“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” (Acts 6:1)
After the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Peter and the other eleven apostles came to preach. At that time, many people repented and believed in the Lord, and they shared their goods with each other. As the number of followers increased, the Greek-speaking Jewish widows were ignored and their daily needs were not met. The Greek-speaking Jews complained to the church about this matter.
The situation of widows in ancient times was difficult. In Jewish society at that time, women were not even allowed to go out to work. After losing their husbands, widows would lose their source of income if they did not have other family members to help them. These widows either chose to remarry, or they needed to live on the gifts of the synagogue because in the Bible the Lord commanded the Jewish people to take care of the widows.
Although there were more disciples at the time, it was not only the Greek-speaking Jews who had widows, but there were widows among the Jewish people who spoke Hebrew. However, they were treated differently by the church in Jerusalem. The widows who spoke Greek were neglected, but the widows who spoke Hebrew were not.
One of the important reasons for the disparity in treatment was that the Hebraic Jews were responsible to supply and distribute the aid. These people would naturally feel closer to the Hebrew-speaking widows, but for those who spoke Greek, due to language and lifestyle differences, they would naturally feel some distance and cultural strangeness. It was precisely because of these distances that the church in Jerusalem ignored the widows who spoke Greek.
There are also many brothers and sisters in the church today who need our special care, not only their physical needs but also spiritual. Among these people, we are inevitably close to some and may feel estranged from others. Although they all need to be cared for, there are often cases of deferential treatment when we are caring for them. We may take special care of those with whom we are close, but we may show less concern to strangers, or even ignore their needs.
Christians may also neglect to love these strangers. Their love is not only incomplete, but the neglect is also inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible. Even selfish tax collectors can love those who love them. If Christians can only do this, how can they conform to God's will and receive God's reward? The Bible clearly teaches us to love our enemies, not to mention those brothers and sisters who are in special situations. If we want to truly follow God's teachings, we should not only care about those brothers and sisters to whom we are close, but also care about those brothers and sisters who are not so close to us.
(Note: The author is a full-time co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
使徒行传灵修系列：让爱不要出现差别
那时，门徒增多，有说希腊话的犹太人向希伯来人发怨言，因为在天天的供给上忽略了他们的寡妇。（使徒行传6:1）
五旬节圣灵降临之后，彼得跟其余十一个使徒起来讲道，当时很多人悔改信主，他们过上了凡物公用的共享生活。随着门徒的增多，耶路撒冷的教会却在天天的供给上忽略了说希腊话的犹太人寡妇，以致于说希腊话的犹太人向教会埋怨此事。
寡妇在以前古代的处境都是非常艰难的，当时的犹太社会甚至不允许妇女出去工作，所以寡妇在失去丈夫之后，若没有家人在身边，就会失去生活的来源。这些寡妇要么选择再嫁，不然就需要靠会堂的救济生活，因为圣经命令以色列人要照顾寡妇。
虽然当时门徒增多了，但不是只有说希腊话的犹太人有寡妇，说希伯来话的犹太人同样也有寡妇。可是耶路撒冷的教会在天天的供给上却出现了差别的待遇，忽略了说希腊话的寡妇，而说希伯来话的寡妇却没有出现这种情况。
之所以会出现这种差别待遇的情况，有一个很重要的原因是当时负责供给的是耶路撒冷教会，而这些人都是说希伯来话的犹太人。那这些人很自然跟说希伯来话的寡妇关系会更加亲近一些，而对于那些说希腊话的寡妇因为语言及生活习惯等问题，自然会产生一些隔阂与陌生感。正是因为这些关系远近的缘故，造成耶路撒冷的教会在天天供给上忽略了那些说希腊话的寡妇。
现今的教会中也同样存在许多需要特别关心照顾的弟兄姊妹，不仅有物质层面的，还有属灵层面的。在这些人当中，有些人与自己的关系难免会亲近一些，有些难免会疏远一些。虽然他们都一样需要被关怀照顾，可是我们在关怀这些弟兄姊妹的时候，往往也会出现差别待遇的情况。那些跟自己亲近一些的，或者对自己比较好的弟兄姊妹，则会特别去关怀照顾对方。对于那些较为陌生，或者关系不亲近的弟兄姊妹，就会减少对他们的关怀与照顾，甚至更多是忽略了他们的需要。
虽然每个基督徒都有可能出现忽略爱那些陌生人的情况，但是这种爱不仅不完全，更是不符合圣经的教导。因为这种爱，连那些自私自利的税吏都能做到，那作为基督徒若是跟他们一样，那如何能符合神的心意，得着神的奖赏。圣经很明确的教导要爱自己的仇敌，更何况那些处在特殊景况中的弟兄姊妹们，岂不是更应该去关心照顾对方。我们要真正的遵行神的教导，就不仅要关心照顾那些与自己关系亲近的弟兄姊妹，同样也要关心照顾那些与自己关系不那么亲近的弟兄姊妹。
（注：本文作者为福建一基层教会全职同工）
“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” (Acts 6:1)
After the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, Peter and the other eleven apostles came to preach. At that time, many people repented and believed in the Lord, and they shared their goods with each other. As the number of followers increased, the Greek-speaking Jewish widows were ignored and their daily needs were not met. The Greek-speaking Jews complained to the church about this matter.
The situation of widows in ancient times was difficult. In Jewish society at that time, women were not even allowed to go out to work. After losing their husbands, widows would lose their source of income if they did not have other family members to help them. These widows either chose to remarry, or they needed to live on the gifts of the synagogue because in the Bible the Lord commanded the Jewish people to take care of the widows.
Although there were more disciples at the time, it was not only the Greek-speaking Jews who had widows, but there were widows among the Jewish people who spoke Hebrew. However, they were treated differently by the church in Jerusalem. The widows who spoke Greek were neglected, but the widows who spoke Hebrew were not.
One of the important reasons for the disparity in treatment was that the Hebraic Jews were responsible to supply and distribute the aid. These people would naturally feel closer to the Hebrew-speaking widows, but for those who spoke Greek, due to language and lifestyle differences, they would naturally feel some distance and cultural strangeness. It was precisely because of these distances that the church in Jerusalem ignored the widows who spoke Greek.
There are also many brothers and sisters in the church today who need our special care, not only their physical needs but also spiritual. Among these people, we are inevitably close to some and may feel estranged from others. Although they all need to be cared for, there are often cases of deferential treatment when we are caring for them. We may take special care of those with whom we are close, but we may show less concern to strangers, or even ignore their needs.
Christians may also neglect to love these strangers. Their love is not only incomplete, but the neglect is also inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible. Even selfish tax collectors can love those who love them. If Christians can only do this, how can they conform to God's will and receive God's reward? The Bible clearly teaches us to love our enemies, not to mention those brothers and sisters who are in special situations. If we want to truly follow God's teachings, we should not only care about those brothers and sisters to whom we are close, but also care about those brothers and sisters who are not so close to us.
(Note: The author is a full-time co-worker of a grassroots church in Fujian.)
- Translated by Abigail Wu
Acts' Devotional Series: Let Love Be Same To Others
