Unshaken: Chapter a Day

Acts 6 Discussion

• Pastor Plek

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Problems aren’t proof that a church is failing; they’re signals that the body needs to grow stronger. We step into Acts 6 where a real breakdown—widows neglected in the daily distribution—forces a choice: either stretch leaders thin or build a better structure. We choose the second path and unpack why the apostles protected prayer and teaching while asking the community to appoint people of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and wise enough to steward care.

As we walk through the text, we talk about why representation matters, noting the Greek names among the seven who served Hellenist widows. That choice wasn’t optics; it was wisdom that closed gaps of culture, trust, and relationship. We also highlight a powerful shift in the book of Acts: God moves the church from addition to multiplication right after these roles are clarified. When elders guard the word and prayer, and deacons carry dignified, practical service, the mission doesn’t just survive—it scales. Care becomes consistent, preaching stays central, and communities feel both seen and shepherded.

Stephen’s story threads through the conversation, showing how spiritual power meets suffering with calm. His face “like an angel” under hostile scrutiny becomes a living picture of what God forms in leaders: courage, purity, and peace. We end with grounded takeaways—stop grumbling and bring solutions, pursue a reputation worth trusting, and build teams that protect the pulpit while meeting tangible needs. If you’re hungry for a church that grows healthier as it grows bigger, this is your blueprint for deacons, elders, and everyday disciples who multiply impact.

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Pastor Plek:

And welcome back to a chapter a day. Keeps the devil away. He's out. Listen, uh, I'm Pastor Pleck. That's Pastor Holland. We're gonna outline Acts chapter six. We're gonna find some observations, do a little interpretation, land the plan with some application that you could put in play in your life today if you're willing to do as we say. All right, so uh Acts chapter six, verses one through seven, we have the need of practical ministry and the arising of the deacons as a ministry of the church. Then uh we've got Stephen's ministry and opposition in verses eight through fifteen. And I love how it ends with the last bit. All who sit in the council stared at Stephen and saw his face like the face of an angel. So that's how we divide up that short little chapter. Let's talk about some observation. What'd you see?

Pastor Holland:

All right, so we we're getting some problems now. Acts one through four. The church is getting along pretty well. You know, the spirit comes. Acts chapter two is like amazing. And then, you know, they're healing people, they're facing some persecution, but for the most part, like things are going well within the church. And then Ananias and Sapphira, chapter five, they fall down dead. And now chapter six, we see widows are being neglected. And so we're starting to see, you know, the perfect picture of like the amazing early church in chapter two. Um, if you dig in a little bit, they actually had some significant problems.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, they were really generous with each other, but they also were liars. Yeah. And they're also selfish. And that's kind of how churches are today. Yeah. So it's actually no different. Yeah. And then I love um uh the response of the apostles, they need to be focused on prayer and the ministry of the word. That to me is like if you were to define what elders do, yeah, they are involved in prayer and the ministry of the word. Or what should the the elders do? They should be involved in prayer and the ministry of the word. Yeah. Okay. Um, what else do you see?

Pastor Holland:

I like that they, you know, when you first read verse two, it's not right we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. It kind of sounds like serving tables is lame and like, hey, we're doing the cool stuff. We don't want to do the lame stuff. But really, it's just wisdom. They're saying this is our particular role and calling, and we've got to stay in our lane. Um, this other ministry is outside that lane, but it does need to get done. And so they wisely, you know, call people together to elect for themselves. He says, pick out among from among you seven men, and he and he gives, they give some leadership. Here's the kind of um men that you want to appoint. They need to have good repute, you know. They're um they're well known and have uh they're known for their character and integrity. They're full of the spirit. These are Christian men where you can see the fruit of the spirit in their lives. They're wise, and um, then we'll appoint them to do this. So they're not, you know, they're they're just being wise and saying, hey, we need to develop some ministries and ministry leaders so that none of us get burnt out and you know, trying to do stuff outside of our lane. I love that.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, that's good. All right. What about uh notice how the names of all these people are all Greek names? Yep. Uh Philip, Prochorus, Nikanor, Timon, uh, Parmenus, and Nikolas. Uh all Greek names. And so the people that were being, I guess, discriminated against uh were the ones that they said, hey, you fix it.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, well, they they decide for themselves. So the apostles don't pick, hey, pick seven Hellenist, you know, seven Greek people. They say pick these kinds of people, and then the people themselves say, you know, they end up choosing, okay, it's the Hellenist widows that are being neglected. Let's get some Hellenist dudes um who can, you know, help meet this need. Yeah, I thought that was really cool.

