6:3
The ESV has “brothers” with a footnote of “brothers and sisters”, the NIV goes straight to “brothers and sisters”. It would be nice to know if, given the cultural context, they addressed both the men and the women, or just the men here. I suspect that it was both, but that is just a thought. However, they were instructed to select seven men who would have responsibility for the matter. So the Twelve delegated the problem. They were told the qualities that the men were to possess. They were to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. So the Twelve did not try to micromanage the matter.
6:4
In the meantime, the apostles would dedicate themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. Now we know from reading acts that this did not mean them going into a monastery! But they would focus on what they were chosen for. Nor does it mean that the seven were inferior nor devoid of spiritual acumen. The qualities the seven were to have made this clear, and when we get to see who the seven were, and what happened to two of them, this is even more clear.
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