Growing up, the deacons were the men who collected offering, made decisions at church, and handled various other administrative and leadership issues. In the Bible, these types of functions are arguably for the office of elder, an entirely different position largely absent in the modern church. What is very clear is the origin of the deacons, presented in Acts 6:1-7.
Before the clash between gentile believers and jewish converts to christianity, there was a conflict between more traditional Jews (Hebraic) and Jews that had been assimilated into gentile culture (commonly called Hellenistic or Grecian). Acts 2 & 4 discuss how the Church was looking out for its own, selling property even to ensure that everyone had enough food. Like any organization, an increase in size complicated the task of managing and satisfying all the new Christians. In Acts 6, we find out that Grecian Jews perceived that their widows were being overlooked in favor of the Hebraic Jews.
The 12 apostles, the leaders of the church, could no longer lead in every area. So they chose 7 brothers, wise men full of the spirit, to ensure that all the poor Christians were given care. Paul later uses the greek word "Diakonos" to describe this office. The definition, as I perceive it, does not imply any administrative leadership-- in fact, the word normally referred not only to being in service, but being the servant or attendant of a king or master.
Four Implications of this knowledge:
1) The Church must ensure that it carries out the "Diakonos" ministry. Do I really care if your church doesn't have elders, and deacons are what the leaders are called, if you have those who ensure that others are cared for? No. I don't see why you would follow the Biblical model, but then complicate things with different names, but hey, no church has 100% knowledge of the will of God for church structure and cannot operate in a state of perfection.
2) In several places in the NT, Paul spells out the requirements for deacons. These include: sincerity, well-respected, having his household in order, etc... see 1 Timothy 3. We must hold to that standard.
3) We must take this ministry seriously. I do not view it as a low position, in spite of the apostles seemingly not wanting to waste time to "wait tables." This was just to show the importance of their dedication to the "ministry of the word." The apostles show how much they value this service when they select men of good reputation. Furthermore, two of the men chosen, Stephen and Philip, go in the next chapters of the book to be martyred and to be sent on a missionary journey, respectively.
4) While they are not administrative leaders, there is a spiritual component to the ministry of distributing food. The passage highlights that the church grew, not that no one went hungry. As just written, two of the men went on to be a martyr and a missionary. I will talk about this concept more in the next post, on "spiritual poverty."
This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible and this is just a condensed version of my thoughts, both composed and uncomposed, on it. I must give thanks to Ed Silvoso and his book Anointed for Business as it led me to study this passage in detail and he illuminated several great truths.
SJ in the OT- Pt b - The 10 Commandments
Be sure to read Part a first.
5. Honor your mother and father. The first relationship anyone (should at least) has is with their parent(s). How that goes, what you learn there, will likely affect future relationships. There is a double-responsibility, moms and dads certainly have an effect. But in general, I would expect to see a correlation between the way someone treats their parents and the way they treat others. Generosity can be taught and nurtured first in this relationship.
6. Don't murder. Besides the obvious, you can dig and see people who suffer violence, even death, from social injustices: dictators sending out death squads, corporations that have destroyed the homes of the poor who live in the wrong area, etc... Also, remember that Jesus called our anger murder. If you live with an attitude of anger towards a group of people, you cannot be reconciled with them, or help them, until that anger dissipates.
7. Do not commit adultery. In biblical times, adultery was usually the product of male behavior. A woman might commit adultery, but probably at advances begun by the male adulterer (David and Bathsheba). This highlights the unequal positions held by men and women in society, especially in the area of sex. This goes on today, not just with shamefully high rape statistics in the US, but even men raping their wives in other countries.
Another, more controversial pt: adultery, especially when defined as sex outside marriage, is what proliferates AIDS, for the most part. Many children die under 5 years of age without ever making the decision to have unsafe/unprotected sex. I'm not holding African adults to a higher standard than adults in the US, but unfortunately, other factors like malnutrition and the high levels of the disease make sex outside marriage an especially dangerous and potentially unjust practice for adults in AIDS-ridden areas.
