The fledgling church discovers its identity [ 4:32–6:7 ]. After the close-ups of the heroics of faith by Peter and John, the next phase of Acts gives us a wide-angle picture of the community of faith that was in the process of forming. First we get a picture of the sharing of possessions of the new community (4:32–37) and, growing out of that, the need for Peter to discipline members of the community who have misbehaved (5:1–11). Balancing the negative picture is an account of “signs and wonders” accompanied by conversions (5:12–16), followed by an expanded narrative of the arrest and release of church leaders by the Jewish religious establishment (5:17–42). In quite another vein but still in keeping with the theme of the church’s discovering who it is, the small church is shown evolving institutional structures, namely, the appointment of men to oversee the ministry of mercy so the disciples can devote themselves to preaching and prayer (6:1–7). The book of Acts is a book of beginnings, and a leading aim of the narrative is to enable us to relive the excitement, suspense, and danger of life in the early days of the Christian church.

6:1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists 1 arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, 2 pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.