Pastor Plek:

And and that way it's like, hey, we want to make sure that we do this right and we're not seen as uh, I guess, racist here at this point, right? Like, or what culturally, is it right, race really, or is it just culture culturalist?

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, it doesn't say why exactly they're being neglected. Maybe there was um, maybe there was some prejudice going on, um, some partiality going on, or maybe it was, you know, just uh a lack of familiarity with this group of people because the Hebrew, the leaders, the apostles were Hebrews, right? And so it's like, hey, maybe they didn't have the relationship um with some of the Hellenist widows to really know that they needed help. Yeah, that they needed help.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, I I wonder. Yeah, that's good. Uh and I'll the big question I always ask, is this Philip the same as like the Philip 12 12 disciples, Philip, or is this a new Philip?

Pastor Holland:

Well, I don't I think it would be a new one because they're they're adding, they're not choosing from within the apostles, they're adding to the apostles. Um, and it feels like this Philip gets more superpowers than Apostle Philip. He's doing um Signs and Wonders, verse eight.

Pastor Plek:

I know, I love it. So uh this might be just a good call for the deacon, the deaconate.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, this is called the proto-deaconate, right? So they're not called deacons here, yeah. But um the word deacon just means sorry I'm a servant, and so they are called to serve tables, verse two. Um so yeah, a lot of like commentators and stuff will refer to this as like the first um uh the first uh what's it called? Institution of like a deacon board.

Pastor Plek:

So here's the other question I have, just pure knowledge base. Was the serving tables, was that a they turned, they found a local place and they turned, you know, flip turned tables and they all the widows came for feeding, or was that a Uber Eats situation where they're delivering food to every house?

Pastor Holland:

I've always thought it was Uber Eats. Um we hear serve tables and we think of a restaurant. Yeah, but I was thinking, yeah. I I think it meant bring the food to their table.

Pastor Plek:

It makes more sense because I don't think anyone owned, or they maybe they'd own a house that was big enough or a restaurant or something, but it makes more sense that they were doing a uh maybe as a Walmart drop-off uh for them at the at the at their door. Yeah.

Pastor Holland:

Okay. Well, also, so on this, this is so cool. The one of the first ministries that you see in the early church, yeah, is a meal train for the poor and the widows. I love it. And they're just making sure, again, this is not a government program where people are being taxed, and then you know, there are benefits distributed by the government. This is the church personally meeting needs according to what they're aware of in their community voluntarily. Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

And there is a sense of per uh personal responsibility because there's a person talking to a person enjoying the gift of giving, and the person receiving, and there's not an expectation that you you give back, but like this is what Christians do. They look to seek to give because there is not a needy person among them, and at some point they're gonna take responsibility for their lives and not just pull from the system. Yeah. Okay, uh, what about um any other any other observations?

Pastor Holland:

Okay, this is like a little bit of a linguistic, you know, semantic type thing. But early on in Acts, it says that the Lord added to their number day by day. But then as you carry on, it starts to say things like verse seven, um, the number of disciples multiplied greatly. And so you get the you get kind of a shift from disciples being added to being multiplied. I like that. Additionally to multiplication. Uh the yeah, the numbers continue to increase and increase by a greater degree. Um, so yeah, it's a huge, huge movement of God going on right here.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, is that a discipleship engine situation, or is that just supernatural, or is that just both?

Pastor Holland:

Doesn't say, but probably a little bit of both. It's clearly supernatural, but uh they're they're obviously very bold also. They're preaching, and um, you know, they're really the apostles are are already taking people under their wing, right? You already have them saying, Okay, Barnabas, you're you know, you're with us now. All right, um, we got seven deacons now, and Philip, you're gonna be our guy. And so disciples are are discipleship is really a priority.

Pastor Plek:

Okay, look at that last verse, verse 15. And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw his face, was like that the face of an angel. How would they know what a face of an angel looked like?

Pastor Holland:

Uh well, it maybe they've seen some angels before. I'm just Peter and John saw one in uh jail.

Pastor Plek:

Clearly, I don't know when the last time they saw angels, or maybe it looked like the angels that were used to be on the veil, or maybe they re-they sewed the veil back together. Uh, and they're like, it kind of looks like that.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Uh the um weren't there cherubims holding on the veil. Were they allowed to look at the cherubim? I think like the mercy seat, yeah.

Pastor Plek:

Maybe the high priest saw that and is like, it looks just like that statue.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

I don't know.

Pastor Holland:

Maybe he drew it for like his friends. That's how they're new.

