Many, many yeats ago whne the church experienced its first growth, it became obvious that Christians were no less human. Allegations of nepotism, favouritism, and marginalisation were rife, and it was necessary to appoint stewards to manage the distribution efforts.
I took a quick trip to Jerusalem and tried to find standing space at the back of the hall to watch the proceedings. While Peter the Leader kept shouting “Quiet,” no one seemed to notice him. It took John the Amiable’s standing up and shouting with a shrill voice “Hello” for the people to be silent.
“No! We can’t do that to John; he’s so soft and gentle. Let’s be quiet, please.”
Then Peter put forth the idea of having dedicated men to oversee the distribution of items. I almost couldn’t believe these people were the first Christians; but anyway, they were the ones who ate the little boy’s bread and fish–one shouldn’t be surprised.
Everyone was down with Peter’s proposition and best of all, they loved the idea that they would be the ones to choose the 7 stewards. My 21st century mind did a quick list of traits to look out for in choosing the 7:
– Federal character (all tribes duly represented),
– Detribalisedness (not nepotic),
– Leadership experience,
– Clean records (not corrupt or greedy),
– Some training in Supply Chain or Transport management,
– Self management (keeping to time, can work under pressure, peace at home, etc),
– Physical stamina, etc.
But then, when they began to choose, my mouth dropped open.
First, everyone seemed to know what to look out for in the appropriate people. The crowd of a few minutes ago had become a united team! And what traits did they look out for?
– Faith,
– Full of the Holy Spirit,
– Full of God’s grace and power,
– Godly wisdom.
The resulting progress and growth experienced by the church were astounding.
Furthermore, the courses of the lives of the Seven were enviable, so to speak. Stephen became known as Stephen the Martyr; Philip became known as Philip the Evangelist (and his 4 daughters prophesied).
Wondering:
1) Why would they overlook the required job skills and go for just faith and the Holy Spirit?
2) How does one see faith and the Holy Spirit in a prospect? Is this still applicable in our days?
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