the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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THE MESSAGE
Acts 6:6
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Whom they set before the Apostles: and when they had praied, they layd their hands on them.
Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
They brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them [to dedicate and commission them for this service].
And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
And these they stood before the apostles, and after praying, they laid their hands on them.
They presented these seven to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
These men were brought to the apostles. Then the apostles prayed and placed their hands on the men to show that they had been chosen to do this work.
They presented these men to the emissaries, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
whom they set before the apostles; and, having prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Which they set before the Apostles: and they prayed, and layed their hands on them.
These men stood before the apostles: who, as they prayed, laid their hands on them.
The group presented them to the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.
whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed and placed their hands on them.
each of whom they made stand before the apostles. And having prayed, they placed their hands on them.
whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.
These they took to the Apostles, who, after prayer, put their hands on them.
whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.Acts 1:24; 8:17; 9:17; 13:3; 1 Timothy 4:14; 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:6;">[xr]
And these they set before the apostles: and while praying they laid upon them the hand.
These stood before the legates; and when they had prayed, they laid the hand on them.
These they set before the apostles: and whe they had prayed, they layde their handes on them.
whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Whom they set before the apostles, and having prayed, they laid their hands upon them.
These men they brought to the Apostles, and, after prayer, they laid their hands upon them.
Thei ordeyneden these bifor the siyt of apostlis, and thei preyeden, and leiden hoondis on hem.
whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid [their] hands on them.
They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.
whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
These men were taken to the missionaries. After praying, the missionaries laid their hands on them.
They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Whom they set before the Apostles, and, praying, they laid upon them their hands.
These they set before the apostles: and they praying, imposed hands upon them.
These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands upon them.
Which they set before the Apostles and they prayed and layde their hondes on them.
whom they did set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid on them [their] hands.
These they set before ye Apostles, and they prayed, and layed their handes vpon them.
these they presented to the apostles: who after prayer gave them imposition of hands.
These seven men presented themselves to the cowboys and the cowboys blessed them.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
when: Acts 1:24, Acts 8:17, Acts 9:17, Acts 13:3, 1 Timothy 4:14, 1 Timothy 5:22, 2 Timothy 1:6
Reciprocal: Genesis 48:14 - and laid Numbers 8:10 - General Numbers 27:18 - lay Deuteronomy 34:9 - Moses Luke 23:26 - a Cyrenian Acts 6:3 - whom Acts 19:6 - laid Hebrews 6:2 - laying
Cross-References
But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.
"I'm going to bring a flood on the Earth that will destroy everything alive under Heaven. Total destruction.
"But I'm going to establish a covenant with you: You'll board the ship, and your sons, your wife and your sons' wives will come on board with you. You are also to take two of each living creature, a male and a female, on board the ship, to preserve their lives with you: two of every species of bird, mammal, and reptile—two of everything so as to preserve their lives along with yours. Also get all the food you'll need and store it up for you and them."
And God did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people.
Yes, God will judge his people, but oh how compassionately he'll do it. When he sees their weakened plight and there is no one left, slave or free, He'll say, "So where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge, The gods who feasted on the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink-offerings? Let them show their stuff and help you, let them give you a hand!
"Oh, dear people, will you listen to me now? Israel, will you follow my map? I'll make short work of your enemies, give your foes the back of my hand. I'll send the God -haters cringing like dogs, never to be heard from again. You'll feast on my fresh-baked bread spread with butter and rock-pure honey."
class="poetry"> Come, let's shout praises to God , raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let's march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns, in the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean—he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! So come, let us worship: bow before him, on your knees before God , who made us! Oh yes, he's our God, and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds. Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks: "Don't turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, As on the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience. And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked! ‘Can't they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?' Exasperated, I exploded, ‘They'll never get where they're headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'"
God gave his word and he won't take it back: you're the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest. The Lord stands true at your side, crushing kings in his terrible wrath, Bringing judgment on the nations, handing out convictions wholesale, crushing opposition across the wide earth. The King-Maker put his King on the throne; the True King rules with head held high!
