Acts 6:5 names Nicanor among the seven Hellenistic Jews appointed to oversee the daily distribution of food to widows in the Jerusalem church. The name, meaning 'conqueror' or 'victorious,' was common in the Hellenistic world. Though called to administer practical charity, the seven are required to be 'full of the Spirit and wisdom'—qualifications that blur the line between social service and spiritual leadership. Tradition sometimes calls these men the first deacons, though Acts doesn't use that term. Nicanor disappears from the biblical record after his appointment, but his selection testifies to the early church's commitment to unity across cultural divides and its recognition that serving tables is no less a ministry than preaching the word.