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Acts 6:1-3
It is not without validity that most of our impressions or beliefs about our family, close friends, and acquaintances automatically involve knowledge about their character as a part of their reputation. Obviously, our interactions give us insight to these people's characters and reputations, whether our perceptions are true or false. Those who know us best will see any growth of character or lack of it. Even so, some can have blind spots in relation to a particular person (for instance, a mother may ignore her son's flaws), or the person may have a talent for concealing their shortcomings, even from those closest to them.
We see a positive side of this in Acts 6:1-3, where the apostles tell the church to choose seven men to become deacons. One of the criteria was that these men were to be "of good reputation," which translates from the Greek word martureo, meaning "to be a witness, that is, to testify (literally or figuratively)." The KJV also renders martureo as "give [evidence]," "bear record," "obtain a good honest report," "be well reported of."
These men were to show evidence of God's Spirit and wisdom in their lives, a combination of a good name as well as growth in character. It is interesting that, because they knew them best, the people were to select these men according to their character.
Staff
Our Reputation, Our CharacterRelated Topics: Blindspots | Character | Character, God's | Deacons | God's Character | God's Holy Spirit | God's Holy Spirit, Evidence of | Godlike Characteristics | Godly Character | Godly Character, Evidence of | Martureo | Name, Value of | Reputation | Spiritual Blindspots | Spiritual Character | Spiritual Wisdom | Wisdom, Godly | Wisdom, Spiritual | Witness | Witness, Quality ofOther Forerunner Commentary entries containing Acts 6:1:
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What Does Acts 6:1 Mean?
In relation to Acts 6:1, where a complaint arose among the multiplying disciples about the neglect of Hellenist widows in daily distribution, the selection of deacons highlights the importance of character and reputation. The apostles instructed the church to choose seven men of good reputation, a term derived from the Greek word "martureo," meaning to bear witness or testify. These men needed to demonstrate evidence of God's Spirit and wisdom in their lives, reflecting both a good name and growth in character. The community, knowing these individuals best, was tasked with selecting them based on their observed qualities to address such communal concerns effectively.