Tested in the Furnace of Affliction "And now listen to this, family of Jacob, you who are called by the name Israel: Who got you started in the loins of Judah, you who use God 's name to back up your promises and pray to the God of Israel? But do you mean it? Do you live like it? You claim to be citizens of the Holy City; you act as though you lean on the God of Israel, named God -of-the-Angel-Armies. For a long time now, I've let you in on the way I work: I told you what I was going to do beforehand, then I did it and it was done, and that's that. I know you're a bunch of hardheads, obstinate and flint-faced, So I got a running start and began telling you what was going on before it even happened. That is why you can't say, ‘My god-idol did this.' ‘My favorite god-carving commanded this.' You have all this evidence confirmed by your own eyes and ears. Shouldn't you be talking about it? And that was just the beginning. I have a lot more to tell you, things you never knew existed. This isn't a variation on the same old thing. This is new, brand-new, something you'd never guess or dream up. When you hear this you won't be able to say, ‘I knew that all along.' You've never been good listeners to me. You have a history of ignoring me, A sorry track record of fickle attachments— rebels from the womb. But out of the sheer goodness of my heart, because of who I am, I keep a tight rein on my anger and hold my temper. I don't wash my hands of you. Do you see what I've done? I've refined you, but not without fire. I've tested you like silver in the furnace of affliction. Out of myself, simply because of who I am, I do what I do. I have my reputation to keep up. I'm not playing second fiddle to either gods or people. "Listen, Jacob. Listen, Israel— I'm the One who named you! I'm the One. I got things started and, yes, I'll wrap them up. Earth is my work, handmade. And the skies—I made them, too, horizon to horizon. When I speak, they're on their feet, at attention. "Come everybody, gather around, listen: Who among the gods has delivered the news? I, God , love this man Cyrus, and I'm using him to do what I want with Babylon. I, yes I, have spoken. I've called him. I've brought him here. He'll be successful. Come close, listen carefully: I've never kept secrets from you. I've always been present with you." And now, the Master, God , sends me and his Spirit with this Message from God , your Redeemer, The Holy of Israel: "I am God , your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. Children and grandchildren are like sand, your progeny like grains of sand. There would be no end of them, no danger of losing touch with me." Get out of Babylon! Run from the Babylonians! Shout the news. Broadcast it. Let the world know, the whole world. Tell them, " God redeemed his dear servant Jacob!" They weren't thirsty when he led them through the deserts. He made water pour out of the rock; he split the rock and the water gushed. "There is no peace," says God , "for the wicked."
But they turned on him; they grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned on them, became their enemy and fought them.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Whom they set before the apostles,.... They did not barely nominate and propose them to them, but they brought them into their presence, and placed them before them, as the persons whom they had chosen, in order to be ordained by them.
And when they had prayed; for these seven men set before them, that they might appear to be richly qualified for this office, and might honourably and faithfully discharge it, to the peace of themselves, the advantage of the church, and the glory of God:
they laid their hands on them; that is, they ordained them, they installed them into their office, and invested them with it, using the rite or ceremony of laying on of hands, which was used by the apostles for the conferring of gifts, and in benedictions, and at the ordination of officers; and seems to be borrowed from the Jews, who used, it at the creation of doctors among them, and at the promotion of them to that dignity; and which they call סמיכה, or ordination by imposition of hands; though that rite was not looked upon to be essentially necessary: for so they say f,
"ordination or promotion to doctorship is not necessarily done, ביד, "by the hand", as Moses did to Joshua, but even
בדיבור, "by word" only; it was enough to say, I ordain thee, or be thou ordained or promoted.''
f Juchasin, fol. 60. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And when they had prayed - Invoking in this manner the blessing of God to attend them in the discharge of the duties of their office.