8. Don't steal. Probably the most applicable to the macro-causes of poverty, the social injustices cited by protestors: corporate greed; unfair trade practices; unequal schools; etc... I like to keep a certain distinction in mind, as a pro-capitalism, anti-rich/poor gap person: Wealth can be created, but money cannot. With technology, efficiency, business, we can create wealth on a macro-level. But a dollar bill cannot reproduce itself. If I have one dollar bill right now and want two, I must take it from someone else.
9. Do not bear false witness. Could've said lie, but it was put in courtroom terms. Makes me think of an unequal justice system (20 years in prison for armed robbery of a 7-11, fines for an executive who squanders the retirement of 10,000 people; the difference in prosecution of crack criminals vs. cocaine criminals).
Also brings to mind Jesus saying to remove the plank from your eye before removing the speck from your brother's eye. Sure, a poor person might have some control over their position. But hey, who squanders more, them or the middle class family that buys a mountain house as soon as they finish paying off their own mortgage? A) save up for the luxuries, don't get a loan. B) i'm not saying it's wrong to have a mountain home, but i'm also not saying it's wrong for a less affluent person to wear $100 sneakers. Seems about the same to me
10. Do not covet. Consumerism. Keeping up with the Joneses. The NY Times recently had an article on millionaires in Silicon Valley who feel impoverished. Mr Steger, who has a net worth of a mere $3.5 million, says "a few million doesn’t go as far as it used to..." Others add: "Here, the top 1 percent chases the top one-tenth of 1 percent, and the top one-tenth of 1 percent chases the top one-one-hundredth of 1 percent... You try not to get caught up in it, but it’s hard not to” and “We’re in such a rarefied environment, people here lose perspective on what the rest of the world looks like.” Do not make the mistake of thinking it is only millionaires that get caught up in this. I'll look in the mirror for exhibit A.
When I first went to middle school I had some really dorky clothes. I got made fun of a bit. So I went out and got all new clothes. Over time, I developed an attitude that you had to be wearing name brand clothing or people would think less of you. It's embarrasing to think I could ever be so stupid, vain or naive. But yea, that led to some not so positive thoughts about myself and others, some wasted money, and a refreshing rush of freedom when I finally broke out of that.
The Ten Commandments have impacted societal morality for over 3000 years. They are from a different historical context, and many do not share the same precepts. But let's not throw them out completely. Or at all.
5. Honor your mother and father. The first relationship anyone (should at least) has is with their parent(s). How that goes, what you learn there, will likely affect future relationships. There is a double-responsibility, moms and dads certainly have an effect. But in general, I would expect to see a correlation between the way someone treats their parents and the way they treat others. Generosity can be taught and nurtured first in this relationship.
6. Don't murder. Besides the obvious, you can dig and see people who suffer violence, even death, from social injustices: dictators sending out death squads, corporations that have destroyed the homes of the poor who live in the wrong area, etc... Also, remember that Jesus called our anger murder. If you live with an attitude of anger towards a group of people, you cannot be reconciled with them, or help them, until that anger dissipates.
7. Do not commit adultery. In biblical times, adultery was usually the product of male behavior. A woman might commit adultery, but probably at advances begun by the male adulterer (David and Bathsheba). This highlights the unequal positions held by men and women in society, especially in the area of sex. This goes on today, not just with shamefully high rape statistics in the US, but even men raping their wives in other countries.
Another, more controversial pt: adultery, especially when defined as sex outside marriage, is what proliferates AIDS, for the most part. Many children die under 5 years of age without ever making the decision to have unsafe/unprotected sex. I'm not holding African adults to a higher standard than adults in the US, but unfortunately, other factors like malnutrition and the high levels of the disease make sex outside marriage an especially dangerous and potentially unjust practice for adults in AIDS-ridden areas.
