Acts 6:2

The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.

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Other translations

WEBBE

The twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not appropriate for us to forsake the word of God and serve tables.

BSB

So the Twelve summoned all the disciples and said, “It is unacceptable for us to neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.

KJV

Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

ASV

And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve tables.

BBE

And the Apostles sent for all the disciples and said, It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God in order to make distribution of food.

Original Greek

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προσκαλεσάμενοι proskalesamenoi Having called near G4341 δὲ de then G1161 οἱ hoi the G3588 δώδεκα dōdeka Twelve G1427 τὸ to the G3588 πλῆθος plēthos multitude G4128 τῶν tōn of the G3588 μαθητῶν mathētōn disciples G3101 εἶπαν eipan they said G2036 οὐκ ouk Not G3756 ἀρεστόν areston desirable G701 ἐστιν estin it is [for] G1510 ἡμᾶς hēmas us G3165 καταλείψαντας kataleipsantas having neglected G2641 τὸν ton the G3588 λόγον logon word G3056 τοῦ tou (the) G3588 θεοῦ theou of God G2316 διακονεῖν diakonein to attend G1247 τραπέζαις trapezais at tables G5132

The early church

"Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." Well said: for the needful must give precedence to the more needful. But see, how straightway they both take thought for these inferior matters, and yet do not neglect the preaching. Do you observe how outward concerns succeed to inward? They do not act at their own discretion, but plead for themselves to the congregation. So ought it to be done now. "It is not reason," says he, "that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables." First he puts to them the unreasonableness of the thing; that it is not possible for both things to be done with the same attention: just as when they were about to ordain Matthias, they first show the necessity of the thing.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–7

Hitherto the disciples had been of one accord; this often had been noticed to their honour; but now they were multiplied, they began to murmur. The word of God was enough to take up all the thoughts, cares, and time of the apostles. The persons chosen to serve tables must be duly qualified. They must be filled with gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, necessary to rightly managing this trust; men of truth, and hating covetousness. All who are employed in the service of the church, ought to be commended to the Divine grace by the prayers of the church. They blessed them in the name of the Lord. The word and grace of God are greatly magnified, when those are wrought upon by it, who were least likely.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 6 →

Cross-references

8

Topics

ChurchMinister, ChristianTable

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.