BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: HELLENISTIC AND HEBRAIC JEWS 2
Biblical Critique: Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews
In Acts chapter 6, the church along with the number of followers and widows was
incresing. The Hebraic Jew widows were receiving food from the church daily and the
Hellenistic Jews were not. This resulted in conflict and was brought to the Apostle’s attention.
Due to the fact of increased numbers, the Apostle’s delegated the task of rationing the food daily
so they could focus on spreading the word of God. Seven faithful men were elected to deliver the
food to the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews equally. The delegation by the Apostles lead to a
peaceful solution to the conflict and allowed them to focus on spreading the word of God as well
as increasing the body of Christ.
Fact Verses
1. Christian disciples were increasing in
number.
Acts 6:1
2. Hellenistic Jews complained their
widows were not being given their
portion of food.
Acts 6:1
3. The 12 Apostles said they could not
check on the physical needs of their
followers and give up their ministry.
Act6:2
4. Seven wise and faithful men were
chosen from the disciples.
Acts 6:3
5. The Apostles shared the responsibility
of delivering food.
Acts 6:3
6. The Apostles turned their full
attention to ministering and sharing
Acts 6:4
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: HELLENISTIC AND HEBRAIC JEWS 3
the word of God.
7. They were pleased with the decision. Acts 6:5
8. The seven chosen men were Stephen,
Phillip, Timon, Nicolas, Procorus,
Nicanor, and Paramenas.
Acts 6:5
9. The chosen men were presented to the
Apostles. The Apostles laid hands on
them and prayed for them.
Acts 6:6-7
10. The Apostles continued to share the
word of God.
Acts 6:6-7
Reflect
What do you see in the passage that relates
to God’s character, man’s character, or
Jesus?
Verses
God’s character The Hellenistic Jews stood up and spoke
out for the rights of their people. They
wanted justice to prevail and fair treatment
for all.
Acts 6:1
Man’s character The complaints of the Hellenistic Jews
were heard and the Apostles planned to
address the issue.
Acts 6:2
Acts 6:5
Jesus The 12 Apostles laid hands on and prayed
for the seven chosen men.
Acts 6:6
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: HELLENISTIC AND HEBRAIC JEWS 4
Respond
The passage in Acts is an example of how leaders can work through issues by listening
and understanding. As a leader, one must be able to help the group accomplish a common goal.
All parties may be accommodated in the solution to conflict based on the common interest of all
stakeholders (Barsky, 2017). Conflicts should be handled with care in order to reduce damage to
trust and respect all parties involved. If followers lose trust or respect for a leader, it is hard to
accomplish a common goal. To be effective, leaders must listen to their followers just as the
Apostles did. The leader can then decide how to address the conflict and decide on a solution. In
this passage, the Apostles decided to have seven men chosen to solve the food shortage conflict.
The demand of leadership can be overwhelming at times. There are instances where
conflicts and tasks must be prioritized. The leader must decide what is most important for the
group or company in order to promote growth. This is challenging at times and from experience,
it is hard to meet demands and please everyone. The Apostles felt they needed to focus on
spreading the word of God and that was their priority so they did not have time to address the
widow’s food shortage. The twelve Apostles listened and heard the complaints; however, they
had to delegate the duty to others in order for the task to be completed.
Sometimes in conflict, a mediator is needed to reach a peaceful resolution. I have been a
part of mediation during a divorce and have seen this tactic work in interdepartmental issues. A
company or school is focused on a common goal; however, there are times when conflict arises
and preferred outcomes are necessary. When this happens, the person in charge may need to
delegate duties to other responsible people. In school we have a leadership team that listens to
issues and accepts tasks in order to help the principal keep the operation running smoothly. The
Apostles demonstrated this delegation approach when they had the seven men elected to solve
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: HELLENISTIC AND HEBRAIC JEWS 5
the problem presented by the Hellenistic Jews. The chosen men were given the task of delivering
the food to the widows so that the conflict was peacefully resolved for all parties involved. This
resolution allowed the Apostles to continue sharing the word of God and adding souls to the
body of Christ.
Conclusion
Effective leaders are essential for organizational growth. These leaders are people that
listen to their followers and understand what is needed to accomplish a goal. Their followers
respect and trust their skills and work together to help accomplish tasks. Effective leaders also
respond to conflicts with empathy and thoughtfulness. This encourages their followers and
allows for delegation of tasks along with unity when resolving issues. The passage in Acts
chapter 6 is a great example of how this type of leadership is successful.
BIBLICAL CRITIQUE: HELLENISTIC AND HEBRAIC JEWS 6
References
Barsky, A. E. (2017). Conflict resolution for the helping professions: Negotiation, Mediation,
Advocacy, Facilitation, and Restorative Justice. Oxford University Press.
God-Breathed. (2009). Holy Bible: King James Version.
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL3575478M/Holy_Bible
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