8. Don't steal. Probably the most applicable to the macro-causes of poverty, the social injustices cited by protestors: corporate greed; unfair trade practices; unequal schools; etc... I like to keep a certain distinction in mind, as a pro-capitalism, anti-rich/poor gap person: Wealth can be created, but money cannot. With technology, efficiency, business, we can create wealth on a macro-level. But a dollar bill cannot reproduce itself. If I have one dollar bill right now and want two, I must take it from someone else.
9. Do not bear false witness. Could've said lie, but it was put in courtroom terms. Makes me think of an unequal justice system (20 years in prison for armed robbery of a 7-11, fines for an executive who squanders the retirement of 10,000 people; the difference in prosecution of crack criminals vs. cocaine criminals).
Also brings to mind Jesus saying to remove the plank from your eye before removing the speck from your brother's eye. Sure, a poor person might have some control over their position. But hey, who squanders more, them or the middle class family that buys a mountain house as soon as they finish paying off their own mortgage? A) save up for the luxuries, don't get a loan. B) i'm not saying it's wrong to have a mountain home, but i'm also not saying it's wrong for a less affluent person to wear $100 sneakers. Seems about the same to me
10. Do not covet. Consumerism. Keeping up with the Joneses. The NY Times recently had an article on millionaires in Silicon Valley who feel impoverished. Mr Steger, who has a net worth of a mere $3.5 million, says "a few million doesn’t go as far as it used to..." Others add: "Here, the top 1 percent chases the top one-tenth of 1 percent, and the top one-tenth of 1 percent chases the top one-one-hundredth of 1 percent... You try not to get caught up in it, but it’s hard not to” and “We’re in such a rarefied environment, people here lose perspective on what the rest of the world looks like.” Do not make the mistake of thinking it is only millionaires that get caught up in this. I'll look in the mirror for exhibit A.
When I first went to middle school I had some really dorky clothes. I got made fun of a bit. So I went out and got all new clothes. Over time, I developed an attitude that you had to be wearing name brand clothing or people would think less of you. It's embarrasing to think I could ever be so stupid, vain or naive. But yea, that led to some not so positive thoughts about myself and others, some wasted money, and a refreshing rush of freedom when I finally broke out of that.
The Ten Commandments have impacted societal morality for over 3000 years. They are from a different historical context, and many do not share the same precepts. But let's not throw them out completely. Or at all.
SJ in the OT- Pt a - The 10 Commandments
There is a natural division in the 10 commandments, between commandments 4 and 5. The first four are spiritual in nature and the latter six give moral directions. Similarly, when Jesus affirms the two most important commands (1. to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and 2. to love your neighbor as yourself, Mt 22:36-40), you can find the same division-- four concern our relationship with God, and six our relationship with each other.
Social justice can be emphasized in the 10 commandments (The 10 C's from here on out), despite its reputation as a code that is whipped out in order to condemn. Not that it does not condemn-- it does a pretty good job, especially in light of the Sermon on the Mount (Jesus turns "Thou shall not murder" into "anyone who is angry with his brother is a murderer.") To think about the 10 C's through the social justice prism takes 2 things. First, time and creativity. Second, a suspension of disbelief/acceptance of certain beliefs about the nature of God. I'm going to take a stab at social justice-lizing the 10 C's, one-by-one.
(Ex 20 you can find each in full)
1. You shall have no other Gods before me. All of these other blog posts point to a God that is passionate about equality, justice, generosity, caring for the poor, etc... 'love' and 'good' are defined by the actions of the Lord. Exalting other gods could only water down the message of social justice.
2. Do not make idols. One of the most popular applications I hear on the message of idolatry today is that of money. "You cannot serve both God and money" Jesus says (Mt 6:24) and "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim 6:10). Serving God includes working towards social justice; you cannot serve God and money; therefore, if you serve money you cannot work towards social justice. Folks, I believe we have a logical argument sighting.
