Choosing Well

Chosen To Serve

"and the twelve (apostles), having called near the multitude of the disciples, said, `It is not pleasing that we, having left the word of God, do minister at tables;

look out, therefore, brethren, seven men of you who are well testified of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity,

and we to prayer, and to the ministration of the word, will give ourselves continually.'

And the thing was pleasing before all the multitude, and they did choose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch," Acts 6:2-5 YLT

After Jesus left the apostles in charge of sharing the gospel, they in turn let the disciples chose, who as a group unanimously selected, Stephen and six unknown men to lead the ministry of (or the work of) waiting on tables -- not the most glamorous or easiest of ministries.

Stephen would later on become the first believer to die (martyred) because of the faith (Acts 7).

But none of these seven men who became among the early church leaders were known to be exemptional.

In fact, their only difference from those they were chosen from, were that every one of them had a good reputation, meaning they were all well respected (well testified) and that they were all full of the Holy Spirit, meaning they exhibit one or more the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. And at least one of them were a Gentile (not a Jew).

The gifts of the Spirit are:
Spiritual wisdom, knowledge. faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophecy,  distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues or languages and the interpretation of tongues or languages.

The fruits of the Spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control -- all of which would have been evident in the daily lives of the seven chosen. Not because they were good men, but only because they have the Holy Spirit living inside them and they walking in step with this same Spirit.

This is the pattern, the early church worked with. They then as written on the following verse:

"whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them [their] hands."

... set apart and presented to the apostles who then prayed over them to lead a ministry.

And the result?

"And the word of God did increase, and the number of the disciples did multiply in Jerusalem,"

And this should be continuing on as directed by the Lord, first in Jerusalem, then to Judea, to Samaria, spreading outward and onwards, up to the ends of the world... (now also to you).