multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Having seen the church's struggles with its enemies, and triumphed with her in her victories, we now come to take a view of the administration of its affairs at home; and here we have,
I. An unhappy disagreement among some of the church members, which might have been of ill consequence, but was prudently accommodated and taken up in time; (v. 1.) When the number of the disciples (for so christians were at first called, learners of Christ) was multiplied to many thousands in Jerusalem, then arose a murmuring.
1. It does our hearts good to find that the number of the disciples is multiplied, as, no doubt, it vexed the priests and Sadducees to the heart to see it. The opposition that the preaching of the gospel met with, instead of checking its progress, contributed to the success of it; and this infant Christian church, like the infant Jewish church in Egypt, the more it was afflicted, the more it multiplied. The preachers were beaten, threatened, and abused, and yet the people received their doctrine, invited, no doubt, thereto, by their wonderful patience and cheerfulness under their trials, which convinced men that they were borne up and carried on by a better spirit than their own.
2. Yet it casts a damp upon us to find that the multiplying of the disciples proves an occasion of discord. Hitherto they were all with one accord; this had been often taken notice of to their honour; but now that they were multiplied, they began to murmur; as in the old world, when men began to multiply, they corrupted themselves. Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased their joy, Isa. 9. 3. When Abraham and Lot increased their families, there was a strife between their herdmen; so it was here; there arose a murmuring, not an open falling out, but a secret heart-burning.
(1.) The complainants were the Grecians, or Hellenists, against the Hebrews. The Jews that were scattered in Greece, and other parts, who ordinarily spake the Greek tongue, and read the Old Testament in the Greek version, and not the original Hebrew, many of which, being at Jerusalem at the feast, embraced the faith of Christ, and were added to the church, and so continued there; these complained against the Hebrews, the native Jews, that used the original Hebrew of the Old Testament. Some of each of these became christians, and, it seems, their joint-embracing of the faith of Christ did not prevail, as it ought to have done, to extinguish the little jealousies they had had one of another before their conversion, but they retained some what of that old leaven; not understanding, or not remembering, that in Christ Jesus there is neither Greek nor Jew, no distinction of Hebrew and Hellenist, but all are alike welcome to Christ, and should be, for his sake, dear to one another.
(2.) The complaint of these Grecians, was, that their widows were neglected in the daily administration, that is, in the distribution of the public charity, and the Hebrew widows had more care taken of them. Observe, The first contention in the christian church was about a money-matter; but it is pity that the little things of this world should be make-baits among those that profess to be taken up with the great things of another world. A great deal of money was gathered for the relief of the poor, but, as often happens in such cases, it was impossible to please every body in the laying of it out. The apostles, at whose feet it was laid, did their best to dispose of it so as to answer the intentions of the donors, and, no doubt, designed to do it with the utmost impartiality, and were far from respecting the Hebrews more than the Grecians; and yet here they are complained to, and implicitly complained of, that the Grecian widows were neglected; though they were as real objects of charity, yet they had not so much allowed them, or not to so many, or not so duly paid them, as the Hebrews. Now, [1.] Perhaps this complaint was groundless and unjust, and there was no cause for it; but those who, upon any account, lie under disadvantages, (as the Grecian Jews did, in comparison with them that were Hebrews of the Hebrews,) are apt to be jealous that they are slighted, when really they are not so; and it is the common fault of poor people, that, instead of being thankful for what is given them, they are querulous and clamorous, and apt to find fault that more is not given them, or that more is given to others, than to them; and there are envy and covetousness, those roots of bitterness, to be found among the poor as well as among the rich, notwithstanding the humbling providences they are under, and should accommodate themselves to. But, [2.] We will suppose there might be some occasion for their complaint. First, Some suggest, that though their other poor were well provided for, yet their widows were neglected, because the managers governed themselves by an ancient rule which the Hebrews observed, that a widow was to be maintained by her husband's children. See 1 Tim. 5. 4. But, Secondly, I take it, that the widows are here put for all the poor, because many of them that were in the church-book, and received alms, were widows, who were well provided for by the industry of their husbands while they lived, but were reduced to straits when they were gone. As those that have the administration of public justice ought in a particular manner to protect widows from injury, (Isa. 1. 17. Luke 18. 3.) so those that have the administration of public charity ought in a particular manner to provide for widows what is necessary. See 1 Tim. 5. 3. And observe, the widows here, and the other poor, had a daily ministration; perhaps they wanted forecast, and could not save for hereafter, and therefore the managers of the fund, in kindness to them, gave them day by day their daily bread; they lived from hand to mouth. Now, it seems, the Grecian widows were, comparatively, neglected; perhaps those that disposed of the money considered that there was more brought into the fund by the rich Hebrews than was by the rich Grecians, who had not estates to sell, as the Hebrews had, and therefore the poor Grecians should have less out of the fund; this, though there was some tolerable reason for it, they thought hard and unfair. Note, In the best ordered church in the world there will be something amiss, some mal-administration or other, some grievances, or at least some complaints; they are the best, that have the least and fewest.
II. The happy accommodating of this matter, and the expedient pitched upon for the taking away of the cause of this murmuring. The apostles had hitherto the directing of the matter, applications were made to them, and appeals in case of grievances; they we obliged to employ persons under them, who did not take all the care they might have taken, nor were so well fortified as they should have been against temptations to partiality; and therefore some persons must be chosen to manage this matter, who have more leisure to attend it than the apostles had, and were better qualified for the trust than those whom the apostles employed were. Now observe,
1. How the method was proposed by the apostles; They called the multitude of the disciples unto them, the heads of the congregations of christians in Jerusalem, the principal leading men. The twelve themselves would not determine any thing without them, for in multitude of counsellors there is safety;
