Called to Serve

There is a great need today for individuals who will be faithful servants of the church. Many temporal and spiritual needs exist with which a congregation must deal. There are offerings to collect and distribute, cleaning and chapel maintenance projects, events to organize, the sick to visit, and the poor to help. It is a great blessing to the body of Christ for there to be faithful, consistent servants who quietly and yet diligently attend to these duties.

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Editorial

“Those who are deacons of the mysteries of Jesus Christ must please all men in all ways. For they are not deacons of meats and drinks [only] but servants of the church of God” (Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians, 2nd century).

The topic this quarter is about the office of deacons. It is a very important subject, and I am convinced that if it were understood and taken more seriously, the gospel work would operate much more smoothly and congregations would be in better condition. It was not until I was in the middle of research and study that I concluded it is a difficult subject. Shortly thereafter, I was reading in The Apostolic Church and found where C. E. Brown came to the same conclusion: “The study of the office of the deacon is perhaps the most difficult of any phase of the constitution of the early church.”

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Servant of Christ

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. —Romans 1:1

True ministers are called and ordained of God. They are chosen to spread the gospel and to speak as the spirit gives utterance. Paul identified himself “as a servant of Jesus Christ.” He was acknowledging Christ as his Master and Lord. He assumed no authority of his own but labored and spoke as a servant doing the will of the master.Read more