The number of believers increased? (Acts 6:1)

The number of believers increased?

  

 

 

“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food” (Acts 6:1).

 

 

Last night, I began reading Acts chapter 6, which is the Bible passage I'll be using for today's morning prayer meeting.  As I started reading from verse 1, my attention was immediately drawn to the phrase "In those days" (6:1).  I found myself wondering, "What was happening at that specific time that led to an increase in disciples (believers)?"  So, I turned back to Acts chapter 5 and focused on verses 17 onwards.  In these verses, the apostles were arrested and put in jail (v. 18), brought before the high priest and the Sadducees (v. 27), and sternly ordered not to teach in Jesus' name anymore (v. 28).  They even intended to kill the apostles after hearing their message (v. 33).  However, in the end, they were released with a flogging and a strict command not to speak in Jesus' name (v. 40).  The apostles left the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.  And from that point on, they did not cease teaching and proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, whether in the temple or in private homes (vv. 41-42).  It was in those days that the number of believers greatly increased (6:1).  In essence, "In those days" refers to a period when Jesus' disciples faced persecution and hardship for His name, yet they continued to boldly teach and proclaim Jesus Christ.  As a result, the number of believers in Jesus grew significantly.

 

Reflecting on this, I asked myself, "What about 'in these days'?  How are we handling the challenges and opportunities presented to us?"  In the present context, as we hear news of declining numbers of believers in Korean churches, I believe there are three key factors to consider.

 

First, it's possible that as Christians, we may not be actively teaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in the midst of challenges and persecution.

 

The power of the gospel and the Holy Spirit might not be as evident, which could be a contributing factor to the decreasing number of believers.  To reverse this trend and see an increase in believers in Korean churches, we must diligently teach and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, even in the face of challenges and persecution, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is when we can expect to witness an abundance of both the Holy Spirit's power and the gospel's transformative impact, resulting in a growth of believers in the church (Acts 2:47).

 

Second, I reflected on the fact that in the early church, even when there was an increase in believers, there were also complaints and grievances within the community.

 

The Hellenistic Jews were resentful of the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food (6:1).  When I contemplate this passage, it seems to me that as the number of believers in the church increases, the likelihood of conflicts and complaints also rises.  This thought is influenced by Hosea 4:7: "The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful" (Contemporary Korean Bible).  Applying this verse to our current situation, I believe that as the number of pastors increases, so does the likelihood of them committing more sins against God.  Instead of humbly praying to God, as the psalmist says, " Not to us, O LORD, not to us, But to Your name give glory Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth" (Ps. 115:1), some pastors may fall into the trap of pride, seeking their own glory from the praise of people and robbing God of His rightful honor.  Consequently, God turns the glory of these proud pastors into shame.

 

Therefore, an increase in the number of pastors may not always be a positive phenomenon.  The same can be said for an increase in believers.  While it is certainly a positive development for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be taught and shared, I believe that not all believers are the same.  If the number of believers who do not live lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:27) increases, what will become of the church?  If a multitude of believers, each with their own agendas and contentious hearts (due to vanity), fail to stand together with one mind and one purpose for the faith of the gospel (2:3, 4:2), it cannot be considered a good situation.  No, it is a detrimental situation.  It is a sin against God.  This is why the church struggles to fulfill its role as the light and salt of the world.  It is why the church is subjected to scorn from worldly people.  Yet, despite this, we seem oblivious to the shame.  There appears to be no sign of repentance.  In this context, what meaning or purpose does it serve to artificially increase the number of congregants through various contrived methods of evangelism?  If the number of congregants increases, it will only lead to more sinning against God (Hosea 4:7).  What should we do?

 

First and foremost, we, the pastors, must live lives worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In this context, we must teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to the saints in the church.  Moreover, we should also teach the gospel to our family members at home.  Within such a community, the entire church should stand firmly united in the Lord, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and cooperating in the ministry of evangelism.  In the process of collaborating for the work of evangelism, we must also faithfully manage the ministry of benevolence.  While it is indeed crucial to engage in external benevolent work to serve the local community, we must also handle internal benevolence within the church wisely and faithfully, so that saints facing trials do not emerge.  We must handle the ministry of benevolence with love and wisdom.  However, it is crucial in benevolent work not to seek glory from people, as if trying to win their praise, just like hypocrites (Mt. 6:1).

