Transforming Society (6) - Deacons

In a very short time, the church had grown to about thirty households, but this is just part of the story. Something more important was going on at the same time. These households bound together by love and had become a community. Alf, Richard and Ernie had always done things together, and when other people came to the Lord, they joined them. Their strong relationships with each other drew others in.

The couples in the dwellings marked D have developed into the ministry of the deacon. The deacon is one of the most important ministries in the body of Christ, because, they channel social assistance to people in the neighbourhood who face poverty. One couple in an orange house chose to follow Jesus after they received financial help during a period of unemployment. Another deacon eventually found a new jobs for both of them. If the neighbourhood was wealthy, the deacons might channel resources to other neighbourhoods where people are poor.

Times were tough, and the government was facing a problem with sovereign debt, so was unable to pay pensions for several months. The Christians in A Street committed themselves to providing financial support to all the people in their street who depended on the pension for income. One was a Christian, but two were not one. One became a Christian. The other steadfastly rejected the gospel, but his neighbour chose to follow Jesus, after seeing how the Christians continued to provide support for someone who was hostile to their message.

Secular Capitalism (3)

The New Testament brought an even better solution to the problem of inequality. Acceptance of the gospel of Jesus leads to a great outpouring of giving that can counteract the flow of wealth from the bottom to the top.

Paul explained God’s will.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality (2 Cor 8:13).

God does want those who have much to get more and those who little to get less. He prefers the opposite; that everyone should have what they need and no one should have more than they need.

Christians should not hand out money and property willy nilly. Deacons have an important role in ensuring that wealth is not wasted. They will direct capital to those who could use it wisely. They will teach poor people how to live carefully and productively.

The major flaw with secular capitalism is the increasing inequality that it inevitably produces. Free-market capitalism needs to be tempered by Generous Christianity for long-term success.

Jesus on Money (18) - Repent of Unrighteousness

To repent is to turn and leave it behind. There are four ways to repent from unrighteous wealth.

1. Restore Capital
The best way to deal with unrighteous wealth is to return the capital to the people from whom it was extorted. The shrewd steward is a good example. He had previously squeezed the rich man’s tenants hard by enforcing exorbitant rents that made their lives miserable. He put things right by letting the tenants change their written tenancy agreements to a more reasonable rental. By halving the payment to 500 bushels of wheat, the steward would make the tenants wheat farming economic. By halving the payment of olive oil to 400 gallons, the steward was making the farming of the olive grove economic for the tenant farmer.

The best option for the repentant owner of unrighteous wealth is to return some wealth to the people that were de-capitalised when the unrighteous wealth was acquired from them. If the asset cannot be returned, the rent should be reduced. This has the effect of re-capitalising the strugglers.

2. Make Restitution
If the unrighteous wealth has been stolen from innocent people, the repentant owner should make fourfold restitution.

If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep (Ex 22:1).

Zachhaeus the tax collector promised Jesus that he would fulfil this command.

Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold (Luke 19:8).

He promised to make restitution for everything that was stolen. He could not identify all the people that he had stolen from, so he gave half his possessions to the poor as an alternative.

3. Give to the Poor
Sometimes the new Christian will not be able to return their unrighteous wealth to the people from whom it was acquired. The owners may have gone away, or died, or simply be unknown. In this situation, the unrighteous wealth should be given away to the poor and needy.

Jesus challenged the rich young ruler to give all his wealth away, because it was unrighteous wealth that had been acquired by unrighteousness.

Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven (Luke 18:22).

The book of Acts records examples of new Christians selling their unrighteous wealth and giving it to the poor.

Sometimes the repentant rich person will give the money away themselves. In most situations, they will work with deacons they trust. Deacons will have relationships with a many people in need, so they can help the person give their unrighteous wealth to deserving people.

Deacons will provide advice to new Christians. They will know about needs that could be met. They will handle money that is entrusted to them, but they must not tell new Christians what to do.

4. Even Up Capital
The reason for the uneven distribution of wealth in the modern world is that capital is unevenly distributed. Yet Paul says that equality is an important goal.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality (2 Cor 8:13).

