In Acts chapter 6, the Apostles had to deal
with a practical problem in the infant church. Jews had come from
all over the world to the feast at Pentecost. The Lord God then brought
more than 3000 people to saving faith in His Son Jesus. But with
great spiritual blessing, also came real practical problems. All
these new believers were far from home, short on resources and many
needed food and covering. Some Christians began selling off their
property and putting it at the Apostle’s feet to help meet these
practical needs.
However, a dispute arose when the Hellinistic Jews complained
that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of
food. The Apostles responded that it was not good for them to
neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer to wait on tables. The
Apostles told the congregation to choose out seven men, full of the
holy Spirit and gave them the responsibility of tending to the needs
of the poor. Thus was constituted what most commentators believe to
be the first Deacon Board.
Acts 6 not only gives us the example of the
office of Deacon, but also provides a case law example of how the
office is to function. By analyzing the specifics of Acts chapter 6,
we can gain much insight into what the office is and how it is to
function. First of all, note that the Apostles themselves decided
not to get personally involved in this ministry. This was not an
assertion that they were too important for practical ministry but
rather an example of the importance of the division of labor. The
Apostles simply borrowed directly from the management policies
Jethro advised when he insisted Moses delegate responsibility. Time
and resources are finite. God’s people are called to be good
stewards of both. The Apostles had been entrusted with the
responsibility of the Great Commission. If they spent all their time
and energy on sorting out the distribution of food, they would not
have time to preach and teach and establish the Church. Only they
could do what they were doing. But others could organize the
resources of the Church to do other ministries.
The ministry of Deacons in Presbyterian polity
is to care for the physical well-being of the Church, even as the
Elders care for their spiritual needs. It is not a second class
office, though it is a subordinate one. Deacons are to be godly,
practical men of Biblical wisdom who are entrusted with the
responsibility of meeting physical human needs.
Secondly, the Deacons main responsibility was
the poor. Widows in ancient Israel had no social security programs,
no insurance policies, no retirement plans. If the husband died,
often his property might be assumed by another member of the family.
When such widows embraced Christ, their families often rejected
them, thus excluding them from the only source of financial support
they had. Thus widows were poor, in the Biblical sense, because they
lacked the very necessity of life. They did not have food or
covering (1 Tim 6: ). It was not just they didn’t have a nice home,
car, lovely clothes, two TV’s or their kids could not get into the
best colleges. They were destitute. This ministry was not a new
addition to the Church, but continued the ministry of the Levites in
Old Testament Law. Like Deacons, Levites were responsible for
distributing portions of the tithe to meet the needs of the
poor.
Thirdly, it is assumed that the family bears
the primary responsibility for caring for charitable needs. Widows
by definition have no family. Thus the Church stepped in only when
the family could not assume their responsibilities. Yet in the
normal course of events, families took care of their own. This
worked against an impersonal bureaucracy siphoning off limited
assets to maintain itself. It also prevents sinful creatures abusing
what is supposed to be a ministry to the needy.
Fourthly, notice that the poor were worthy
poor. These were not women who were spending their social security
checks playing bingo. They were ministering to the needs of the
saints, not living a profligate lifestyle (cf. 1 Tim 5:1ff). Thus
the charity of the early church was not indiscriminate. Just because
someone had a need did not mean they had a legitimate claim against
God or His Church. Their need had to result from no fault of their
own. The early church did not subsidize sin.
Fifthly, the poor were Christians. There were
many poor widows in early Israel. The Church did not automatically
assume responsibility for every poor person. The Church’s primary
responsibility was to take care of their own and the first Deacon
board was constituted to meet their needs, not to develop a social
action program for Israel.
Sixthly, notice the means by which the poor
were provided for. Rich Christians sold their property and laid it
at the Apostles feet. Some have concluded that therefore the early
social policies of the Church were socialist or even Communist. The
question immediately arises what would have happened when all the rich had sold
all their property? Once the capital is gone, the poor are still
with you but you no longer have any property left to sell. What
happens then? But remember, Jesus had specifically prophesied that
Israel and her temple were soon to be destroyed. Jerusalem
Christians were thus not communists but really acting as good little
capitalists using “insider trading” to rid themselves of assets that
in the near future would be worthless. But they were also Christian
capitalists, using the proceeds for the glory of God and the
extension of the kingdom. It is quite probable that the rich also
sold their other property, kept the capital gains and then
reinvested it in other cities.
Finally, the Church’s response to the need was
to organize a specific ministry to deal with this problem. While
private charity is assumed to have been a normal part of the
Christian life, in order to meet a specific need, there had to be an
organized ministry.
