Acts 6:5-8 Deacons? Leaders in the word?

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  I just ask that you pray for my family as I pray for your family. Blessings.

  Yesterday we stopped at the first of verse 5 "and the saying pleased the whole multitude:"

   So the people are pleased with this decision. Now the rest of Act 6:  ⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

   Now, the men they chose as deacons are listed -- Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. 

   Only Stephen and Philip are discussed in much detail in Acts; tradition provides nothing further about Nicanor or Parmenas. Stephen became the first martyr of the church when he was killed by a mob, and whose death was agreed to by Saul of Tarsus, the future Apostle Paul.

  It is interesting to note that the scripture describes Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit.  The others little is known.  Philip will be seen in the later chapters.  Prochorus was thought to be kind of a secretary to John the Baptist and Bishop of Nicomedia and later martyred at Antioch.

  Nicolas is listed as a proselyte from Antioch, there is some speculation that he was the founder of the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6,15; yet there is not great evidence to substantiate this.

  What happened to Nicanor, Timon, and Parmenas?  Well, we don't know, but obviously they were important at that time and we might well assume they continued with the word. Look at the following verses:

These men were set before the apostles and, well, read: ⁶ Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

  So these men are now anointed with the spirit.  Since they were anointed, now what?  Are there any results?  Ohhhh, yeah---- ⁷ And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

   And what?  word of God increased for one; two-number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem; and three - a great company of the priest were what?  what?  YES,    OBEDIENT TO THE FAITH!!!

   Next comes a good thing, yet deplorable as an end result.  The good thing is:  ⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

   Tomorrow we will go into the deplorable; but Stephen was good, full of faith, power, and doing wonders and miracles among the people for GOD'S GLORY!  YEA!!!

  Thank you for reading today. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny