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.