Year 7, Day 239: Acts 6

Theological Commentary: Click Here

I’ve always found Acts 6 to be an interesting chapter.  On one hand, we have what most people lift up as a great delegation of duties.  The apostles are being worn out because they have to care for people.  Therefore, they say to the crowd, “Listen, we need to appoint people to do these other more menial tasks so that we can focus on the better jobs like preaching and teaching and prayer.”  The people assent to this, probably just happy to have someone to focus on their needs.

Don’t get me wrong.  I think delegation is good.  I have even been in the camp of lifting up the decision in Acts 6 as a great model of leadership.  But I’m beginning to waffle on that decision as I mature and think about the story.  Remember, the apostles appoint Stephen and the other to focus on service so that they can focus on preaching and teaching.

Think about what comes immediately after we hear that Stephen is appointed to be one of the people who are supposed to be focusing on the needs of the people.  Stephen finds himself facing opposition.  But Stephen’s service is not what is being opposed.  It is Stephen’s teaching that is being opposed!  Stephen was doing great works among the people!

It’s almost like God send us a message that the apostles – most religious leaders – don’t want to hear.  When religious leaders think themselves above certain tasks in the church, God’s going to move along and use someone else.  Literally the story after the apostles make this decision we hear a story about how one of the “other” people are following God and living in His will.  We have a story about how Stephen is capable of doing both the menial tasks and the so-called higher tasks of preaching and teaching.

Honestly, I think Acts 6 and 7 has a distinct counter-cultural subplot against the desires of most religious leaders – a subplot often overlooked, hopefully not intentionally.  God doesn’t want His leaders rising above certain tasks.  He doesn’t want His religious leaders delegating away tasks based on their type.  Yes, religious leaders need to delegate; we cannot do it all and will burn ourselves out if we try.  But we aren’t to delegate away all of the lesser tasks and keep all of the glorious ones for ourselves.  We are to do what called has called us to do and then delegate to others what God has called them to do.

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