Rom 12:8 "The Gift of Giving"

[KMK]

Does "he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity," refer to the exercise of private benevolance or diaconal duty?

 

[Herald]

Private benevolence but within the sphere of the functioning body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-5 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

 

[KMK]

Private benevolence but within the sphere of the functioning body of Christ.

Romans 12:4-5 4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

That is what I always thought, and then I read Poole:

Matthew Poole: He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; i. e. he that hath the office of collecting and distributing the church alms, (which was the deacons' work or charge, Acts 6:1f) let him discharge it with simplicity, or with singleness of heart...

John Calvin agrees with Poole:

By the ??????????????, the givers, of whom he speaks here, he did not understand those who gave of their own property, but the deacons, who presided in dispensing the public charities of the Church; and by the ?????????, those who showed mercy, he meant the widows, and other ministers, who were appointed to take care of the sick, according to the custom of the ancient Church:

It seams the Reformers restricted all of the gifts mentioned in Rom 12 as functions of pastors or deacons only.

Geneva Study Bible:

That which he spoke before in general, he applies particularly to the holy functions, in which men are in greater danger if they sin. And he divides them into two types: that is, into prophets and deacons: and again he divides the prophets into teachers and pastors. And of deacons he makes three types: that is, those who are to be (as it were) treasurers of the Church, whom he calls deacons in the most proper sense: the others to be the governors of discipline, who are called seniors or elders: the third, those who properly serve in the help of the poor, such as the widows.

But FF Bruce is vague and refers to it as 'making material gifts'.

John Piper sees it as 'contributing' to the church. He points out that 'metadidomi' is used in the sense of 'contributing' in Eph 4:28.

Does anyone own Moo? What does he say?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Don't, uh, have a cow, but I don't own Moo. However, I can provide some additional references:

Matthew Poole (actually Richard Mayo) agrees with the Dutch Annotations:

he that diftributeth, [that is, he that is called to gather the almes and collections of the Church, and to diftribute them to the poor according to their neceffities, who are fpecially called Deacons. See concerning them, Acts 6.]

John Brown of Haddington, Systematic Theology, Book 7, Chap. 2, p. 569:

III. The divine appointment of deacons in the Christian church is beyond dispute, Acts 6:1-6; 1 Tim 3:8-11; Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 12:28; Phil 1:1.—

John Calvin, Institutes, Book 4, Chap. 3, p. 322:

9. The care of the poor was committed to deacons, of whom two classes are mentioned by Paul in the Epistle to the Romans, "He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity;" "he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom 12:8). As it is certain that he is here speaking of public offices of the Church, there must have been two distinct classes. If I mistake not, he in the former clause designates deacons, who administered alms; in the latter, those who had devoted themselves to the care of the poor and the sick.

In opposition, John Murray states:

The giving in this instance is that of private means; it is not the giving from the treasury of the church. This latter is the responsibility of the diaconate and there is no evidence to think that this work of mercy is in view here.

 

[KMK]

It seems as if the conventional wisdom of more modern expositors sees this differently than the old-timers. Hmmmm....

 

[MW]

There was an old Presbyterian maxim -- the officers do by authority what all Christians are bound to do by charity. That maxim applies well to texts like Rom. 12. The text need not be limited to ministers, elders, and deacons, but is nevertheless of specific application to them.

 

[Presbyterian Deacon]

Does "he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity," refer to the exercise of private benevolance or diaconal duty?

Yes.

armourbearer: There was an old Presbyterian maxim -- the officers do by authority what all Christians are bound to do by charity. That maxim applies well to texts like Rom. 12. The text need not be limited to ministers, elders, and deacons, but is nevertheless of specific application to them.