Read Acts 6
Acts 6 teaches us about conflict faced by the early
church. First we are given an example of how the early church handled internal
conflict (v. 1-7). A group of believers of Greek background complained because
their widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food (v.1). The
widows with Hebrew background were not being overlooked. This conflict revealed
the delicate nature of this new, multicultural group. The Twelve had to respond
in a way that reflected God’s love and mercy, which is impartial to race,
gender, age, etc. The Twelve did not point fingers or get involved with gossip
or complaining. They merely acknowledged that this was a problem and found a
solution (v. 3-4). They recognized that God grants different gifts and
abilities to different people. Because the Twelve didn’t try to do everything,
but assigned jobs based on giftings, the message of Christ was able to continue
spreading (v. 7). Next, we see an example the early church dealing with
external conflict. Stephen, “a man full of God’s grace and power”, was
advancing God’s kingdom (v. 8). This led to opposition. Members of the
Synagogue of the Freedmen tried to argue with him, but the wisdom of the Holy
Spirit consistently won (v. 9-10). They spread rumours about Stephen and
convinced the religious leaders to arrest him (v. 11-12). It is interesting to
note that they had to produce false witnesses (v. 13) who twisted Stephen’s
message (v. 14). The Holy Spirit consistently protects the reputation of
accused believers. We are even told that, during His accusations, Stephen was so
full of the Holy Spirit that His face shone with the reflection of God’s glory
(v. 15). This echoes the transformations of Moses (Exodus 34:29-35).
Journaling
and Prayer
1. The Twelve displayed great wisdom in how they
handled conflict in the Church. They neither passively ignored conflict, nor
did they passionately explode. Ask God what He wants to teach you about how you
handle conflict. Pray that, when you are faced with conflict, He would remind
you to seek His wisdom before that of the world.
2. People watching the accusation of Stephen were
captivated because his face resembled an angel. Scripture often describes how
intimacy with God makes people stand out from the world around them. What are
some ways that Christians should look different from the rest of the world? Ask
God how He wants to make you stand out from the world. Ask Him for one
practical step you can take today that will make people notice that your life
is set apart for Christ.
3. Pray for leaders. Our society has many leaders
(e.g. in churches, business and homes) who have to decide how to handle
difficult matters. Pray that God would reveal His wisdom to them through the
Word and prayer. Pray that their minds would be renewed – that where they once believed
worldly advice, they would now rely on God. Ask God to grant them peace in the
midst of conflict. Pray that this peace would be an effective testimony to
onlookers.