This is a dilemma. Everyone thinks equality is a good idea, but no one knows how it can be achieved. Robin Hood tried to achieve it, by robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Socialists try and achieve it by taxing the rich and giving benefits to the poor. Neither of these methods has worked.

The Christian answer to the dilemma of equality in an unequal world is radical sharing, particularly sharing of capital. Those who have plenty of capital should give to those who don’t have much. This was Jesus solution to the problems cause by inequality of capital.

Sell your possessions and give to the poor (Luke 12;33).

Sometimes people will give food and clothing to the poor, but in many situations, providing the poor with capital (land, fishing boats, nets, tools) will help them more.

When helping people to give away unrighteous wealth, deacons should channel gifts of capital to poor people who have the capability to use it responsibly to be more productive. They would need to training in conserving capital and using it wisely. Transferring capital to the poor by giving and sharing will move the world closer to equality.

Free Markets (27) - Deacons

God’s tool for dealing with poverty is the ministry of the deacon. If theologians were really concerned about equality and poverty, deacons would be the most important ministry in the church. Unfortunately, the modern church does not understand the role and has changed it to something different. In Baptist Churches, elders are often called deacons. In the Catholic Church, deacons are priests in training. In other churches, deacons are responsible for raising money and maintaining buildings.

The deacons in the New Testament cared for the poor. They were the social welfare arm of the church. The record of the appointment of the first deacons is in the book of Acts. When the number of disciples had increased, some of the disciples complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

So the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and of wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal pleased the whole group so they appointed seven men who were full of the Spirit…. They presented these men to the apostles who laid hands on them (Acts 6:2-4).

These deacons used the offerings of the Church to provide for the needs of the poor and the sick. They were fulfilling the parable of the Good Samaritan. When he found a person in trouble, he took action to meet the immediate need. He then took further action to find a permanent solution, taking responsibility for the cost himself. This is a good pattern for the ministry of a deacon. The work of the first deacons had immediate effect.

So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly (Acts6:7).

Crucial Ministry
The ministry of the deacon is the second ministry to be mentioned in the New Testament. The twelve were appointed to be apostles by Jesus. Deacons were established in Acts 6. Evangelists are first mention in Acts 7 and 8, but Philip and Stephen had already served as deacons when they emerged as evangelists. Pastors are not mentioned until Acts 20, and they were elders not the CEO/Pastors we have today. The first prophets appeared in Acts 11. They were not interpreting biblical prophecy, but in encouraging the flow money to people suffer from a famine. This suggests that deacons are more essential for the fulfilment of the churches calling than pastors, prophets and evangelists.

The importance of deacons is confirmed in Paul’s letters. He devoted several chapters to teaching about their role. The fact that this ministry has disappeared suggests that something is drastically wrong in the church.

Preparation for Crisis (6) - Apostles and Deacons

Deacons will develop strong networks between those with plenty and those in need. This is a division of labour. People with business skills may be good at producing surplus wealth, but lack the compassion and patience needed assist poor people struggling to get back on the right road. Deacons will be specialists in helping poor people how to manage their lives better. The body of Christ will be stronger if deacons can focus on doing their calling, with others providing resources for them to distribute. Barnabas handed his surplus wealth over to the deacons to hand out, so that he could get on with his ministry as an apostle (Acts 4:26-37: 6:1-6).

During a crisis, deacons with lots of contacts will take the responsibility for building networks between town and country. They will facilitate the flow of food from the country into the city. They will also ensure that the Christians growing food in the country get the resources they need to support their ministry.

Another role of the deacon is to identify people with skills put them in touch with those who need word done. If an auto mechanic is unemployed, the deacons will link him with people that need their cars repaired. They will also make sure that the giving flows back the other way, so the mechanic’s family does not starve.

If apostles have been sent out to establish new churches, they will have links with Christians in other regions. Paul was able to link the Macedonian Christians who lived in plenty with their brothers and sisters facing famine in Jerusalem. These links and relationships will be really important for ensuring that food flows from the country to the city and arranging for the Christian farmer to get his tractor repaired by the mechanic who lives in the city.

Releasing apostles into their ministry might be the best way to prepare for economic crisis. Developing the ministry of the deacon is probably the best way to prepare for social decline.

