To overlook or neglect — used for the dangerous pastoral failure in Acts 6 when Hellenistic widows were being passed over in the daily food distribution.
The Greek paratheōreō (from para, beside/past + theōreō, to look/observe) means to look past, overlook, or fail to notice — with the implication of neglect. It appears once in the NT: Acts 6:1, in the crisis that gave birth to the diaconate: 'the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked (paretheorounto) in the daily distribution of food.' This neglect — likely unintentional but structurally embedded — prompted the apostles to appoint seven deacons.
The paratheōreō of Acts 6:1 is the origin story of diaconal ministry. A structural oversight — Greek-speaking widows being overlooked in food distribution — threatened to fracture the young church along ethnic lines. The apostles' response was not to ignore it or moralize it away but to reorganize: appoint Spirit-filled, wise servants to ensure equitable care. This is the theology of administration as ministry: proper structure prevents paratheōreō from becoming injustice. The seven deacons (including Stephen and Philip) became key figures in the book of Acts — proving that practical service and prophetic witness belong together.