Pastor Plek:

All right, let's get to some truths about the nature of maybe it just means he looked really innocent. Yeah, it could have been he just looked really angelic. Yeah. Okay. Um all right. How about uh growth brings challenges? If you're at a church that's growing, get ready for the problems. And that's a good thing because that gives you opportunity to solve something that people more people can get involved in leadership.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Yeah. Um I like that. Uh leadership. What was yours? Growth brings problems. Yeah. Leadership solves problems. Nice. Is that yeah, I like that. Because like uh they didn't just say it's all gonna, it's ruined. Yeah, you know, they didn't give up, they didn't start fighting, um, and they didn't just start a ministry that um a parachurch. Or a paraturch ministry, or that the apostles did themselves, right? But they developed and appointed new leaders.

Pastor Plek:

Nice.

Pastor Holland:

Um that you gotta do that.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah, you've got to empower other people to do the works that are necessary. And I think what I love about that, serving tables is equally important as prayer and preaching of the word. It's now though something that you you don't have one person can do it all. And if one person can do it all, it's a um a what's called a barrier to growth.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. And and they're really it's so important. They're protecting, like, imagine if they did give up preaching the word and and they're meeting all the needs in Jerusalem, and there's not a needy person among them, but nobody's hearing the gospel, right? You you the church dies. Sure. Um, so what they're doing is so important. You've got to have people, you've got to have the preaching of the word protected, and therefore you need to develop other leaders. That's really good. Okay.

Pastor Plek:

What about the character of God? Um, how about God equips ordinary people with extraordinary power? Amen. Um, and gifts, and you know, leadership being one of them.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, that's good. I love that. Um God uh has standards for his leaders, um, good repute, full of the spirit, full of wisdom. Um I think in terms of like the character of God, um it is related to leadership having godly character. Nice. Does that make sense? Yeah.

Pastor Plek:

Uh what about uh God grant supernatural peace and a radiance in trial? Like good old Stephen with his angelic face. I love that. Because he was probably very peaceful, even though he was under fire.

Pastor Holland:

Under fire, falsely accused, slandered, yeah, he's about to die. Spoiler alert. Next chapter. And there he is with a face of an angel. Okay.

Pastor Plek:

Let's get into some application. Uh, how about sin to avoid? Avoid whining and complaining over perceived neglect. Uh how about get to bring up some solutions. There you go.

Pastor Holland:

Bring up some solutions. Um have uh have some deacons in your church. Yeah. Uh you know, people who the the focus of the deacons here is meeting practical needs and caring for the poor. Good. And that uh that protects, you know, the ministry of the word from the apostles, or you know, uh it would be like the elders or the pastors in a local church.

Pastor Plek:

Nice. Uh, what about um remember we got sin to avoid or confess, a promise to claim, example follow, command to obey it, knowledge to believe. Uh, how about God is a source of all supernatural wisdom, peace, uh, joy, and hope. So even when the trials come, you can rely upon him for that supernatural um power.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, I love that. Um example to follow is I would say to be like these seven men. Yep. Um, to for yourself to be full of the spirit, to be full of wisdom, have a good reputation. Um, just to pursue pursue continual growth. Don't be stagnant in your faith, but be someone that, like when there's a problem, you're the person that they can call on.

Pastor Plek:

Nice. How about this? And this might be um I'd love for you to push back if it if it needs to. Uh knowledge believe problems bring opportunity for growth. Oh, yeah, no pushback on that. That's great. Because I feel like that is like you've got the problem, which then created more leaders and then created more ministry. Yeah. Because uh they were able to see a problem. So I think on the one hand, don't be a whiner and complainant. On the other hand, the problem that you bring up, if you bring it with the right heart, it allows the church to grow to meet the need that you're seeing.

Pastor Holland:

Yeah, and having that attitude, yeah, you when you see a problem, instead of being a whiner complainer, you go, man, what good thing might God be bringing out of this? I love that. Um yeah. Uh anything else you got?

Pastor Plek:

I think that's it. Um how about God promises his to cause his word to increase and the number of disciples to multiply greatly. That's a good one. Yeah. Um, yeah, I think that's good. Verse 7, right?

Pastor Holland:

Yeah. Amen. Well, let's uh, I mean, I think that's a good thing just to um take it take into prayer throughout the day today that you could see an increase in your own church, see an increase in disciples, and see someone else learn about the word of God. So I love that one.

Pastor Plek:

Yeah. And I do love the if I know this is going back to what you were saying earlier. There was a day when the the when the disciples were increasing in number, and then verse 7, and the word of God continued to increase, the number of disciples multiplied. Yeah. So there was an addition to multiplication after the solving of the problem of the deacon. So I thought that was just kind of a wild thing to kind of bring all that full circle. Love it. Hey, thanks so much for joining us today. We'll see you next time on a chapter a day.

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