3. You shall not use God's name in vain. I assume that this extends beyond the literal curse word. Throughout history, oppressors have justified themselves by claiming the blessing of God in their acts. For example, African colonists who believed in the "Curse of Ham," that God willed that they subject black-skinned humans, the descendants of Ham. Today: Christians that oppose interracial marriage for theological reasons (I'll at least listen to practical reasons), other religions that institutionalize inequalities (I won't name names, but think of the position of women).
4. Remember the Sabbath. See the posts on Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee.
Here is the natural divide. I will address the last six commands in part B.
Social justice can be emphasized in the 10 commandments (The 10 C's from here on out), despite its reputation as a code that is whipped out in order to condemn. Not that it does not condemn-- it does a pretty good job, especially in light of the Sermon on the Mount (Jesus turns "Thou shall not murder" into "anyone who is angry with his brother is a murderer.") To think about the 10 C's through the social justice prism takes 2 things. First, time and creativity. Second, a suspension of disbelief/acceptance of certain beliefs about the nature of God. I'm going to take a stab at social justice-lizing the 10 C's, one-by-one.
(Ex 20 you can find each in full)
1. You shall have no other Gods before me. All of these other blog posts point to a God that is passionate about equality, justice, generosity, caring for the poor, etc... 'love' and 'good' are defined by the actions of the Lord. Exalting other gods could only water down the message of social justice.
2. Do not make idols. One of the most popular applications I hear on the message of idolatry today is that of money. "You cannot serve both God and money" Jesus says (Mt 6:24) and "the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim 6:10). Serving God includes working towards social justice; you cannot serve God and money; therefore, if you serve money you cannot work towards social justice. Folks, I believe we have a logical argument sighting.
3. You shall not use God's name in vain. I assume that this extends beyond the literal curse word. Throughout history, oppressors have justified themselves by claiming the blessing of God in their acts. For example, African colonists who believed in the "Curse of Ham," that God willed that they subject black-skinned humans, the descendants of Ham. Today: Christians that oppose interracial marriage for theological reasons (I'll at least listen to practical reasons), other religions that institutionalize inequalities (I won't name names, but think of the position of women).
4. Remember the Sabbath. See the posts on Sabbath and the Year of Jubilee.
Here is the natural divide. I will address the last six commands in part B.
SJ in the NT- Philemon
Social Justice in the New Testament- Pt 8- Philemon
First things first: If you are unfamiliar with Philemon and Onesimus, read the book of Philemon! It's only 1 chapter, 25 verses! To save space I will only quote it sparingly.
Onesimus, formerly a slave, the lowest rung of society, was poor, probably owned nothing. Paul writes that to Philemon, Onesimus was once useless, but now he is useful both to you and to me. In fact, the name Onesimus in Greek means “profitable or useful.” Paul suspects that there was a divine purpose in Philemon somehow losing his servant. To quote him directly from verses 15-16: "Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother."
God wants the rich and poor to be brothers and sisters, useful to one another! So opposite to what we see in the world, even today, and throughout our history! There is much to be learned from this short book of the Bible. As for the relationship between the rich and the poor, I will only list the following Proverbs:
“Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.” Prov 22:2
“The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.” Prov 29:13
One could also use this passage to combat the idea that slavery is tolerated by God, a viewpoint popular among Christians as little as 150 years ago. Additionally, a book could be written based on what this book says about spiritual submission to God or the example of apostolic leadership of Paul over the believers in his time. But I would like to focus on forgiveness, condescension, and reconciliation.
Forgiveness is obviously important in many aspects of the human experience besides social justice. Just as it is indispensable in a marriage, or in our condition before God, it is a necessary precursor to reconciliation between the rich and poor of this world. It is a two-way street and it requires condescension by all, to admit past wrongs and move ahead humbly. Without this realization, there will not only be division between the First World and Third World, but sadly a schism within The Church. In how many churches can you find a millionaire standing next to someone below the poverty line? This is not only due to geography, people. There is a barrier that was constructed long ago, and it has been fortified by events like slavery.
