Bethlen Évkönyv, 1993-1996 (Ligonier)

Frank A. Endrei: Your call to be a servant

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In all of our churches there are people to whom we need to lend a helping hand: some are elderly and sickly, unable to do their shopping for food or cooking or to clean their house. If they have no relatives who can help, the members of their church should. Some do not drive a car and could not attend our worship services. They, too, need the service, the helping hand of a fellow Christian so they could come to church.

This kind of service, or helping hand is called „diakonia” in the original Greek language text of the New Testament. From this word we get the word „deacon” in the English language. The word describes someone who serves or ministers. The prime example for setting up this kind of service in the New Testament church is found in chapter 6 of the Book of Acts. We are told there that a group of Christians were dissatisfied because their needy widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food to them. The twelve apostles then called together the church and said to them, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve at tables. Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. ” (Acts 6:2-4)

We see here that both tasks were important to fulfill: to preach the word of God, and lead meetings with prayer on the one hand, but also on the other hand to provide food for those who had no income, no retirement funds, no family members to provide for them. But it was impossible that the 12 apostles should spend their time distributing those food portions. That would greatly limit their time for the ministry of the word and prayer.

So help was needed — helping hands, who were not selected carelessly but as the apostles said (6:3): “Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute,

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YOUR CALL TO BE A SERVANT