We are about to appoint deacons in our congregation and only the men will be voting on the nominees. The scripture referred to is in Acts 6:1-6 where the brothers are asked to choose seven men from among them. The Greek word used there for brothers (adelphoi) is the same as that used in Acts 1:15 where it says "Peter stood up among the believers" -- referring to both men and women. So as I read the scriptures, women should also be allowed to help choose deacons, but perhaps I am missing something of the context. Please help! -- Susan Davis (Long Island, New York)
Since Acts 1:15 follows on verse 14, where the gathered group includes women, I would conclude that there were women present in Acts 1:15. That would explain why some translations render the Greek noun as "believers," although really this is not correct. "Brothers," or possibly "brothers and sisters" would be more accurate. Either way, however, it is not clear whether the women in Acts 1 were involved in the decision-making process, and I would guess the same is true in Acts 6.
The solution to your question has less to do with the Greek than with interpretation. Clearly in Acts 1 a male apostle was sought. Also, it is noteworthy that women were being overlooked in Acts 6, yet men were sought to remedy the situation. All I am saying is that it's difficult to prove the point one way or the other.
How you proceed is a local decision.
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