Preparation for Crisis (2) - Personal Impact

At the personal level, an economic crisis affects people differently.

• Some people will lose their jobs. They will face a massive drop in income. If they find new work, it may not match their skills, so they will be less well paid.
• People who keep their jobs will continue to live quite well. If prices fall, they might actually be better off than they were before the crisis.
• Most business owners will face a reduction in income. They will generally be able to continue to operate, but their profit will decline.
• Some businesses will fail. The owners of these businesses will face a severe reduction in income.

The situation will be varied. Some people will have a dramatic decline in income. Others will carry on living as normal. The relative size of these two groups will depend on the severity of the recession.

Pauls spoke about the situation where some are well off and other are suffering.

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little (2 Cor 8:13-15).

Paul suggested a solution for the situation where some have plenty while others are hard pressed. The solution is generous giving. A key to preparing for difficult economic times is to learn how to give and share. Christians can best prepare for difficult times by building relationships and building channels through which those who are better off can share with those who are hard pressed.

Deacons will have a role in facilitating this giving and sharing. Acts 6 describes how people with this calling were set aside to care for those in the Christian community who were poor. We should be working and praying to raise up this ministry.

For more about Deacons read Deacons.

Caring for the Poor (12) - Women Deacons

Women can fulfil the ministry of the deacon. Deaconesses are referred to twice in the New Testament. Phoebe a deaconess of the Church of Cenchrea is mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:1. The women referred to in 1 Timothy 3:11 are almost certainly deaconesses.

The ministry of the deacon can be performed well by a married couple. The husband would work with men and his wife would work with the women. The deacon’s wife would concentrate on helping the wives to manage their homes wisely.

Widows can also exercise this ministry. They would have responsibility for caring for the other widows in the Church. Where a Church is under persecution this would be a very important ministry, as there will be many widows or women with husbands in prison or in heaven.

Women tend to function better than men in situations where personal care is needed. Female behaviour is orientated towards helping and caring for personal needs. This means that women often do the work of a deacon better than men. They should be released into this ministry.

Caring for the Poor (11) - Qualifications of Deacons

The qualifications for the selection of deacons are listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. These are relevant to the nature of their work.

1. A deacon must be a person who does not pursue dishonest gain. Because they are responsible for the money of the Church, deacons must be trustworthy. They must have proved that they can handle money wisely and responsibly.
   
2. A deacon must be able to manage his household. If a man cannot manage his own household, then he will not be able to manage the finances of the Church. The elders should look at the way a person’s household is functioning for evidence that he has the ability to do the work of a deacon. However, there is another reason why household management is important. The deacon also has a teaching role. He does not just give money to the people who are poor. He also teaches them how to manage their households better, so that they can manage on their own in the future without help. A deacon could not do this unless he was skilled in managing his own household. This would mean that monetary help would always be given on a short-term basis.
   
3. A deacon must also have a clear knowledge of the truths of the faith. This is because he also has an evangelistic ministry. The Christian gospel is always directed to the whole person. If a person is hungry, it is no use preaching the gospel to them, without feeding them. On the other hand, feeding a hungry person is no use without doing something about their spiritual needs. Deacons have a total ministry to the poor. As they distribute food and clothing, they will also preach the gospel. This is why they must have a good knowledge of the faith.
   
   Some evangelists will start their ministry as deacons. Philip and Stephen both began their service as a deacon and then went on to a successful ministry as an evangelist.
   
4. People skills are more important than knowledge of finance and administration. The early Church chose deacons who were skilled in working with people.
   
5. Deacons should be full of the Spirit (Acts 6:2-4). They will need the discernment and wisdom that only the Holy Spirit can give. They would have personal contact with those that they are helping, so they could quickly weed out those who were bludging. The money would go to those with genuine needs.

Caring for the Poor (6) - Deacons

In situations where families are unable to provide the help that is needed, the church must get involved. Caring for the poor is part of the responsibility of every Christian.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him (1 Jn 3:16-17).

These verses are really challenging for Christians. We know that Jesus laid down his life for us. We should also be prepared to lay down our lives for others by sharing our possessions. This is best done by the body of Christ sharing together. Deacons are members of the church who care for the poor on behalf of the church.