Needy people were being overlooked in the distribution of
food. Now there is no evidence that this was deliberate, it may have
been simply a result of poor organization. There were lots of needy
Christians and perhaps the system was just inadequate for the job.
Men were chosen who were godly, spiritual, good managers to
administer the program. The worthy, Christian poor have genuine
needs and a slap happy, irresponsible approach is not
acceptable.
Thus the diaconal ministry of Lakeside Church,
if it is to function biblically and achieve God’s blessing must be
structured according to these (and other) principles. It is a vital
ministry that is a normal part of a Church. Even as the Lord Jesus
ministered to the poor, so also do we have the privilege and honor
to stand for him in this day.
The problem comes, not just in understanding
the principles, but in practically applying them into modern day
situations. I am going to make a radical statement that will
undoubtedly cause some people to become quite upset at me. But,
quite frankly, in most situations, it is my assessment that the
average Church does not see many people who meet the above
qualifications. We live in a culture that has been greatly blessed
by two thousand years of Christian influence. That influence is now
sadly almost gone. But the result is that no one in America has to
go to bed hungry and no one has to go naked. The public outrage
against homelessness in America is a media fantasy. The overwhelming
number of the “homeless” in America are either drug addicts,
alcoholics or mentally unstable people who in earlier decades were
hospitalized in state institutions. Liberal outrage in the seventies
(and declining state revenues) closed most of the state institutions
and forced these people out on the street. They are homeless,
because their families refuse to support aberrant, nonproductive
lifestyles. Meanwhile, the State steps in, at great expense and
administers a welfare system that subsidizes evil and destroys the
economy.
There are not as many deserving, worthy poor,
as we may think. Most Christians live responsible lives.
Accordingly, they are blessed by being able to take care of their
own needs. By God’s grace, some Christians will be afflicted by His
sovereign hand. It is these people who have first call on the
ministry of Deacons. However, the vast majority of people who ask
the Church for help do not meet the criteria listed in Acts 6. As a
pastor who normally has had an office in a Church building, I am
used to people dropping in on a regular basis asking for help. They
need gas money for their cars, they say they have no place to sleep,
they are hungry and ask for charity. But never have they been
members of my Church (or any other church). Never are they living
responsible lives (they often smell of tobacco or alcohol, which if
you are desperate for food, how can you afford to smoke or drink?).
They are living in immorally. All of them assume that their present
need requires that the Church support them. All of them become
outraged and angry when I suggest that their spiritual poverty
caused their physical poverty. They do not want to solve their
problems, they want the church to subsidize their sinful
lifestyle.
Prospective deacons at Lakeside Church have a
homework assignment before they are ordained. They are required to
interview at least one of the “Will work for Food” sign carriers so
prevalent today. The prospective deacon is then to offer the
individual a job, for the day, for food. Not once have we found
someone who would take us up on the offer. In fact the usual
response is one of anger, outrage and even threats that we should
require what the person is advertising. The simple fact is that they
do not want to work. The signs are merely a gimmick to make people
think they are responsible when they are not.
The Myth of Homelessness needs to be exploded
less false guilt divert limited resources to counterproductive
activities. Our God is sovereign, His resources are unlimited, but
He entrusts His people with limited time and limited assets. We are
to be good stewards of what we have been given so that His name is
glorified. False guilt about the plight of the “poor” only weakens
the Church’s ability to minister in ways that will solve the
problem.
Does this mean the Church should just close its
eyes, turn its back and ignore the people who come to us for help?
No, not at all. But we cannot fix the problem until we understand
what the problem really is. Nor should we just become another
handout agency.
First of all, Deacons must develop a ministry
of helping Christians to live responsibly and righteously,
especially in regards to their finances. Christians should not be
living in debt, should live according to a sound budget, should
tithe and should have enough material assets to give gifts of love.
But you cannot give liberally, if you are not living responsibly.
Christians need to “owe no many anything except the debt of love...”
(Rms 13:6). Christians need to get out of debt, they need to pay off
their credit cards and save them for short term emergencies.
Christians need to learn how to live a simpler lifestyle, save for
the future and make wise investments. Christians need to pay off
their mortgages within seven years, rather than stretching
themselves to the limit to buy houses they cannot afford.
Single Christians need to live at home, save
their money and prepare for the responsibilities of married life.
