Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/66

60 may be effectual; for God's grace can do all without our preaching, but our preaching can do nothing without God's grace. The apostles ''were endued with extraordinary gifts of the Holy. Ghost, tongues and miracles; and yet that which they gave themselves continually to, was, preaching and praying, by which they might edify the church: and those ministers, without doubt, are the successors of the apostles, (not in the plenitude of the apostolical power, those are daring usurpers who pretend to that, but in the best and most excellent of the apostolical works,) who give themselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word; and such Christ will always be with, even to the end of the world''.

2. How this proposal was agreed to, and presently put in execution, by the disciples; it was not imposed upon them by an absolute power, though they might have been bold in Christ to do that, (Philem. 8.) but proposed, as that which was highly convenient, and then the saying pleased the whole multitude, v. 5. It pleased them to see the apostles so willing to discharge themselves from intermeddling in secular affairs, and so to transmit them to others; it pleased them to hear that they would give themselves to the word and prayer; and therefore they neither disputed the matter, nor deferred the execution of it.

(1.) They pitched upon the persons; it is not probable that they all cast their eye upon the same men; every one had his friend, whom he thought well of; but the majority of votes fell upon the persons here named; and the rest both of the candidates and electors acquiesced, and made no disturbance, as the members of societies in such cases ought to do. An apostle, who was an extraordinary officer, was chosen by lot, which is more immediately the act of God; but the overseers of the poor were chosen by the suffrage of the people; in which yet a regard is to be had to the providence of God, who has all men's hearts and tongues in his hand.

We have a list of the persons chosen; some think, that they were such as were before of the seventy disciples; but that is not likely; for they were ordained by Christ himself, long since, to preach the gospel; and there was no more reason that they should leave the word of God to serve tables than that the apostles should; it is therefore more probable that they were of those that were converted since the pouring out of the Spirit; for it was promised to all that would be baptized, that they should receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; and the gift, according to that promise, is that fulness of the Holy Ghost, which was required in those that were to be chosen to this service. We may further conjecture, concerning these seven, [1.] That they were such as had sold their estates, and brought the money into the common stock; for, caeteris paribus—other things being equal, those were fittest to be entrusted with the distribution of it, who had been most generous in the contribution to it. [2.] That these seven were all of the Grecian or Hellenist Jews, for they have all Greek names, and this would be most likely to silence the murmurings of the Grecians, (which occasioned this institution,) to have the trust lodged in those that were foreigners, like themselves, who would be sure not to neglect them. Nicolas, it is plain, was one of them, for he was a proselyte of Antioch; and some think that the manner of expression intimates, that they were all proselytes of Jerusalem, as he was of Antioch.

The first named is Stephen, the glory of these septem-viri; a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost; he had a strong faith in the doctrine of Christ, and was full of it above most; full of fidelity, full of courage; (so some;) for he was full of the Holy Ghost, of his gifts and graces; he was an extraordinary man, and excelled in everything that was good; his name signifies a crown. Philip is put next, because he, having used this office of a deacon well, thereby obtained a good degree, and was afterward ordained to the office of an evangelist, a companion and assistant to the apostles, for so he is expressly called, ch. 21. 8. Compare Eph. 4. 11. And his preaching and baptizing (which we read of ch. 8. 12.) were certainly not as a deacon, for it is plain that that office was serving tables, in opposition to the ministry of the word,) but as an evangelist; and when he was preferred to that office, we have reason to think he quitted this office, as incompatible with that. As for Stephen, nothing we find done by him proves him to be a preacher of the gospel; for he only disputes in the schools, and pleads for his life at the bar, v. 9. and ch. 7. 2.

The last named is Nicolas, who, some say, afterward degenerated, (as the Judas among these seven,) and was the founder of the sect of the Nicolaitans, which we read of, (Rev. 2. 6, 15.) and which Christ there says, once and again, was a thing he hated. But some of the ancients clear him from that charge, and tell us, that though that vile impure sect denominated themselves from him, yet it was unjustly, and because he only insisted much upon it, that they that had wives, should be as though they had none, thence they wickedly inferred, that they that had wives, should have them in common; which therefore Tertullian, when he speaks of the community of goods, particularly excepts, Omnia indiscreta apud nos, praeter uxores—All things are common among us, except our wives. Apol. cap. 39.

(2.) The apostles appointed them to this work of serving tables for the present, v. 6. The people presented them to the apostles, who approved their choice, and ordained them. [1.] They prayed with them, and for them, that God would give them more and more of the Holy Ghost, and of wisdom; that he would qualify them for the service to which they were called, and own them in it, and make them thereby a blessing to the church, and particularly to the poor of the flock. All that are employed in the service of the church, ought to be committed to the conduct of the divine grace by the prayers of the church. [2.] They laid their hands on them, that is, they blessed them in the name of the Lord, for laying on hands was used in blessing; so Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph; and, without controversy, the less is blessed of the greater; (Heb. 7. 7.) the deacons are blessed by the apostles, and the overseers of the poor by the pastors of the congregation. Having by prayer implored a blessing upon them, they did by the laying on of hands assure them that the blessing was conferred in answer to the prayer; and this was giving them authority to execute that office, and laying an obligation upon the people to be observant of them therein.

III. The advancement of the church hereupon; when things were thus put into good order in the church, (grievances were redressed and discontents silenced,) then religion got ground, v. 7.

1. The word of God increased; now that the apostles resolved to stick more closely than ever to their preaching, it spread the gospel further, and brought it home with the more power. Ministers, disentangling themselves from secular employments, and addicting themselves entirely and vigorously to their work, will contribute very much, as a means, to the success of the gospel. The word of God is said to increase, as the seed sown increases, when it comes up again thirty, sixty, a hundred fold.

2. Christians grow numerous; The number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. When Christ was upon earth, his ministry had least success in Jerusalem; yet now that city affords most