Acts 6

“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (v7).  The growing church quickly spread beyond the original Hebrew-speaking Jews and now included Greek-speaking Jews.  However, this caused some conflict among these culturally different peoples (v1).  Rather than either separate or force conformity, the apostles chose a new route.  They encouraged the Greek-speakers to choose their own Spirit-filled leaders (v3), and the apostles blessed them and recognized their roles.  The church grew even more.

The early church faced a familiar problem: how to respect cultural differences while being united in Christ.  Instead of disintegrating, love for Jesus and Spirit’s guidance led them to new fruitfulness.