 

Jesus addressed this in Matthew 6:2-4, saying, "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.  But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you."  The reason Jesus spoke in this manner is that the Pharisees sought to gain righteousness by observing the law, and one of the laws they diligently observed was benevolence.  However, the issue was that they practiced benevolence with hypocrisy.  In other words, they gave to be seen by others, seeking honor from them.  Therefore, Jesus instructed His disciples not to practice benevolence like the Pharisees, but rather to do so secretly, because their heavenly Father, who sees what is done in secret, would reward them.  Here, Jesus' teaching emphasizes that God's children, who obtain righteousness through His complete grace by believing in Jesus Christ, are to live a life of righteousness, which includes secretly helping those in need.  Living a life of benevolence as a righteous person is a result of God's grace, not an attempt to obtain righteousness, as the Pharisees did.  Therefore, we must not engage in benevolence with the intention of obtaining righteousness, like the Pharisees.  We must abandon the habit of seeking recognition in benevolent work.  Instead, we should humbly and faithfully manage the ministry of benevolence with a sense of gratitude for God's grace.  In those days, the church will receive praise from all people (Acts 2:47, Contemporary Korean Bible).

 

Third and last, what comes to mind for me is that when there was resentment and complaints within the church, the twelve apostles appointed seven deacons.

 

The apostles themselves stated, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables" (Acts 6:2, ESV).  When conflicts and complaints arise among the congregants, pastors and associate pastors often find themselves in a position of not knowing how to resolve the disputes, why the congregants are complaining, what is causing their dissatisfaction, and how to satisfy them.  There are moments when they earnestly seek God for guidance.  However, in the passage we read today, Acts 6:1-4, the Bible doesn't mention that when the Hellenistic Jews complained against the Hebraic Jews (v. 1), the twelve apostles attempted to address their dissatisfaction and ensure that the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews could live together in harmony without further complaints.  Instead, the Bible records that the twelve apostles, after calling all the disciples, said to them, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables" (v. 2, ESV).  Why did the twelve apostles speak in this way?  It's because they chose seven individuals from among the disciples who were full of the Spirit and of wisdom (v. 3, ESV) and commissioned them to oversee the work of benevolence, while they themselves devoted their time to prayer and to the ministry of the word (v. 4, ESV).  When the disciples heard this proposal from the twelve apostles, the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith (v. 7, ESV).  So, while verse 1 states, the disciples were increasing in number, in verse 7, the Bible says, the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.  In conclusion, amidst external troubles and internal conflicts, the early church not only preached the gospel of Jesus Christ daily but also organized the church structure internally, distinguishing the responsibilities of the apostles and the appointed deacons.  They dedicated themselves to their respective roles, resulting in a significant increase in the number of believers.

 

In the world today, there is much to harvest, but there are few laborers in the church (Mt. 9:37).  Why are there few laborers in the church?  One reason is that our church members, while pursuing a better and more comfortable life in this world, may have limited dedication to suffer and sacrifice for the body of Christ, the church, and the kingdom of God.  Therefore, we pray to the Lord to send laborers for the harvest, just as Jesus instructed (v. 38).  So, what kind of laborers should we pray for the Lord to send?  We should pray for laborers who sow the seeds of God's word, diligent and wise laborers who gather the harvest when the time comes, joyful laborers who know the pleasure of harvesting and can enjoy it (Isa. 9:3), and faithful individuals who refresh the Lord's heart as laborers (Prov. 25:13).  However, a serious issue arises when we appoint individuals within the church who may lack the qualifications.  There seem to be justifications within us for our decisions, such as, 'If we appoint that person as a church laborer, they may be insufficient now, but they will do well in the future,' or 'Even though their faith is lacking now (knowing that their character is also lacking), if we appoint that person to a position, their faith will grow, and they will serve more diligently.'  However, when such individuals assume church roles, do they actually grow in faith and transform in character as we expected?  Could it be possible that we appointed the wrong person to a position, and they are causing problems within the church?  Personally, I am increasingly convinced that we should not appoint individuals to church positions haphazardly.  No matter how scarce laborers may be, and no matter how urgently we need them, I believe it is wrong to be swayed by the circumstances and appoint someone lacking the qualifications.  I believe it is not only detrimental to the church but also not in the best interest of that individual.  The reason for this growing conviction is that, as someone who has attended church for quite some time and has reached a certain age, I see advertisements in Christian newspapers, especially on occasions like church anniversaries, where elders, ordained deacons, and deacons are appointed.  Almost everyone seems to be an elder, an ordained deacon, or a deacon.  This has led me to wonder why so many of them do not resemble Jesus in character, and why they do not live like true believers, resulting in them facing criticism not only within the church but also particularly outside the church, in their families, workplaces, and society.  It seems like there might be a few reasons for this.  The unfortunate reality is that when we see conflicts and disputes within the church, it is often not among pastors, elders, ordained deacons, or deacons.  It is unlikely that they were appointed to encourage quarrels and conflicts. We need to be very cautious when appointing individuals to positions.

