<p>6:2 <i>And the twelve summoned</i>- The appointment of a successor to Judas was therefore apparently acceptable. But it has to be noted that &quot;the twelve&quot; as a group play no further significant role in Luke's account of the early church.</p>
<p><i>The full number of the disciples to them</i>- Literally, 'the multitude', a reference to how the coverts had multiplied (:1 s.w.).</p>
<p><i>And said, It is not fitting that we should</i>- The same Greek word translated &quot;pleased&quot; in :5. The attitude of the twelve matched that of the crowd of converts.</p>
<p><i>Forsake the teaching of the word</i>- The Greek says just &quot;the word of God&quot;, but from :4 it is clear that we are required to read in an ellipsis. God's word is here put for the teaching of it. If God has spoken, and we accept the Bible as His word, then we are thereby obligated to speak it forth (cp. Am. 3:8). The twelve were very sensitive to the way in which administrative issues and addressing petty divisions can hinder the proclamation of God's word; and time and again, this has sadly happened in communities since. But they refused to be side-tracked.</p>
<p><i>And instead handle finances</i>- Gk. 'serve at tables'. The reference could be to literally serving food. But the Greek for 'tables' is also translated 'bank' with allusion to the tables of bankers. Whichever translation we prefer, the point is that they considered that their teaching of the word was far more important than any practical issue relating to welfare. So often, missions become so focused upon the provision of welfare that the teaching of the word is side-lined; the discussion and energy is all about how and what kind of food to provide in a soup kitchen, rather than teaching the word to the folks who come along. The utter primacy of the teaching of God's word is here clearly established.</p>