The early Christian community grew rapidly. The twelve apostles and other adherents of the faith were so filled with inspiration that they attracted great numbers of men and women to join them in worshiping God according to the teaching of Christ Jesus. It was not long after the Master's ascension that the congregation reached such proportions that the Twelve could not carry out by themselves all the duties of preaching, teaching, distributing charity to the poor, and taking care of all the other necessary work connected with the group. Moreover, there were complaints of unfairness in the distribution of charity, accentuating the differences between Greek-speaking and Aramaic-speaking Christians.
Finally, the Twelve appealed to the other members of the Jerusalem church to elect officers from their midst who could take over some of the organizational work. They explained the situation and said, "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom."Acts 6:3; Then, it is related, "the saying pleased the whole multitude" and they held an election. Among others who are not now so well remembered, they chose Stephen, the man described in the Bible as "full of faith and of the Holy Ghost," and Philip, who left for us an example of an alert Christian missionary. (It was he who responded to the divine Spirit and so eloquently expounded the teaching of Christ Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch that he accepted it and was baptized. See Acts 8:26-38.)
Could we say this was the forerunner of the elections that take place in this century in all branch Churches of Christ, Scientist? It was democratically and prayerfully undertaken, as today's should be. In many respects it is a model for contemporary action.
