The Deacons

“And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows I were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multi- ( tude of the disciples unto them,” etc. — Acts vi. 1-6.

AS an introduction to the narrative of the discontent that sprang up, it is intimated that “the number of the 1 disciples was multiplied.” “We gather here that the bulk of the society had something to do with the troubles that

I arose. In a large community certain disorders are apt to i occur, from which a smaller body may be comparatively free, j It was necessary to institute new offices to meet new 1 demands.

i But besides the increased numbers, we must also take into

I I account the liberal provision for the poor that had been, ;made through the generosity of a fresh young faith. It is 1 remarkable that both the internal disorders — the hypocrisy

recorded in the fifth chapter, and the murmurings recorded in the sixth, sprang directly from the open-handed charityexercised towards the poor. In that rich soil, several rank weeds suddenly sprang up, to test and exercise the wisdom and faithfulness of the infant Church. The falsehood of Ananias, and the discontent of the Hellenists, grew in different compartments of the same field. One root of bitterness grew in the givers, and another in the receivers. Both are recorded, that Christians in subsequent ages might be warned on either side.

From the beginning hitherto, the Church has been exposed to manifold dangers at the point where she comes into necessary contact with the world. How many sorrows and how many sins have sprung up with gifts — with money! Contributions are necessary: without them, even the faith of disciples would often be crippled in its action for want of instruments. But the contributions, especially in large bodies and in an artificial state of society, afford a cover in which the adversary conceals himself when he seeks to devour.

Both givers and receivers need to be watchful. No i Church on earth can be free altogether from danger here, t Our prayer should be, not that we should be taken out of the f world, but that we should be kept from the evil. Great e liberality is a beautiful fruit of faith; yet in this sweet a fruit a worm may gnaw.

Hitherto the apostles had personally superintended the ii distribution of the gifts. It was not possible that they should take charge of every detail. The work must have; been to a large extent delegated. It was natural that Jews of Palestine should in the first instance be employed. These II would be best acquainted with their own countrymen; and % so it might happen that the native poor were at first better provided for than the poor Jews who had been born in k

Greek countries and understood only the Greek tongue. How far the grievance was real, and how far sentimental, we do not know; we know only the fact that the Hellenists complained of undue partiality in favour of the Palestinians. Murmurings are dangerous to the peace and prosperity of the Christian society. As soon as the apostles heard of the complaint, they took effective measures to satisfy, and so remove it. They surveyed the case, and promptly formed their resolution. At a glance they perceived that if the I same methods should be continued, they must personally ( attend more minutely to the details of the distribution. [ But this would distract their attention, and occupy their 1 time with secondary affairs, to the manifest detriment of 1 their chief work, the ministry of the Word. I A new order of officials must be appointed to superintend I this business. The apostles, in the first instance, made, up their own mind as to the kind of office that should ( be instituted, and the qualifications which the officials should possess; then they submitted their proposal with ( reasons to “the brethren.” Thereupon “the whole mul- 1 titude” accepted the proposal, and at once proceeded to I s choose fit and proper persons for this specific work. Having. j elected the seven deacons they presented them to the i apostles. The apostles on their part accepted the choice of the people, and ordained the deacons by prayer and the e j imposition of hands.

L In making the proposal regarding the institution of the ,eS deacons, the apostles state briefly the grounds of their 7S % decision. These grounds are permanently true and precious. L The foundation so laid will bear more than the particular jjjj; weight then and there imposed. If the apostles declined to L administer charitable gifts to poor disciples, lest it should ■0 interfere with their spiritual ministry, many other things, if they had lived in our days, they would have declined for the same reason. It becomes all Christian ministers to walk humbly in the apostles’ footsteps, rather than to set up an exclusive claim, on some transcendental ground, to be accounted their successors.

It is eminently worthy of regard, that although the specific work to which the deacons were in the first instance called was the distribution of money and other material gifts, a necessary qualification for office is, that they be “full of the Holy Ghost.” Grace in large measure is announced to be a necessary requisite in one who shall handle “the outward things of the house of God.” It is on this border belt, where the Church and the world meet, that corruption is apt to spring; and it is especially important that those who are called to duty in that sphere should be eminently spiritual men.

In distinguishing the specific sphere of the deacon, the apostles incidentally define their own. This definition is of great value. The duties of their office are “prayer, and the ministry of the word.” Like the rest of the “acts” recorded in this book, and in strong contrast with the flimsy and fantastic ideas of the sub- apostolic age, the definition exhibits both the clearest logic and the broadest common sense. The work consists of two parts; and these two are arranged in their natural order. By prayer they get from God, and through the ministry of the Word they give to men. Like Paul they are “vessels;” the vessels must first be filled, and then they bear about and spread the blessed Name that fills them. We find no priesthood and no ritualism here. These two constitute the apostolic ministry, as understood and explained by the apostles. They knew their own mind better than monks of the Middle Ages. It is in the Scriptures that you breathe the free fresh air of heaven; when you descend into the arena of the fathers, real mountains and mist-clouds are so intermingled that you cannot distinguish with certainty between them.

Prayer and preaching, alternate or simultaneous, are the right and left side of a living ministry. The preaching work may be laboriously and conscientiously performed without comfort and without success if the other side be from any cause paralysed. I watched once with interest the operations of a brick-maker in a field of clay. There was great agility in his movements. He wrought by piece, and the more he turned out the higher was his pay. His body moved like a machine. His task for the time was simply to raise a quantity of clay from a lower to a higher level, by means of a spade. He threw up one spadeful, and then he dipped his tool in a pail of water that stood by. After every spadeful of clay there was a dip in the water. The operation of dipping the spade occupied almost, if not altogether, as much time as the raising of the clay. My first thought was, if he should dispense with these apparently useless baptisms, he might perform almost double the amount of work. My second thought was wiser; on reflection I saw that if he had attempted to continue the work without ’ the alternate washings, the clay would have stuck to the ’ tool, and his progress would have been altogether arrested. 1 Eight well did the skilful workman know that to plunge * I his instrument in water every time it was used, furthered 3 and did not hinder his work. Indeed, it was this that made 1 his work possible.

c I said to myself, Go thou and do likewise. The ministry 1 of the Word, as the world goes, is like the effort of the workman to lift the clay prayer is the baptism which makes pro- •3 gress quick — makes progress possible.