Luther and the Reformation, and even to our current day. It is not, however, either communism or individual welfare. As it is described here, when a need was discovered in the community, someone found the resources to provide for that family or that particular need. It is not that everyone automatically sold everything and contributed to communal living, nor that some always had what they needed and others never had what they needed. This providing for one another, then, is part of their identity; it’s been part of what it means to be Israelites/Hebrews/children of God [YHWH], and continues to be part of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.1

The implications of this system are seen in the next chapter. The apostles-in-charge have too much to do, between teaching, preaching, and healing, to be able also to serve the poor.2 Rather than making a choice between which of these to do, they organize their ministry to be able to do both, and appoint seven others to focus on the serving ministry, while the twelve continue in the word ministry. The early church was committed both to caring for others, even to the point of selling personal possessions to have the money to do so; and to teaching and preaching to introduce others to Jesus. Ministry in the ELCA is set up to represent these two foci. We have ministers of Word and Sacrament (ordained pastors) and ministers of Word and Service (deacons), each who focus on particular emphases of ministry. In Acts, and currently, the division of labor is not so neat; there is much overlap of word and service, and neither of these is restricted to “official” people. We are all called to serve others and to tell the story of Jesus.

This mixing of roles is seen right away in Stephen’s story. Though designated as one who serves (deacon), he does “great wonders and signs” (6:8) and his opponents cannot stand against the wisdom of his teaching and preaching (6:10). Spoiler alert: Stephen’s conviction and commitment to preaching will have dire consequences in the next chapter, making him the first Christian martyr named in Acts.

Guiding questions:
1.     What is God doing?
2.     What are the people doing?
3.     What do we learn about being church?

___
1. Gonzalez, Justo L. Acts: The Gospel of the Spirit. NY: Orbis, 2001, 77-79.

2. Hellenists (6:1) were Jews and Christian-Jews who were Greek speaking; Hebrews (also) spoke Aramaic. This distinction may be an indication of where they lived; some in Jerusalem, some in “the country” or surrounding area.

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