MINISTRY TO THE POOR 2 BY JAMES A. UDU

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH IN BENEVELENCE
A. Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 6:1-4 [Believers -Widows]
1. A local church is obligated to relieve the wants of its  number who are in need. 1Tim. 5:5,16 show that only “widows indeed” become a permanent charge.
2.   How? The church selected men of its own number who tended to the matter; they did not establish another “who”[Benevolent Institution] to do the work.
3.”Serving tables” is clearly not the same as preaching the gospel [6:2]

B. Acts 11:27-30 [BRETHREN]
1.  Though the dearth was throughout “all the world,” relief was sent only to” brethren”!
2.  One church, Antioch, sent to the relief of several churches in Judea [A.D. 45].
A.  One must conclude that each church had its own elders Acts 14:23; 1 Thess. 2:14; Gal. 1:22.
b.  Barnabas and Saul delivered the relief to “the elders”[of each church]. Arrangement of today cannot be found in the scriptures.
C.  Rom. 15:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2Cor. 8:1-4; 9:1,12-13
[SAINTS]
1. The churches of Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia sent to ne church, Jerusalem [58].
.  2.  “Equality” [freedom from the want] was the design of this contribution.  2 Cor. 8:14. Observe the circumstances wherein one church sent to another that there may be “equality”
a.  A need existed in the receiving church:
b.  This was never a “promoted” need [i.e., fr projects larger than the responsibility of the local church].
C.  The need was always temporary, and benevolence was sent only until the need was satisfied..
D.  An emergency always existed before other churches were asked to assist