So much of how Presbyterians organize our congregations can be found in this brief passage. Here we see the church governed not by one pastor but by a group of twelve apostles – we call our leaders ruling elders because that’s what the Apostle Peter called himself (I Peter 5:1). And we find a group of deacons chosen by the whole congregation to take care of what we might call fiscal concerns, to make sure that the church’s benevolences were distributed in the right way. Oh yes, this is certainly the way to do things decently and in order (I Corinthians 14:40).

But maybe we Presbyterians need to remember why the Jerusalem congregation organized itself in this way. The crisis that prompted the election of the first deacons had to do with insuring fairness – the Christian widows who were Greek-speaking, and thus probably those who had come to Jerusalem from other parts of the world, simply weren’t having their needs met. The church has thus always been concerned with making sure that purely human cultural differences don’t get in the way of people receiving the blessings of God.

We also need to remember that the Church should be engaged in more than merely spiritual pursuits. In those days, women who had no husband or son to support them were doomed to poverty, so the Church made every effort to take care of believers who were in such a helpless condition, appointing deacons to make sure that no one was left out. Surely we should continue to be on the lookout for the same sorts of needs among our members, showing each other the love of Christ in whatever tangible ways might be necessary.

But notice too that the reason deacons were appointed to organize the Church’s relief efforts was so that the apostles, the elders, could concentrate on their main job – not approving budgets or running committees, but Bible study and prayer. What spiritual improvement might we experience if all of our ruling elders had these sorts of priorities, praying for us every day, and making sure that we are taught the Bible more accurately?

Come to think of it, why shouldn’t a church like this grow in every way? Why shouldn’t a congregation that shows as well as shares the love and truth of Christ find success in its outreach and evangelism? That’s what happened in Jerusalem, as even a great many of the priests, the principal opponents of the claims of Christ “became obedient to the faith” (6:7).

So, sure, this passage has correctly taught us Presbyterians about how to structure our congregations. But if we want our service and witness for Christ to be more effective, maybe we need to let it inform not just our organization but also our priorities.

Acts 6:1-7 (ESV)

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.
2 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.
3 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.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 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.
6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
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.