He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. Ezekiel 18:8
“As many clerics, filled with avarice and with the spirit of usury, forget the sacred words, ‘He that hath not given his money upon usury,’ and demand usuriously (that is, every month) a rate of interest, the great and holy Synod declares that if any one, after the publication of this law, takes interest, no matter on what grounds, or carries on the business (of usurer), no matter in what way, or if he require half as much again, or if he give himself up to any other sort of scandalous gain, he must be turned out of the clergy, and his name struck off the list.”
Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) “Canon 17” in History of the Councils of the Church, Volume 1 by Charles Joseph, 350.
For the next week or two, I want to explore the canons and other comments linked to the Seven Councils of the early church. Why do this? On my last day in Kyiv, I visited the cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra that dates back to A.D. 1050. On the wall are seven stunning murals portraying the seven councils.
1. Council of Nicea (A.D. 325)
2. Council of Constantinople (A.D. 381)
3. Council of Ephesus (A.D. 431)
4. Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451)
5. Second Council of Constantinople (A.D. 553)
6. Third Council of Constantinople (A.D. 680)
7. Second Council of Nicea (A.D. 787)
I shot seven photos. The header photo above depicts the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325). As you may know, I wrote a book entitled, The Council: A Biblical Perspective on Board Governance, to help modern boards regain their biblical roots. Let me know if you’d like a digital copy of this book.
The murals inspired me to mine these ancient documents so here we go.
Today’s except comes from the one of the canons or the ecclesiastical rules that came out of the council. I looked to located canons linked to generosity. This canon or rule echoes the charge from Ezekiel that clergy must not lend at interest but must live open-handed, generous lives and avoid putting others into their debt.
And if you charged interest to another, your name was struck off the list. Your ministry service was over.
Imagine if we had such rules today. The church would certainly be purified of charlatans who serve others to make money from them. “No matter on what grounds” and “no matter in what way. There was no gray area here.
What is the lesson for us today? Ask yourself, would my name be struck from the list?
We must not serve for gain but with generosity. We must not take advantage of others but put ourselves in a place and posture of service, administering justly and fairly.
In what place do you find yourself? How can you serve others justly, fairly, and generously?