”But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them. So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.“
Acts of the Apostles 6:1-7 NLT
The importance of a deacon cannot be overstated. Though they are not Elders of the Body of Christ, they are weirdest of that authority and share in its burden. The office was born out of a need to establish order in a time of dissension due to growth. The church had a good problem, in the sense, that it was too big to manage properly with the twelve disciples alone. Therefore, the office of Deacon was formed to fulfill the non spiritual tasks. This has led some to believe that it is a menial calling and can have menial and unqualified workers. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Deacons should only be qualified to be called, not by the call. The importance of this is immediately demonstrated in Stephen who, when confronted, launches into a monologue about confession and repentance that demonstrates a strong command of theology. This sermon is so powerful that it ultimately ends with him being killed and starting a wave of persecution. Beyond this, Stephen’s countenance showed his connection with God just as Moses once did in his presence. Therefore, it must be understood how important a Deacon is. They carry out physical tasks to ease the burden of the Eldership, while being equally connected to God and scripture.
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