Discipleship and Multiplication
“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.” Acts 6:8
In Acts 6 the church faces the sort of problems that come with growth in any community or organisation. Numbers have increased. Tensions have arisen around cultural differences between Greek speaking Jews and Hebrew/Aramaic speaking Jews: an argument over one group of widows being ignored by the dominant group.
The apostles recognise this is not just a tension over practical arrangements. In fact, how we react to practical things that seem so small can be very significant - it can show what we are really like inside! One ancient Greek philosopher said you can learn more about a person from an hour playing games together than a whole year of conversation.
This was serious: the gospel was at stake. Why?
First because people were in danger of following human thinking and motivations instead of continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The gospel makes (or should make) a new community of people being transformed into Jesus’ likeness, so it matters that we are led by the Spirit in everything we do.
Second, because of the risk of factions and divisions.
The gospel makes (or should make) a new community of people from all different backgrounds, languages and cultures, so it matters that we learn to be reconciled to God, ourselves and other people. Jesus’ work can be summed up in Paul’s words in Colossians 1:20 “and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (NLT). The redeemed and reconciled community is called to be peacemakers: so we have to learn to live at peace together and be of one heart while celebrating how different our cultures are!
Third, because the Good News would not reach the ends of the earth unless leaders raise up new leaders who will raise up new leaders.
The gospel makes us (or should make us) all disciples who make disciples.
The natural tendency of any human organisation is to grow larger and more powerful and for its leaders to develop accordingly, but to retain control. The bigger the organisation the more effort goes into control and the greater the risk of wrong attitudes creeping in (and the moral failure of leaders).
Jesus turns things upside down. Leaders in the church should be reproducing themselves so they can let go of control and small communities of disciples can multiply.
What started with potential division became multiplication because the apostles released Stephen and others like him. They were filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit and so did miracles - whether in the practicalities of food distribution or in speaking of Jesus and healing the sick.
Like Stephen, such people provoke demonic opposition because - through them - the Kingdom is advancing!
- Chris Horton
In Acts 6 the church faces the sort of problems that come with growth in any community or organisation. Numbers have increased. Tensions have arisen around cultural differences between Greek speaking Jews and Hebrew/Aramaic speaking Jews: an argument over one group of widows being ignored by the dominant group.
The apostles recognise this is not just a tension over practical arrangements. In fact, how we react to practical things that seem so small can be very significant - it can show what we are really like inside! One ancient Greek philosopher said you can learn more about a person from an hour playing games together than a whole year of conversation.
This was serious: the gospel was at stake. Why?
First because people were in danger of following human thinking and motivations instead of continually being filled with the Holy Spirit.
The gospel makes (or should make) a new community of people being transformed into Jesus’ likeness, so it matters that we are led by the Spirit in everything we do.
Second, because of the risk of factions and divisions.
The gospel makes (or should make) a new community of people from all different backgrounds, languages and cultures, so it matters that we learn to be reconciled to God, ourselves and other people. Jesus’ work can be summed up in Paul’s words in Colossians 1:20 “and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (NLT). The redeemed and reconciled community is called to be peacemakers: so we have to learn to live at peace together and be of one heart while celebrating how different our cultures are!
Third, because the Good News would not reach the ends of the earth unless leaders raise up new leaders who will raise up new leaders.
The gospel makes us (or should make us) all disciples who make disciples.
The natural tendency of any human organisation is to grow larger and more powerful and for its leaders to develop accordingly, but to retain control. The bigger the organisation the more effort goes into control and the greater the risk of wrong attitudes creeping in (and the moral failure of leaders).
Jesus turns things upside down. Leaders in the church should be reproducing themselves so they can let go of control and small communities of disciples can multiply.
What started with potential division became multiplication because the apostles released Stephen and others like him. They were filled with the Spirit and led by the Spirit and so did miracles - whether in the practicalities of food distribution or in speaking of Jesus and healing the sick.
Like Stephen, such people provoke demonic opposition because - through them - the Kingdom is advancing!
- Chris Horton
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