The opening words of verse 1 indicates that things had gone well for the church in Jerusalem. The last verse of chapter 5, declares the faithfulness of the disciples, despite the cruel opposition of the Jewish leaders.
“And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ,” Acts 5:41-42. Not just some aspects of the Saviour but ALL about Him!
I. THEIR FAITHFULNESS WAS THE REASON FOR THE INCREASE IN DISCIPLES!
1. There is a lesson for every Christian here! “They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”
It is only by remaining faithful to the Gospel message that we will see the Word of God grow.
2. Faithfulness to the Lord will result in His faithfulness to us. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you,” James 4:8. “And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen,” Mark 16:20.
The Lord cannot work with those who are not doing what He has commanded them to do!
3. The number of the disciples increased! The Lord does build His church as He promised! From an hundred and twenty to three thousand more, and from that to five thousand more, and then a multitude of men and women were added, and still they were increasing! No mention of becoming popular, wealthy or influential! No, they saw souls won to faith in Christ. That is the work that the Lord will help us in. Remember His declared purpose. “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost,” Luke 19:10.
II. THE INCREASE IN NUMBERS RESULTED IN DIVISION.
1. Being multiplied brought about murmuring. Notice the words of verse 1. “When the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews. The word “murmuring” is an ‘onomatopoeic’ word. It imitates or suggests the sound that it is describing! There was a disgruntlement that was causing people to mutter against others.
2. We are told the cause of the division. There was “a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” The “Grecians” were Jews who adopted the Grecian language and the ways of the Grecian world. The “Hebrews” were those Jews that were the inhabitants of Israel, chiefly of Jerusalem, and who spoke the Hebrew tongue. There likely would have been a degree of ‘looking down their nose’ by the Hebrews upon the Grecians because they had forsaken the Hebrew language and adopted some of the customs of the Greek world.
3. Sadly, the Jews very wrongly discriminated against the Grecian Jews. It is sad to read of this meanness amongst Christians. It was particularly sad that the Jews would go so far as to not share equally with the Grecian Jewish widows. The Grecian “widows were neglected in the daily ministration,” verse 1. This is a reference to the distribution of food and other necessities to those in need. See 4:34-35.
4. How quickly God’s blessing upon them began to melt away! The Lord will withdraw when there is division caused sin an worldliness! Every Christian needs to be constantly refuelled, just like a car or the central heating boiler! We must see to it that fire of our love for the Lord and for other Christians is refuelled. “My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue,” Psalm 39:3. Please consider Jeremiah 20:9, Luke 24:32. Girls and boys, we need to read our Bibles and talk to the Lord every day if we are to maintain the fire of love and faithfulness to the Lord.