Acts 6:5-7
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“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
“….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, 3:1
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