Ethnic Prejudice Confronted - Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, Day 8

What does the Bible have to say about prejudice? What messages of love does God have for all the people and cultures He created? What opportunities does a diverse church of today have in a society still troubled by racism?

The two-week Fearfully and Wonderfully Made daily devotional—based on passages from the NKJV Modern Life Study Bible—will guide you through a series of Biblical excerpts focused on confronting ethnic prejudice. You'll walk through both the Old and New Testaments, discovering a tapestry of cultural connections throughout the historical richness of Scripture and learn about God's promises of love to those who face discrimination and prejudice. From the call of Abraham to the Samaritan woman at the well, find out how the God of Israel has shown himself to be the God of all tribes and nations.

Today’s reading is drawn from Acts 6:2-6.

The community of believers at Jerusalem was constantly growing and changing (Acts 1:15; 2:41, 47; 4:4, 32; 5:14). They experienced amazing unity (2:46; 4:32; 5:12), and their sacrificial generosity meant that their material needs were being met (2:45; 4:34, 36).

But a problem with feeding widows threatened to fracture this successful community (6:1). The underlying issue was less about meeting physical needs than simmering ethnic hostility between the Hebrews (Jews born in Judea and Galilee) and the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews born outside of Palestine). Hellenists were despised by many who considered them to be “contaminated” by Gentiles, but Hellenists responded to the gospel in large numbers. The clash could easily have destroyed the church or divided it into separate ethnic communities. But the apostles took steps to head off a crisis.

• They met face-to-face with the Hellenists (the powerful met with the powerless).
• They listened to complaints and acknowledged their legitimacy.
• They worked with the Hellenists to devise guidelines for godly leaders and chose seven whose names suggest they were from the Hellenist minority at Jerusalem.
• They approved and commissioned these new leaders by praying with them, laying their hands on them, and committing to work with them.
• They gave the new leaders authority over the distribution of food for widows.
• They shared power and resources and affirmed the dignity of the newly chosen leaders.


 The result was that “the word of God spread, and … multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (6:7).

 This devotional is drawn from the Modern Life Study Bible. Used by permission.