Question: In the past there were a few localities which wrote to all the other localities when they needed to build meeting halls. Is this a good practice?
Answer: It is not so good. Whenever this kind of letter reaches my desk, I read only the first six words, and then throw it into the wastepaper basket without reading the rest. If an individual brother fellowships with certain brothers in other places, that is all right, because that is not something formal. As soon as this kind of thing becomes formal, I am afraid that it is spoiled.
Question: The responsible brothers should receive double honor. This is correct, but how should we make it known? It is difficult. If we ask the apostles to decide, that will also be hard. Whenever an apostle goes to a certain place, can we ask him to make an effort to mention that the elders should receive double honor?
Answer: This is a special question concerning the center of the work, not concerning a local church. The list should be only in localities where there is a center of the work.
According to the letter written by Paul to Timothy, it is very clear that Timothy was the one who should spread the word to the churches in all the localities regarding how a local church distributes money. When workers go to the local churches, they need to tell the brothers in the local churches to provide material support for the elders. This was Timothy’s responsibility, not the elders, because Paul charged Timothy, saying, “Let the elders who take the lead well be counted worthy of double honor” (1 Tim. 5:17). This was Timothy’s responsibility. When you visit churches in different places, if you see elders who labor in a church and are therefore encountering financial need, those who are Timothys need to cause the local brothers to see that such ones should be given double honor. You need to do this individually.
Why do the elders come third in the administration of money in the church? In the Bible the administration of money in the church is, of course, the responsibility of the elders. There is no doubt about this. Practically, however, the use of the money in the church is not in the hands of the elders, but in the hands of the deacons. In other words, the use of Jerusalem’s money was not in the hands of the twelve apostles, but in the hands of the seven deacons. The fact that the apostles did not attend to tables indicates that they did not manage the use of the money. The principle of administration and the way to administrate are in the hands of the apostles. But when money is actually used, it is in the hands of the seven deacons. Therefore, when arrangements are made for the money, the deacons, not the elders, know the local needs and the needs of the poor. The responsible brothers do not know what the situation is with the brothers in need, but the seven brothers know. Only the seven deacons, not the twelve apostles, are aware of the local expenses. In other words, the use of money is the deacons’ business; it is not the elders’ business. It is the deacons who manage the local expenses and the giving to the poor.
Therefore, the deacons should also bear more responsibility regarding the supply to the elders. This is my personal opinion. It is very difficult for the elders to do this. It is good if a church can care for the responsible brothers, but the church needs to be aware of their responsibility. At any rate we need to make the church aware of their responsibility.
Here the flesh needs to be terminated. When brothers and sisters give offerings of money, there should not be any personal concerns. When managing money, only God’s commandment counts. There should be nothing else, and there should be no personal feelings. You may say that we should give it all to the poor. This means that if it were up to us, we would receive a portion the next time we are poor. Therefore, there cannot be personal feelings. We have given the money to God. It should then be distributed according to what God has decided. First, we should not be indebted to others; all our bills should be paid. Second, we should care for the poor. Third, we should care for the responsible brothers.
The responsible brothers should not take money themselves. The brothers who are deacons should say, “We need to give honor to them.” The deacons do this on behalf of the church. In honoring does anybody honor himself? No one honors himself; others are needed for this. Therefore, in this matter the deacons can represent the church to honor them. The brothers who are deacons may say, “I know that at this time a certain brother is having a considerable difficulty. His son needs to go to school this term. We need to consider this matter.” The deacons may not propose in other areas, but in this area they may. The elders can speak on any matter, but not on the matter of being honored. They have absolutely no right to speak about this. It is up to the deacons to say something.
This matter is in the hands of the deacons. If we have to call a meeting of the church to decide upon this matter, then we will become Laodicea. It is best to entrust the deacons with this matter so that they can take care of it every week and every month. The time to do this is not fixed. In the Bible the day of settling accounts is not once a month, unlike the tree of life which yields its fruits every month. In Corinthians it says that they settled accounts week by week. The deacons should say that they are going to give a sum of money to a certain elder. The money is in the hands of the deacons. They do not manage the money; they only have custody of the money. They need to say that they represent the church in giving this money to an elder.
In the past the money has been in the hands of the elders. Now we need to change. The elders administrate, but actually the money is in the hands of the deacons. The deacons are the cashiers. In other words, the disbursement of funds is the business of the seven deacons; it is not the business of the twelve apostles. Concerning the elders themselves, the Timothys should indeed always say, “You should care for the needs of the responsible brothers here. They administrate the church. It is wrong for you to treat them in a careless way.”