hellenists and hebrews

i haven't had much to say. i know... it's a miracle. =) but, my mind has been so overwhelmed with thoughts of what lies ahead and of visions of africa. it's been hard to think about how to clearly communicate anything effectively at all. but... today i will attempt to being writing again.

last night i spoke with my high school students about division/unity within the church. we looked into the book of Acts and were able to spend some time discussing the early church and their issues with division.

in acts, we see two types of believers mentioned. one, the Hebrews, are believers coming from the Jewish line. they adhere to Jewish tradition, customs, language, and culture. the other, the Hellenists, are Gentiles, saved beneath the traditions and culture of the Greeks. and there is division. in fact, we read in acts 6:1 that the Hellenists are a bit upset that the church is neglecting "their widows" in the daily food distribution. well, here is where it gets interesting.

if you look at the 12 apostles... they are all Hebrew names. these 12 men... the leaders of the early church all come from one side of the fence, if you will. and the Hellenists are a bit disturbed. so... the apostles... the 12... the Hebrews... choose among them 7 men to appoint as administrators in the early church. this is done so that no one would be neglected.

but the 12 do something very intentional. the 7 they appoint are all Hellenists. not one of them is Jewish in background. reading through acts 6 you can see each name is greek. very clever. =) and also a very intentional way to bring about equality and unity within the church. they were wise in seeking to bridge the gap. i love it.

interestingly enough.... as you read further, stephen (one of the 7 Hellenists appointed as administrators), ends up before the Jewish council and ends up being stoned (acts 7). and yet, peter and john(Hebrews of course) end up before the same council and end up being freed (acts 4). the division continues.

both before the same court, both adhering to the same testimony, both proclaiming to the same witness... Jesus is Lord... one is freed, the other is stoned.

ah, can you imagine belivers in the early church? they must have seen that there was a line. if you were Hebrew, you were somehow better, more holy... chosen. if just a Gentile... well....

and here Jesus prayed so specifically, so intensely, that we would be united and unified (john 17).
that we might seek to live lives beyond oursleves and seek to honor Christ by living at peace with one another... that will be our finest hour.

during the last supper, Jesus told His disciples that the greatest commandment was for them to love one another. He was speaking to believers. He was in a room, sharing a meal with His closest friends and telling them to love one another. This is the Gospel. Oftentimes, we find it incredibly easy to love the lost... but fail at loving those within the church.

hmmm... i wonder at Jesus' repsonse to our behavior. it must be gracious.