The Word and the Tables

by Charles F. Peiffer

In an age which clamors for change, old problems have a way of recurring. In every age the church has had to determine its priorities. The preaching of the Word, and the response to human physical need in the name of Christ, were and are necessary parts of every Christian witness. The Epistle of James reminds us that there were those in the earliest church whose response to the poor was, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled.” Of such pious talk without the addition of a helping hand, James scornfully comments, “What does it profit?” (cf. James 2:14–17) .

As we meet the church in Acts 6 we find that there was concern for the poor—in this instance the widows—and that the apostles supervised the distribution of appropriate supplies. Problems arose, however, when two factions within the church exhibited partisan spirits. One group was Hellenistically oriented. These were Jews who had accepted the Greek language, mode of dress, and general cultural orientation. In modern terminology we would say that they were westernized.

The other group, called the Hebrews (Acts 6:1) had clung to the Aramaic language and the traditional Jewish usages. These were the descendants, spiritual if not physical, of the Jews who had suffered persecution because of their loyalty to the Jewish faith during the persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes during the second century B.C. As a party they had little sympathy with those whom they regarded as traitors to the faith, compromisers with things Greek, hence foreign and unorthodox.

The preaching of Christ was directed at all segments of the Jewish community, and we find both Hellenists and Hebrews taking their place in the Christian church. It is one of the glories of discipleship, that all sorts and conditions of men are called to take up a cross and follow Jesus. The fisherman and the tax collector, the zealot and the doubter are numbered among the disciples. Martha who served, and Mary who chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from Him had differing temperaments, but unquestioned love for the Savior. At its best the church ignores distinctions between circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond and free men. All are one in Christ.

Seldom, however, has that ideal been realized. The earliest church had the same human problems we have. It may be popular for preachers to call us back to the Christianity of the first century, but honest students of the Bible and of history will realize that the fact of sin was as evident in that age as it is today. As the church grew, old rivalries asserted themselves. The Hellenistic party charged the Hebrews with neglecting the Hellenistic widows at the distribution of alms. Whether or not the charge was true we do not know. The fact that it was made suggests the presence of factionalism and the accusation of what we would call today discrimination.

The response of the apostles to the charge may prove instructive to us in today’s situation: “It is not right that we should give up preaching the Word of God to serve 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 must say to the credit of the apostles that they were ready to accept criticism. They made no attempt to excuse themselves or to protest that they had not been guilty of the alleged negligence. If a problem existed they were ready to face it head on, and to attempt to find a solution. They were in positions of leadership, and they recognized the obligations of leadership.

The apostles accepted without question the proposition that the church had an obligation to “serve tables.” Jesus had fed the multitudes, even when his disciples were ready to send them away. He had shown compassion on the blind, the lame, the leper, the poor. His church could do no less than exhibit the mind of Christ when faced with human need. James’ dictum is clear: “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (Jas. 2:17).

The church has often been accused of irrelevance. We must admit that the warning of James has not always been heeded. Christians may be so enamoured of Bible study that Bible practice is neglected. Christian fellowship may be such a precious experience that we forget that Jesus was known as a friend to the publicans and sinners.

Happily every age has produced Christians who have been genuinely concerned about the welfare of fellow humans. The emancipation of slaves, prison reform, improved labor conditions and kindred movements have been directed by such evangelical Christians as Wilberforce and Booth. A concern for the physical welfare of mankind is a mark of discipleship. The church must be willing to serve tables.

Yet, faced with a growing church and multitudinous demands on their time, the apostles chose to delegate the serving of tables to others. The task was not menial. Those who serve tables must be men of good reputation, Spirit-filled, and known for their wisdom. The work is honorable, and well qualified people must do it, but the apostles sensed other needs.

With a special sense of vocation, they said, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” Here is an important principle which applies to every age. The church is concerned about the material welfare of mankind. Yet it is more than a society for human improvement. It is a spiritual entity with spiritual resources. Prayer and the study of God’s Word are not luxuries which can be postponed until the pressing issues of the moment are resolved. Indeed the issues can never be resolved as long as men turn their backs on the Savior who bids the weary and heavy laden to come to him. If some have erred in assuming that all problems can be resolved on the basis of Christian faith, others have erred in assuming that man can live by bread alone.

While we do not take to ourselves the title of apostle, we do feel that the principle enunciated by the apostles is valid for every age. There must be some Christians who give themselves to prayer and the Word. It is the responsibility of the “pastors and teachers” (or “teaching pastors”) of Ephesians 4:11–12, to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Ministry, service, is the work of all Christians. All are called upon to be spiritual activists. That activity, however, must be grounded in God’s Revelation of Himself in Scripture. It must be energized by God through prayer. Prayer and the Word distinguish the concerned Christian from the secular activist. Sometimes both share a desire for common immediate goals. The secular activist sees human betterment as an end in itself, but the Christian labors among men with the glory of God as his ultimate aim. The Christian does all that the secularist does to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and otherwise show his concern for mankind. The added spiritual dimension, however, indicates that the Christian sees that man has basic needs beyond the physical. Man’s fears, frustrations, and sense of sin need more than the aid of a social worker. They need the presence of one who has given himself to prayer and the Word.

In many of our churches the pendulum has swung from a sterile spirit of introspection—a dead orthodoxy, if you please—to a heartfelt concern for the needs of all men. The racist, the exploiter, the polluter of the environment: they are the new Judases. Military involvement, the drug problem, urban blight and similar contemporary problems are the subjects of our sermons week after week. This proves, in contemporary jargon, that we are “with it.”

Has the pendulum swung too far? If we once had theology with no social concerns, are we now in danger of having social concerns with no theology? The secularist will rejoice in that tendency. He may even seek the ministry as a means of carrying forth his secularist program. Yet the Christian must object. Serve tables? Assuredly! Prayer? A part of Christian life and ministry. The Word? A lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It is not “either … or.” It is “both … and.” Acknowledge that there are some in the church whose mission is to “devote themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” Honor them for their labors, and pray that they may be a blessing and a source of instruction and strength. Acknowledge, too, that spiritual men must be at the forefront of the table-serving mission. They are Christ’s ministers, too.

The church has been likened to a body with many members, each of which needs the other. Those whose prime concern is prayer and the Word will need the table servers to keep them alert to the needs of the world as it is, lest an “ivory tower” type of Christianity be produced. Those whose prime work is table serving will need the spiritual instruction and undergirding of well trained, spiritually motivated men of the Word who are apt to teach as well as ready to learn. Without both the Word and the tables the church is powerless and irrelevant. Only with both, each given its appropriate emphasis, can the church really serve as Christ’s ambassadors to the world.