Seven Deacons

As the Jerusalem church grew, Greek-speaking Jewish believers complained that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution compared with Hebrew-speaking widows. The Twelve gathered the disciples and explained that the apostles should not abandon the ministry of the word in order to oversee tables. They asked the congregation to select seven reputable men full of the Spirit and wisdom for the responsibility. The chosen men were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch. The apostles prayed and laid hands on them. Although later Christian usage often calls them the Seven Deacons, Acts does not explicitly give them the noun 'deacons' in this passage. Stephen and Philip soon appear in extensive preaching and evangelistic ministries, showing that their service was not confined to administration.