We all build up walls between "us" and "them." Who is your "us" and who is your "them"? While not rich or poor, you can certainly identify some other categories. Thus, while we must all strive to promote unity with all other believers, we also have a role in this historic divide between rich and poor. Ed Silvoso points out that Paul was asking for “something extraordinary from both Philemon and Onesimus… that Philemon receive Onesimus as a brother… [and for] Onesimus to return to the master from whom he had fled… Paul, the reconciler, stood in the gap, embraced both men and pleaded for them to be reconciled with each other.” Similarly, we can serve as reconcilers. What does this mean? Many things, and I will cop out by letting you find those on your own.
First things first: If you are unfamiliar with Philemon and Onesimus, read the book of Philemon! It's only 1 chapter, 25 verses! To save space I will only quote it sparingly.
Onesimus, formerly a slave, the lowest rung of society, was poor, probably owned nothing. Paul writes that to Philemon, Onesimus was once useless, but now he is useful both to you and to me. In fact, the name Onesimus in Greek means “profitable or useful.” Paul suspects that there was a divine purpose in Philemon somehow losing his servant. To quote him directly from verses 15-16: "Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for good— no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother."
God wants the rich and poor to be brothers and sisters, useful to one another! So opposite to what we see in the world, even today, and throughout our history! There is much to be learned from this short book of the Bible. As for the relationship between the rich and the poor, I will only list the following Proverbs:
“Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.” Prov 22:2
“The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.” Prov 29:13
One could also use this passage to combat the idea that slavery is tolerated by God, a viewpoint popular among Christians as little as 150 years ago. Additionally, a book could be written based on what this book says about spiritual submission to God or the example of apostolic leadership of Paul over the believers in his time. But I would like to focus on forgiveness, condescension, and reconciliation.
Forgiveness is obviously important in many aspects of the human experience besides social justice. Just as it is indispensable in a marriage, or in our condition before God, it is a necessary precursor to reconciliation between the rich and poor of this world. It is a two-way street and it requires condescension by all, to admit past wrongs and move ahead humbly. Without this realization, there will not only be division between the First World and Third World, but sadly a schism within The Church. In how many churches can you find a millionaire standing next to someone below the poverty line? This is not only due to geography, people. There is a barrier that was constructed long ago, and it has been fortified by events like slavery.
We all build up walls between "us" and "them." Who is your "us" and who is your "them"? While not rich or poor, you can certainly identify some other categories. Thus, while we must all strive to promote unity with all other believers, we also have a role in this historic divide between rich and poor. Ed Silvoso points out that Paul was asking for “something extraordinary from both Philemon and Onesimus… that Philemon receive Onesimus as a brother… [and for] Onesimus to return to the master from whom he had fled… Paul, the reconciler, stood in the gap, embraced both men and pleaded for them to be reconciled with each other.” Similarly, we can serve as reconcilers. What does this mean? Many things, and I will cop out by letting you find those on your own.
Spurgeon devotional on Gal 2:10
The following is from Spurgeon's Morning Devotional, March 17. It can be found online at www.studylight.org . Charles Spurgeon was a famous pastor and preacher and his set of morning and evening devotionals are excellent. This entry deals with the theme of social justice in the Bible. It is written about Galations 2:10, which Spurgeon shortens to “Remember the poor.”
Any bold is emphasis added by me. Italics are the words of Spurgeon, plain text are my comments.
Why does God allow so many of his children to be poor?
He could make them all rich if he pleased; he could lay bags of gold at their doors; he could send them a large annual income; or he could scatter round their houses abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps round the camp of Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they should be poor, except that he sees it to be best. "The cattle upon a thousand hills are his"-he could supply them; he could make the richest, the greatest, and the mightiest bring all their power and riches to the feet of his children, for the hearts of all men are in his control. But he does not choose to do so; he allows them to suffer want, he allows them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this? There are many reasons: one is, to give us, who are favoured with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We show our love to Christ when we sing of him and when we pray to him; but if there were no sons of need in the world we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing our love, by ministering in alms-giving to his poorer brethren; he has ordained that thus we should prove that our love standeth not in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by him. Those who are dear to him will be dear to us.
