All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:32-35
“The early Christians knew this loan at interest but little; they also kept themselves from it conscientiously, so long as that brotherly love prevailed from which had come a community of goods. But unhappily other Christians became apt scholars of the heathen in this matter. It was most blame-worthy in the clergy, whose savings, according to canon law, belonged to the poor and to the Church, and least of all ought to be abused to usurious gain through the oppression of the poor. Therefore the forty-third and forty-fourth apostolical canons gave this order: “A bishop, priest, or deacon who receives interest for money lent, must cease from this traffic under pain of deposition.”
Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) “Canon 17” referencing “Apostolic Canon in History of the Councils of the Church, Volume 1 by Charles Joseph, 351.
As I stated yesterday, for the next week or two, I want to explore the canons and comments linked to the Seven Councils of the early church. I am doing this because on our last day in Kyiv, Jenni and 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). The murals inspired me to mine these ancient documents. Today’s post comes from the canons of that council.
Like yesterday’s post, today’s except comes from the one of the canons. Again, a canon represents an ecclesiastical or church rule that came out of the council. In this canon or rule, after calling clergy to avoid charging interest to the poor (see yesterday’s post that cited the Old Testament mandate), this canon echoes the New Testament call for a community of goods.
With brotherly love, the savings of the clergy belonged to the poor and to the Church.
What’s the significance of this for modern times? Pastors (and ministry administrators) should model the way for the people of God.
Sadly, to many pastors in the pulpit (or ministry administrators) try to wear designer clothes, live lavish lifestyles, and look like the people in the pews instead of modeling simplicity and generosity.
The church set such rules to make sure influential Christians set an example for those they served rather than gain from them.
Whom do you serve? What example do you set for them?