 Their appointment is described in chapter 6 of the Acts of the Apostles ().According to a later tradition they are supposed to have also been among the Seventy Disciples who appear in the Gospel of Luke ().Although the Seven are not called 'deacons' in the New Testament, their role is described as 'diaconal' ("διακονειν τραπεζαις" in Greek), and they are therefore often regarded as the forerunners of the Christian order of deacons.