Les Feldick Bible Study

What happened to the Grecian widows in the early church?

The Grecian widows, non-Palestinian Jewish widows, were being cheated and pushed aside as outsiders. They were neglected in the daily ministration, the daily dole of food and clothing. When the twelve, with Peter as head, addressed the matter, they said it was not reasonable to leave the Word of God to serve tables.

Les explains that the Grecian widows were Jews who had been assimilated outside the land of Palestine for a generation or two. They had taken on the language and customs of the Gentile nations where they lived, although they kept their Judaistic practices. When they came to Jerusalem, they were called Grecians, meaning non-Palestinian Jews. These Grecian widows were being cheated, pushed aside, and treated as outsiders. They were neglected in the daily ministration, the daily dole of food and clothing they needed. The twelve, with Peter as the headman, were in control. They called the multitude of disciples and said it was not reasonable for them to leave the Word of God and serve tables. Les notes that some Bibles call these men the first deacons, but the Bible does not call them deacons, though they played much the same role.