Spreading the Gospel of Christ While Employed as a Waiter

Acts 6:1-7

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Hellenists complain against the Hebrews over the distribution of food.
• Men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom chosen to be waiters to wait on food tables.
• Stephen chosen as one of the waiters of food tables.

Hellenists complain against the Hebrews over the distribution of food.
“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.” Acts 6:1

Thousands of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, were coming to Jesus as the way to serve God. The message of serving God by faith in Jesus Christ was a better way than trying to live for God by the letter of the laws of Judaism. In the multiplying of the disciples of Jesus Christ, there arose a complaint between the Hebrew Jewish people and the Hellenists Jewish people.

The Hebrews clung to the Jewish traditions, language, and customs while believing in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God. This alone was enough for them to be accused of blaspheme which could be punishable by death. For that reason, they appeased the Jewish rulers by keeping the custom of circumcision and other outwardly practices [but their heart was devoted to Jesus Christ]. They fellowshipped with the multitudes of Believers from a sincere heart. This is similar to the Believers of today who keep all of the traditional customs of the churches, such as water baptism, Easter services, Christmas services, communion services, etc. while within their heart realizing that their faith in Jesus Christ alone makes them right with God.

The Hellenists were those Jewish people who lived among the Greeks and adopted the customs of their world. They also fellowshipped with the multitudes of the family of Jesus Christ as they lived for God by faith in Jesus. Timothy’s mother was a Hellenist who married a Greek, so Timothy was the child of a Jewish mother and Greek father, as quoted, “Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.” Acts 16:1 Paul spoke in Greek and also in Hebrew, as quoted, “Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, “May I speak to you?” He replied, “Can you speak Greek?” Acts 21:37 “Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And when there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language…” Acts 21:40 Also, the entire New Testament was written in Greek, so any Jewish person not fluent in the Greek language was not able to read the letters that we read in the New Testament today.

Today, the “Hellenists” would be all of us who do not keep the customs of the churches and do not attend church services. However, we do cling to the message of the Cross, the need for Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of unbelief, the resurrection from the dead, the life of Holiness, eternal life, and the judgment to come beyond the grave.

The Hellenists had a complaint against the Hebrews because the widows of the Hellenists were being neglected when the distribution of food was given to the multitudes of Believers. In the minds of the Hebrews, they probably felt awkward about serving “Gentile” widows because it would have been unlawful to do so by Jewish customs. Peter explains this in this way, “Then [Peter] said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28 Our Lord Jesus teaches us that in Him there is no Greek or Jew, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

In today’s world, there are those who live for Jesus but don’t go to church, those who keep the customs of the churches and live for Jesus Christ, and those who are atheists who live for the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel [they flood the congregation of the churches and are the masses of the community]. As part of our walk in Holiness, our spirit, mind, and soul are sanctified to cleanse us from placing barriers between people. That’s because the Holy Spirit in us wants to bring the testimony of Jesus to the whosoever, not to bring condemnation, as quoted, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

When it comes to the distribution of the food of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all people are welcomed to come to the table and eat.

Men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom chosen to be waiters to wait on food tables.
“Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4

The “twelve” refers to the Twelve Apostles, who were all of the Twelve whom Jesus chose, minus Judas Iscariot who betrayed Him, plus Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas. Those twelve included, Matthias, Peter, Andrew, James [son of Zebedee], John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James [son of Alphaeus], Thaddeus [also known as Judas, not Iscariot], and Simon the Zealot. All twelve Apostles started out doing such things as being waiters and supervising the distribution of food. Their intent wasn’t to become world evangelists, they preached and taught the Gospel right where they were.

The twelve Apostles gathered the multitudes of the disciples who came to Jesus Christ to share a word with them. The Apostles said that they should not be serving tables [like restaurant waiters of today] at the expense of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The decision of the Apostles arose over the complaints about how food was being administered to the multitudes. As followers of Jesus Christ, the most important job we will ever have is to be a witness of Jesus Christ that comes through our born-again experience. For the Apostles, they were led by the Holy Spirit to spread the testimony of Jesus Christ to all the world, not to be restrained within boundaries of managing the distribution of food. As it turned out, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is now on every continent of the world because the Apostles knew through the Holy Spirit what God was leading them to do.

All of the Apostles were martyred, except for John, who died of old age on the Isle of Patmos. John wrote the book of Revelations on the Isle of Patmos [Revelations 1:9], wrote the Gospel of John, and wrote 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd John. As part of our life of Holiness, we are willing to suffer and die for our Lord Jesus Christ, this is the work of sanctification that the Holy Spirit does within us. We may not be able to work as waiters in a restaurant, or other such jobs, if God has something else for us to do. But wherever the Spirit leads us we lift up the name of our Lord Jesus Christ because that is the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

Having followers of Jesus working as restaurant waiters is extremely important as well for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Those chosen from the multitudes of the disciples were seven men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom and of a good reputation. They were appointed over the business of food distribution to handle such complaints as what arose in the previous section. Humbleness is part of our Holiness to be willing to work in whatever job, occupation, or circumstances we are led to work in. In whatever circumstances, the work of the Holy Spirit in us is to shine with the Light of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may not all lose our life for Jesus Christ, but we all have a job to do to lift up His name in this atheistic and hostile world. Our Lord Jesus said that a day will come, and seems to be here today, that no one will be able to work to spread His Gospel, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:4-5

The Apostles gave themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word while the “seven” waited on tables. They were all full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom as the Gospel of Christ spread far and wide from local communities to all around the world as we see today.

The beast with power over physiology to give people what to speak, do, think, and feel opposes God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. “Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Revelations 13:6-8 The “he” in this verse is the beast of the image and mark of the beast.

Stephen chosen as one of the waiters of food tables.
“And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:5-7

The seven men chosen to be waiters of tables and managers over the business of distributing food were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. The Apostles validated each one of them by the Holy Spirit, prayed, and laid their hands on them. The Holy Spirit blessed this arrangement of the Apostles going out to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the seven remaining to wait on tables. This blessing is seen in how  the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly.

Stephen and Philip are an example of living in the Holy Spirit while working in lowly jobs by this world’s standards. Two chapters of Acts are solely about the acts of Stephen, and those two chapters are 6 and 7. Stephen did great wonders and signs among the people through the Holy Spirit. When he spoke of Jesus Christ, his opposers were not able to argue against the Spirit nor his wisdom. His opposers brought false accusations against Stephen, stirred up the Jewish people and rulers against him, and drug him into their court. When they looked at Stephen his faced looked like an angel. They stoned Stephen to death, a waiter of tables who simply lived for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Philip also is mentioned throughout Acts. A multitude in Samaria believed Philip’s preaching about Jesus Christ and He brought a sorcerer named Simon to Jesus. Philip did miracles by the Spirit of God to lead people to believe in Jesus, to cast out unclean spirits of those possessed, and to heal the lame and paralyzed. Philip brought great joy to many. Philip also brought an Ethiopian to Jesus Christ. All of this is explained in Acts 8 Philip is also the one who was known as an evangelist with four unmarried daughters who prophesied, as described in Acts 21:8-9

Part of our Holiness experience is to be content in whatever our circumstances are, whether employed in what the world calls a menial job, or unemployed, or homeless, etc. God uses us in whatever circumstance we are in through the Holy Spirit living in us whose work is to glorify the name of Jesus Christ. The process of sanctification is to cleanse the negative attitudes of pride, bitterness, vengeance, etc. that hinders the Holy Spirit from working through us. “If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?” 1 Corinthians 12:15-19

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11