Rushdoony notes in his chapter in “Towards a Christian Marriage”
that ancient Israelite men had to demonstrate their ability to care
for their families before they were allowed to marry. A single man had to give his
prospective father-in-law a dowry worth almost three years of his
wages. The father-in-law then gave this money to the daughter as a
protection against divorce, death or disaster. Singles today ought
to carefully consider doing the same. Thus if both husband and wife
started out with $60,000 of capital, (assuming the husband makes
$20,000 a year) they could buy their first house outright (granted,
$60,000 does not buy much of a house in most communities in
America). Thus rather than wasting their income on living in rented
accommodation, or bearing a back breaking mortgage, they could begin
their married life debt free and bless their family for
generations.
Thus the first task of the Deacons is
educational. Unlike the early Church, we have no prophecies of
immediate judgment that allow us to make great short term capital
gains. The ministry to the poor will have to be subsidized from the
tithes and gifts of God’s people. If they are in debt, they cannot
give.
Secondly, the Deacons are to form a Board which
will ensure that real needs are being met. I almost always am
against bureaucracies of any form taking the initiative away from
individuals. The family is the primary source of charity and concern
for the poor, but that is limited to the poor that we come into
contact with. There needs to be some men responsible for reaching
out beyond our immediate contacts. Men who can investigate the
situation, make wise judgments and offer a Biblical response. I am
reminded of a situation in a Church I was in some years ago (as a
member, not a pastor). One family was hit with an extraordinary
large tax bill. The The Deacon board should have issued the appeal
(but no one really knew what the deacons in that Church were
supposed to do, lest of all the deacons themselves!) after a careful
investigation of the situation. Instead, it was left to the “Spirit”
to lead people as He would.
Since the Deacons did not deal with the problem, the pastor
and elders let it be known that so and so has a real problem and we
should help out. Individuals did. The family was very touched by the
very gift, paid off their tax bill, and then went out and bought a
brand new car. Now since I was hitchhiking to work every day, being
unable to afford a car and not willing to go into debt, I was more
than a little outraged. So were most people. Most Christians start
with tender hearts, hearts that quickly become hardened and callused
after being ripped off time and time again. The Deacons, are
entrusted with the responsibility to make sure that God’s money is
handled appropriately. They can ask the hard questions that an
individual may rightly be embarrassed to ask.
After taking care of our own, the Deacons can
then extend the ministry of reaching out to the poor by coupling it
with evangelism. Galations 6:6 says that we are to do good to all
men, especially those of the household of God.” We do have
responsibilities of reaching out beyond the Church doors. But simply
giving away assets is not the answer. The Deacons must think
practically how they can use their office to glorify Christ. Our
church is in an affluent, white, upper middle class community.
While this community desperately needs the gospel, it is insulated
from the worst physical effects of sin. However even so, there are
ministries that can be developed. In fact, if we want to avoid
social disaster, we will have to.
Our goal is to minister to the needs of the
inner city by first planting a Reformed Church with a vision of
bringing every area of life under Christ’s Lordship. To do so, we
will have to underwrite a large part of the startup costs. We also
need to have a pastor who shares our vision. He will need a core
group to start his church. Lakeside can help by pioneering a
ministry that will give him that core group. How to start? First by
developing a social action program based on Biblical principles
rather than secular humanistic ones. In the past, Christians have
built hospitals, orphanages, poorhouses and all sorts of practical
ministries. There are worthy poor who want to change their
situation. As a part of sharing the grace of God given to us, we can
and should explore ways of meeting these needs. We have a divine
responsibility to do so. Thus for example we could plant a job
placement service to help people find work. By using our contacts,
we could screen prospective candidates and hook them up with
Christian businesses. We should be starting a Christian school,
subsidized by our affluence as an alternative to the bankrupt
government school system. We need to buy an apartment building,
staff it with a Christian family and then open our doors to women
who will not abort their babies (though in so doing, we ought to
strongly encourage such mothers to give their children up for
adoption to Christian families). It is possible that the first full
time staff member we bring on at Lakeside may not be another Pastor,
but rather a full time, paid Deacon to oversee and organize these
ministries.
Therefore
the Deacon Board starts by helping our own families become faithful
stewards of what God has given. Their responsibility is to equip the
entire church in developing the gift of “liberality” that we might
profitably use what God has entrusted. Then, the Deacons will ensure
that our own poor are taken care of. We will not subsidize sin or
irresponsibility, but we will take care of our own. Finally, the
offer specific plans on how the Session and the Church can be
actively involved in bringing the grace of God in Christ to the most
hurting sections of our city. We start with our own, we progress to
reach out to a dying community. If we prove faithful in little
things, God will entrust us with greater responsibilities.