The Church was just about three decades old when we come upon an amazing account of great gospel expansion. The scene begins with the good news of disciples increasing in number, but conflict was close at hand as a “complaint by the Greek-speaking Jews arose.” You may remember that the breakdown in the distribution of food among widows in Acts 6:1 is the precipitating issue for this rising conflict. The Apostles receive guidance from the Holy Spirit that the congregation is to select seven men to handle this important situation (v. 3), leaving them to focus on their vital pastoral work of “prayer and the ministry of the Word” (v. 4). What is a 6:3 Disciple?

A Portrait of a “6:3 Disciple”

These seven were unquestionably to be “men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” Many commentators believe this was the beginning of a deacon-type ministry, which certainly could be the case. Yet, the operative word here is disciple. In fact, this is the first place the word disciple is used in Acts—three times in verses 6:1, 2, and 7. And what is emphasized is that the perceived character of who they are was more important than what they were called to do. Appropriately, we might point to Acts 6:3 as a clarifying description of what a maturing and growing follower of Jesus (a disciple) looks like within the context of a praying church.

A disciple (the Greek word is mathetes, and occurs over 260 times in the New Testament) is a learner, a student, an apprentice, or a practitioner. Acts 6:3 challenges and inspires. “Here is the target,” it seems to imply. These people who walked with God in such a way were positioned to be greatly used by Him. They became an essential part of the vital “root system” God was growing in the early church to produce supernatural “fruit” for the Kingdom of God (6:7).

These were the very people Jesus anticipated that the Gospel would produce. To “make disciples” is the “job” Jesus left us to do (Matthew 28:18-20). What is the standard? And how do we do that?^[1]

The Standard of a 6:3 Disciple

Those who apprentice under Christ will, in time, take on His character. Acts 6:3 gives us a portrait of the standard of who a disciple of Jesus is. While much more could be mined from these verses, here’s a summary of the three core distinctives that Acts 6:3 gives as the standard of a disciple of Christ.

Those who apprentice under Christ will, in time, take on His character. Acts 6:3 gives us a portrait of the standard of who a disciple of Jesus is.

A Heartfelt Commitment to Exemplary Living – a “good reputation.”

Something obvious caused these specific men to stand out among the thousands of believers in the early church. Maybe they were known for their honesty and hard work, for loving others, caring for their family, or sharing Christ with the lost. In any case, their testimony was vital and healthy—and evident!—at this moment in the life of the early church.

The Greek word translated “good reputation” (martureo) means “bearing witness; one who gains approval; spoken well of; distinctive living.” This refers to observed behavior and speech. Advocacy for this understanding is found in Philippians 2:14-16.

“Do all things without complaining or arguments; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world…”

A Humble Submission to the Holy Spirit – “full of the Spirit.”

The seven to be identified in Acts 6:3 were to be believers empowered and driven by the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8). This goes to their internal attitudes and motivations. For example, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Among the seven men selected were Stephen and Philip, whose stories of powerful preaching, evangelism, and even martyrdom are revealed further in Acts.

A Hunger for Godly Wisdom – “full of wisdom.”

“Wisdom” is derived from the Greek word sophia. Wisdom literally means, “skill for living well.” It is, simply, truth applied to life. These seven were marked by being people of understanding and peace, likely known for their proven insight, judicious decision making, and prudent, biblically informed, godly choices bringing vitality and well-being into any situation. James suggests,

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17-18).

Maturing, growing disciples of Jesus Christ look like this: People of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. This speaks to obvious fruitfulness grown from authentic, God-dependent roots.

Maturing, growing disciples of Jesus Christ look like this: People of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. This speaks to obvious fruitfulness grown from authentic, God-dependent roots.

Roots Produce Fruits

Jesus articulates the plan, the objective, and the expected outcome of His Great Commission (Matthew 28). Very soon, His Spirit would arrive in a new way to indwell believers. Those very believers began to live out, in visible “presence,” the directing of God’s empowering and indwelling Spirit (Acts 2, especially vv. 42-47). The expansion of the visible impact of His early church both engages and enrages the surrounding culture. Controversies and conflicts begin to appear (Acts 3-6:1). Finally, the Apostles establish the standard. They describe the character of a maturing disciple (Acts 6:3) and the priority for those who will lead and nurture them (Acts 6:4). For their part, leaders will continue to devote themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

People seriously full of and directed by God’s Spirit, informed by and living out the mind and wisdom of God declared in Scripture, will grow strong roots for revival. They will correctly position their churches to eagerly await God acting—in His time and in His way—to bring His fruits of awakening with exponential and supernatural impact. Those maturing 6:3 disciples, in the early days in Jerusalem, saw these results of their partnership with eager and focused 6:4 leaders:

“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).

People seriously full of and directed by God’s Spirit, informed by and living out the mind and wisdom of God declared in Scripture, will grow strong roots for revival.

Take special note of these three fruitful outcomes:

• The Word of God increased (ever-greater influence).
• The disciples multiplied (vs. “added” – cf. Acts 2:41, 2:47, 5:14).
• A great many of the priests came to faith in Christ (these were His enemies)!

Aren’t these the outcomes for which we hope and pray? Genuine, maturing 6:3 disciples, with their serving hands and their faithful hearts, will see God act. To say it another way, 6:4 leaders who raise up and partner with 6:3 disciples forge the vital root system that can lead to the fruit of 6:7 awakening. In other words, 6:4 + 6:3 = 6:7. May this be true of the Church today!

Copyright © 2024 Daniel Henderson, Len Crowley, and Justin Jeppesen. All rights reserved.

^[1] The 6:3 Discipleship arm of Strategic Renewal and The 6:4 Fellowship has developed a “how-to” pathway, resources, and Guideposts, including coaching and small group curriculum, for the journey to 6:3 maturity. Refer to 63discipleship.com to learn more.