They laid their hands ... - Among the Jews it was customary to lay hands on the head of a person who was set apart to any particular office, Numbers 27:18; Compare Acts 8:19. This was done, not to impart any power or ability, but to “designate” that they received their authority or commission from those who thus laid their hands on them, as the act of laying hands on the sick by the Saviour was an act signifying that the power of healing came from him, Matthew 9:18; compare Mark 16:18. In such cases the laying on of the hands conveyed of itself no healing power, but was a sign or token that the power came from the Lord Jesus. Ordination has been uniformly performed in this way. See 1 Timothy 5:22. Though the seven deacons had been chosen by the church to this work, yet they derived their immediate commission and authority from the apostles.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 6:6. And when they had prayed — Instead of και, and, the Codex Bezae reads οιτινες, who, referring the act of praying to the apostles, which removes a sort of ambiguity. The apostles prayed for these persons, that they might in every respect be qualified for their office, and be made successful in it. And, when they had done this, they laid their hands upon them, and by this rite appointed them to their office. So then, it plainly appears that the choice of the Church was not sufficient: nor did the Church think it sufficient; but, as they knew their own members best, the apostles directed them, Acts 6:3, to choose those persons whom they deemed best qualified, according to the criterion laid down by the apostles themselves, that they should be of honest report, and full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Let us examine the process of this business:
1. There was an evident necessity that there should be more helpers in this blessed work
2. The apostles called the disciples together, that they might consider of this necessity and provide for it, Acts 6:3.
3. They directed the disciples to choose out from among themselves such persons as they judged the most proper for the work.
4. They gave them the criterion by which their choice should be directed; not any man, not every man, not their nearest relative, or best beloved friend; but such as were of honest report, whose public character was known to be unblemished; and men who were full of the Holy Ghost, the influence of which would keep all right within, and direct their hearts into all truth; and men who were known to be men of prudence and economy, for not every good and pious man may be proper for such a work.
5. Seven persons being chosen by the disciples, according to this criterion, are presented to the apostles for their approbation and confirmation.
6. The apostles, receiving them from the hands of the Church, consecrated them to God by prayer, imploring his blessing on them and their labour.
7. When this was done, they laid their hands upon them in the presence of the disciples, and thus appointed them to this sacred and important work; for it is evident they did not get their commission merely to serve tables, but to proclaim, in connection with and under the direction of the apostles, the word of life.
Let no man say that any of the things here enumerated was unnecessary, and let no Church pretend or affect to do without them.
1. No preacher or minister should be provided till there is a place for him to labour in, and necessity for his labour.
2. Let none be imposed upon the Church of Christ who is not of that Church, well known and fully approved by that branch of it with which he was connected.
3. Let none be sent to publish salvation from sin, and the necessity of a holy life, whose moral character cannot bear the strictest scrutiny among his neighbours and acquaintance.
4. Let none, however moral, or well reported of, be sent to convert souls, who has not the most solid reason to believe that he is moved thereto by the Holy Ghost.
5. Let those who have the power to appoint see that the person be a man of wisdom, i.e. sound understanding-for a witling or a blockhead, however upright, will never make a Christian minister; and that he be a man of prudence, knowing how to direct his own concerns, and those of the Church of God, with discretion.
6. Let no private person, nor number of private members in a Church, presume to authorize such a person, though in every way qualified to preach the Gospel; for even the one hundred and twenty primitive disciples did not arrogate this to themselves.
7. Let the person be brought to those to whom God has given authority in the Church, and let them, after most solemnly invoking God, lay their hands upon him, according to the primitive and apostolic plan, and thus devote him to the work of the ministry.
8. Let such a one from that moment consider himself the property of God and his Church, and devote all his time, talents, and powers, to convert sinners, and build up believers in their most holy faith.
9. And let the Church of God consider such a person as legitimately and divinely sent, and receive him as the ambassador of Christ.