Let us then look upon it not as a duty but as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord's flock-remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Surely this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart-recollecting that all we do for his people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to himself.
Great stuff. I believe in a Sovereign Lord who not only is allowing poverty, but has purposed it. Spurgeon did not live during the information age and the globalized world. His lack of knowledge about the widespread poverty of the third-world should not be held against him, therefore, I have no problem with him saying that one reason for the poor is to give us an opportunity for showing love. The existence of the poor I take to mean that concept, that reality, but not the singular existence of any poor person. One could not point to a little boy in a picture from Africa and say “he is poor because we need someone to love.” There is a BIG difference between causes and purposes. God's purpose for allowing poverty in his Big Plan does not mean that the heart of God is not mourning for any specific person. I leave the poverty of a certain child in Africa to some explanations that are context-specific, along with responsibility we all bear for our sins and the inevitable results of a fallen world. God's purposes do not justify the means by which they might be carried out if the means are people sinning against others, if that makes sense.
Let us not try to set up a God of prosperity, or a God that frowns upon wealth and romanticizes the poor, overlooking their sins and exalting them above their worldly condition. Rather, as Spurgeon writes, let us see the path God has laid before us as a privilege to relieve the poor and by doing so, clothe, feed, and serve our Savior.
Any bold is emphasis added by me. Italics are the words of Spurgeon, plain text are my comments.
Why does God allow so many of his children to be poor?
He could make them all rich if he pleased; he could lay bags of gold at their doors; he could send them a large annual income; or he could scatter round their houses abundance of provisions, as once he made the quails lie in heaps round the camp of Israel, and rained bread out of heaven to feed them. There is no necessity that they should be poor, except that he sees it to be best. "The cattle upon a thousand hills are his"-he could supply them; he could make the richest, the greatest, and the mightiest bring all their power and riches to the feet of his children, for the hearts of all men are in his control. But he does not choose to do so; he allows them to suffer want, he allows them to pine in penury and obscurity. Why is this? There are many reasons: one is, to give us, who are favoured with enough, an opportunity of showing our love to Jesus. We show our love to Christ when we sing of him and when we pray to him; but if there were no sons of need in the world we should lose the sweet privilege of evidencing our love, by ministering in alms-giving to his poorer brethren; he has ordained that thus we should prove that our love standeth not in word only, but in deed and in truth. If we truly love Christ, we shall care for those who are loved by him. Those who are dear to him will be dear to us.
Let us then look upon it not as a duty but as a privilege to relieve the poor of the Lord's flock-remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Surely this assurance is sweet enough, and this motive strong enough to lead us to help others with a willing hand and a loving heart-recollecting that all we do for his people is graciously accepted by Christ as done to himself.
Great stuff. I believe in a Sovereign Lord who not only is allowing poverty, but has purposed it. Spurgeon did not live during the information age and the globalized world. His lack of knowledge about the widespread poverty of the third-world should not be held against him, therefore, I have no problem with him saying that one reason for the poor is to give us an opportunity for showing love. The existence of the poor I take to mean that concept, that reality, but not the singular existence of any poor person. One could not point to a little boy in a picture from Africa and say “he is poor because we need someone to love.” There is a BIG difference between causes and purposes. God's purpose for allowing poverty in his Big Plan does not mean that the heart of God is not mourning for any specific person. I leave the poverty of a certain child in Africa to some explanations that are context-specific, along with responsibility we all bear for our sins and the inevitable results of a fallen world. God's purposes do not justify the means by which they might be carried out if the means are people sinning against others, if that makes sense.
Let us not try to set up a God of prosperity, or a God that frowns upon wealth and romanticizes the poor, overlooking their sins and exalting them above their worldly condition. Rather, as Spurgeon writes, let us see the path God has laid before us as a privilege to relieve the poor and by doing so, clothe, feed, and serve our Savior.
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