At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 So the Twelve called together the community of the disciples and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. 3 Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men, filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, 4 whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them. 7 The word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly; even a large group of priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
In the early days of the Church as the number of disciples grew, a problem arose within the community between the Hellenistic Jews who primarily spoke Greek, and the Palestinian Jews who predominately spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. Many Jews of the Diaspora, those living outside Palestine, were fluent in Greek and influenced by Greek culture, which had spread throughout the Roman Empire. Palestine (Judea) was under Roman rule at that time and administered by Roman governors. However, while the Roman authorities held significant power, the high priest and the Sanhedrin retained some degree of autonomy in religious and civil matters within the Jewish community.
The Hellenistic Jews complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food so the twelve Apostles gathered the whole community to discuss the problem. Despite their linguistic and cultural differences, the community came together to address the issue of food distribution and ensure that no one was overlooked or neglected. The Apostles’ primary responsibility was to preach the Word of God as opposed to administrative tasks so they instructed the community to choose seven men of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom, to oversee the distribution of food. Being filled with the Holy Spirit would ensure that the men selected were equipped to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. Seven men were chosen and presented to the Apostles who prayed over them and laid hands on them, commissioning them for their leadership roles. The Apostles' decision to delegate administrative tasks allowed them to devote themselves more fully to their spiritual duties and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly. The conversion of priests, who held positions of religious authority within Judaism, underscored the transformative power of the Gospel message.
Almighty God, grant us a spirit of cooperation and discernment in our lives and communities and fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may serve you faithfully and spread your Word with boldness. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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