Who Will Serve? Leadership, Calling, and the Word  •  Acts 6:1–7

SOURCE OF OLD FAITH

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Who Will Serve?

Leadership, Calling, and the Word  •  Acts 6:1–7

This session is a working study — bring your Bible, bring your questions, and bring your honest attention to the text. No prior preparation is required, but those who have been in the Word this week will notice more.

The Passage  —  Read Aloud Together

Acts 6:1  Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Acts 6:2–4  And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:5–6  And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:7  And 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.

Observation  —  What Does the Text Say?

Read carefully before drawing conclusions. The goal here is simply to notice what is actually present in the passage.

Notice:

  • The problem is specific and practical — neglect in food distribution.
  • The apostles name their priority first: prayer and the Word.
  • The community is asked to identify the leaders, not the apostles.
  • The qualifications are character-based: good repute, full of the Spirit, wisdom.
  • The result is recorded in verse 7 — the Word increased and disciples multiplied.

Discussion Questions — Observation

  1. What is the complaint, and who is it coming from? What does that tell us about the early church’s diversity?
  2. What two things do the apostles say they will devote themselves to? Why does the order matter?
  3. Who selects the seven men? What does the text say about how they were chosen?
  4. Look at verse 7. What is the connection the author draws between appointing these leaders and what happens next?

Interpretation  —  What Does It Mean?

Acts 6 is not primarily a passage about deacons, organizational charts, or church programs. It is a passage about what happens when a community takes both the Word and its people seriously.

Two things are held together here. The apostles refuse to abandon their primary calling, and they refuse to ignore the practical need. The answer is not to do less, but to widen the circle of those who serve.

Notice the qualifications: good repute, full of the Spirit, wisdom. These are not credentials or credentials or titles. They are marks of character formed over time in community. The church already knew these men. They were already visible.

Discussion Questions — Interpretation

  1. Why do you think the apostles frame their refusal as protecting something, not avoiding something? What does that distinction tell us about calling?
  2. The church did not recruit volunteers. They identified men who were already known. What does that imply about how leadership emerges?
  3. The laying on of hands in verse 6 is a commissioning act. What does public recognition of a calling add to private willingness?

Personal Study

The apostles could not be in two places at once. Neither can a congregation grow in depth if only a few carry the whole weight of the Word. This passage assumes that people in the community are already being shaped by Scripture — not because they are told to, but because they are hungry.

A simple practice to carry this week:

  • Read Acts 6–8 in one sitting. Notice how Stephen’s character in chapter 6 becomes his testimony in chapters 7–8.
  • Ask one question of the text each day: “What is God doing here?” Write it down. Bring it Wednesday.
  • If you are new to personal study, start smaller — read five verses in the morning and one more at night. Consistency matters more than volume.

Those who come to Wednesday night having spent time in the Word during the week will find that the discussion deepens. That is not an accident. It is how formation works.

Who Is the Leader in This Room?

The seven men chosen in Acts 6 were not self-nominated. They were recognized. The church looked around and said: these men are already living what we are asking for.

We are at a season as a church where we are asking the same question. Not: who wants a title? But: who is already showing up? Who is already trustworthy with small things? Who is already full of the Spirit and walking in wisdom?

Leadership at Source of Old Faith is not recruited by pressure or filled by vacancy. It is recognized by what is already evident in a person’s life.

Discussion Questions — Calling and Recognition

  1. If someone were watching your life over the last six months, what would they say you are devoted to?
  2. The church in Acts 6 trusted the community to identify faithful people. Who in this room do you see that quality in?
  3. Is there a form of service you have avoided because you did not feel qualified? What does Acts 6’s criteria actually ask for?

Closing Reflection

Verse 7 is easy to skip. Do not skip it.

Acts 6:7  And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly…

The church did not grow because the apostles worked harder. It grew because faithful people were recognized, commissioned, and released. The Word was protected. The people were served. The result was increase.

This is what we are after.

Close in Prayer

Pray specifically for those in the room who may be called to serve — that they would have the courage to say yes, and that we would have the wisdom to recognize them.