 

In Acts 6:3, the twelve apostles instructed, " Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them."  Even considering just this instruction, shouldn't we at least choose individuals who are praised by the congregation if they are to become deacons?  In 1 Timothy 3:7, regarding overseers (pastors and elders), it is mentioned that they should have a good reputation with those outside the church.  In verse 8, it is stated that deacons should be dignified, not double-tongued, not lovers of money, not greedy for dishonest gain.  When I think about this, I wonder how many deacons who love alcohol there are, to the extent that the term "alcohol deacon" has emerged.  The Bible clearly states that those to be appointed as deacons should first be tested, and if there is nothing against them, they should serve in that capacity (v. 10).  If someone is appointed as a deacon who receives reprimands rather than praises from the congregation, what will be the result of that choice?  The Bible also addresses deacons' wives, stating that they should be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things (v. 11).  However, nowadays, deacons' wives are said to engage in lobbying or campaigning within the church to make their husbands elders.  Truly perplexing events are taking place within the church.  Therefore, one of the most serious problems I see in the church is the elders.  Here, "elders" refer to both teaching elders, who are pastors, and ruling elders, who manage and govern.  As someone who has grown up within the Presbyterian church, I cannot dismiss the idea that one of the issues in the Presbyterian organization lies with the elders.  Why is there so much talk, conflict, and discord in the "Session," which is composed of pastors and elders?  Why do elders argue with each other, not just with pastors?  Why don't they show leniency to one another (v. 3)?  The Bible says that overseers (pastors, elders) must not be lovers of money (v. 3), but why are they increasingly becoming slaves to their greed for money?  How can pastors and elders who don't know how to manage their own households take care of God's church (v. 5)?  I don't want to say more.  The responsibility lies primarily with our pastors.  The responsibility of our pastors is greater than that of elders or deacons.  It's because they are not leading properly.  It's because they are not loving properly.  It's because they don't know how to do things right (even if they think they know how and even if they do know how).  If they understood this, they would prostrate themselves before God like the twelve apostles in Acts 6, prioritizing prayer and the ministry of the word.  However, in reality, the pastors are too busy with various ministries due to the circumstances and situations, and they may not be able to exert themselves in prayer and the ministry of the word.  The result of this can be seen in the unfortunate events happening in Korean churches through the news, wouldn't you agree?  What should we do?  First, our pastors need to recognize things that are not appropriate (undesirable) in the church through conflicts, difficulties, and even crises, just like the twelve apostles did in Acts 6:2.  Then, we must make it a priority, even through conflicts, difficulties, and even crises (or, if there are none, by maintaining a sense of crisis before God), to exert ourselves primarily in prayer and the ministry of the word, just like the twelve apostles did (v. 4).  To do this, the pastors should delegate tasks to the elders and ordained deacons who are full of the Spirit and wisdom (v. 3).  In doing so, the word of God will spread widely, and the number of believers will increase significantly (v. 7).  Then “our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with shouts of joy.  …  Then the nations will say, 'The Lord has done great things for them'" (Ps. 126:2).

 

 

 

 

 

Praying for the church to grow in numbers, and even through the challenges and crises that come with it, may there be even greater dedication to prayer and ministry of the Word.

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(Believing in faithfully carrying out one's responsibilities and entrusted tasks, prioritizing them as a servant, and seeking praise not only from people but also from the Lord, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through faith.)