Conflict Managers Needed

Acts 6:1-7

In this article I am addressing the need for conflict managers. In the church today there is an increasing need for conflict managers. We will see from the text that a conflict arises when there is an increase in the number of disciples. Also, contributing to this conflict is the growing numbers of diverse groups being added to the congregation. It is said that no two people are alike. The same is true about groups. Since no two people and no two groups are alike, it is inevitable that there will be conflict, sooner or later. Thus, it is rightfully said, “conflicts cannot be prevented, but conflicts can be managed.” The text before us today suggests that conflicts are managed best when the ones chosen to manage them meet certain qualifications.

Before we begin with our discussion, let us define “conflict.” The word conflict can be used as a verb or a noun. In this text the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible uses the Greek word goggusmos as a noun. The KJV uses the English “murmuring,” while the NASB uses the English “complaint.” According to the web site Dictionary.com conflict is a noun and is defined as “a struggle or clash between opposing forces; battle. A state of opposition between ideas, interests, etc. disagreement or controversy. A clash, as between two appointments for the same time.” In simple words we can say that when two or more parties have ill feelings towards one another and one or both of the parties begin to speak against the other we have a conflict. And here it is that the church finds that there is a conflict; a murmuring; a complaint; a grudge; a quarrel between two groups in the congregation.

The text begins with the writer, Luke, telling us the reasons for the conflict. “A complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food” (v. 1). The church is growing in numbers. Luke writes, “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in numbers” (6:1, NASB). The growth in numbers is not homogeneous. There are two groups at least and in verse nine Stephen has conflict with “some men from what was called the Synagogue of Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia rose up and argued with Stephen” (6:9).

As the church grows there is an increase in people that have needs. Now, the Grecian widows need food just as the Hebrew widows need food. The complaint is that in the distribution of food the Hellenistic widows are not getting their fair share of the food. Their needs are being neglected. Now this may not have been intentional. You see people tend to gather together in groups based on such things as language, place of birth and origin, culture, and religious practices.

In this text we can see that all of these factors contribute to the problem. The Hebrews are persons born and raised in Palestine. The Hellenists are in Jerusalem, but they were born and raised in the lands of the Diaspora. The Hebrews speak Aramaic, the language of the fathers and the language of the scriptures used by the religious leaders in Jerusalem. . The Hellenists speak Greek, the language spoken in the land of their birth. They used the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrews are orthodox in worship style and practices. The Hellenists have Greek practices that they adopt from their country of origin. So, the twelve apostles are faced with a problem. How do the apostles resolve the problem? They tell the whole church to select seven men to be put in charge of resolving the problem (v. 2). There is a need for conflict mangers.

Apparently when the church was small the needs of the people were met by the apostles. In Acts 5 “a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles feet” (5:1-2, NASB). Now, the number of disciples is increasing and the apostles are increasingly aware that taking time to meet the daily needs of the people can hinder them from carrying out their primary duty of preaching the Gospel to lost souls and teaching the people the words of Jesus. They are acutely aware of the commission that Jesus entrusted into their hands. “You will receive power (Greek=dunamis) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth’” (Acts 1:8, NASB). There is a need for qualified persons to take charge of the duty of “serving tables;” that is taking care of the needs of the people. In this case the need is for all the widows to get the food that they need. Who is qualified to resolve this conflict that is being complained about?

The apostles say to the congregation, “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (vv, 3-4, NASB). Let us take a closer look at the qualifications that the seven must have.

First, they must have a good reputation. They must be persons well thought of by the church and the larger community. They have demonstrated character traits such as honesty, integrity, and credibility. No one will question their desire to do what is right. Their decisions will be fair and equitable for all people.

Second, they must be full of the Spirit. In Luke/Acts it is the Spirit that leads and guides the church through the work of individual persons. Whereas Matthew writes to Jews, Luke is writing to a church that includes Gentiles. Matthew writes to a church that is familiar with the Law. The church that Luke is writing about has a large number of persons that do not know the Law. There is no contradiction between the Law and the Spirit. John records the words of Jesus. ‘“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

The seven must be full of wisdom. They must possess practical knowledge of how to deal with the situation. This wisdom is guided by the Spirit. Paul makes a distinction between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom that comes from God (1 Cor. 2:4-16; 3:19-20). The wisdom of men follows after the things of the flesh. The wisdom from God seeks the things of the Spirit. Human education and human knowledge leads to human wisdom and rationalization. Human wisdom and reasoning often lead to false conclusions and poor decisions. “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Prov. 16:25, NASB).

Having selected men to resolve the conflict, the apostles are free to devote themselves to their primary concern of prayer and the word. “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (6:7).

The word will continue to be spread to Judea, Samaria, and throughout the world. As the church grows new conflict arise. The apostles find ways to select conflict managers so that the spread of the gospel is not hindered.

Today the church is challenged by the increasing number of diverse groups that are included in the congregation. Conflicts continue to arise. There is the need for persons that are filled with the Spirit to be Conflict Managers.