But I want you to
know, brethren,
that the things which
happened to me
have actually turned
out for the furtherance
of the Gospel, so
that it has become evident
to the whole palace
guard, and to all the rest,
that my chains are in
Christ; and most
of the brethren in
the Lord, having become
confident by my
chains, are much more bold
to speak the word
without fear.
Philippians 1: 12 --
14
The growth
of the Church from its beginning faced much persecution and problems even when
the Roman government allowed Christianity to be only a part of Judaism. Yet, many of the congregations throughout
the Middle Eastern world faced local persecution at a level that some of us
have never had to experience. Paul was
in prison because he asked to go to Rome and while there he was imprisoned and
in time was sentenced to die. For
what? Because he was a Christian? The emperors of Rome starting with Augustus who brought a Roman peace and was lost by subsequent violent Roman emperors who
detested anything that would bring any type of disharmony to Rome. Nero was one of the worst and most of us
know the story of him. Paul in his
preaching and teaching before going to Rome sent many men and to the various
congregations to establish leadership for this leadership would become necessary
to fend off the harshness of persecution that we congregations may have to
face. Furthermore, there was the
problem that existed in that culture and world whereby many women were now
widows, and they couldn't just run off to the local grocery store that had
plenty of food so hunger was also a problem.
This then required a form of leadership that would not only preach the
truth of God's Word, that is, the Gospel, but also had been and women who would
care for the individuals within their congregations and at times even send
"care packages" to other congregations. We see this by the gifts that were sent to the congregation in
Jerusalem. The Presbyters cannot handle
all the things that needed to be handled themselves therefore from the very
beginning deacons and deaconesses were set as the helpers for a congregation
and they first appeared in the Church of Jerusalem a whereby there was seven in
number and this can be seen in The Book of Acts 6 where this is mentioned. This is not something new for any precedent
from the synagogue who also had those who were in charge of the collection and
distribution of alms. Here in Philippi
the deacons took their rank after the presbyters and addressed with them in
Paul's epistle. The deacons, and this
according to the narrative in Acts, was that they were to minister at the cable
in the daily love feast and to attend to the wants of the poor and the
sick. This is something to think about,
the primitive churches were charitable societies, taking care of the widows,
and orphans, dispensing hospitality to strangers, and relieving the needs of
the poor. This is a pro active effort
and if this is not being done in your church pro actively within it needs to
change to become pro active. We may not
be facing the same harshness that the early church faced here in America but we
still have those who are in need and we are to care for them. Not doesn't just start and end with the
deacons or deaconesses, it begins with you for you are responsible to ensure
that there are enough things and money to care for those of us in your
congregations and if possible to send gifts, money, to others who are also in
need. You may be doing this now by
sending money to missionaries and this is very good and necessary for the role
of each of us is to bring the Gospel to the world and this requires a cost and
we were to pay that cost.
Pastoral
care of souls would naturally attach naturally to aid those in poverty and
sickness and is well of course, to edify by instruction and consolation. Therefore, the presbyters, or bishops, or
deacons and deaconesses must be living a faith that is exemplary and the
conduct that is of Christ for they are also the qualifications for the office
of deacons as well as presbyters. And
post-apostolic times, when the bishop was raised above the press picture and
the press picture became priest, the deacon was regarded as also was the Levite
and was regarded for his primary function was to care of the poor. This function of assisting also became in
function to aid in the public worship and the administration of the sacraments,
and also during this time especially, with this work being done aided in as a
stepping stone to the office of Presbyter or Bishop. But deaconesses, or female helpers at similar charge of the poor
and sick in the female portion of the Church and in this place within the
congregations they can exercise their peculiar gifts of self-denying charity
and devotion to the welfare of the Church.
Paul does mention Phoebe as a Deaconess of the Church in Cenchrae, a
port of Corinth. This work of Deaconess
is, or female helpers, in some churches as office does not exist --- really
seem to be a problem in aiding those female congregants that need help in that
help his best exercised by another female. In fact, no mail person in the church, whether it be a pastor, a
deacon, or whomever, should give counsel privately to a woman without a number
one woman being present. This avoids a
problem that could become a major problem with this is not followed. The Church was set up with a government to
aid the spread of the gospel and to a others in the congregations. Anything other than this is outside of
scriptural warrant.
Praise God
for He knew all this was going to be necessary and has provided all this
for our growth in knowledge of Him, for our protection, and to meet our needs
as they become necessary. It is the
body of believers, that which we call the church, that should be the focal
point of our lives.
You made known to them Your holy Sabbath,
and
commanded them precepts, statutes and laws,
by the hand of Moses Your servant. You gave them bread
from heaven
for their hunger, and brought them water out of the rock for their thirst, and told them
to go in to
possess the land which you
had
sworn to give them.
Nehemiah
9:14 – 15
Jehovah God our provider
No comments:
Post a Comment