The Work of Shepherds (5)

For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 3.13

Draft Ecclesiastical Ordinances
John Calvin (1506-1564)
“It will be [the deacons’] duty to watch diligently that the public hospital is well maintained, and that this be both for the sick and the old people unable to work, widowed women, orphaned children and other poor creatures…Moreover, care for the poor dispersed throughout the city should be revived, as the procurators may arrange it. Moreover, besides the hospital for those passing through which must be maintained, there should be some attention given to any recognized as worthy of special charity.”

We sometimes hear disquieting and foreboding comments about where the doctrines of Calvinism can lead. Harsh. Cold-hearted. Stern and puritanical, but without love. But looking at Calvin’s ministry shows us a more charitable, pastoral, and efficient work of caring for God’s flocks. Under the oversight of deacons, working with the pastors and elders, care for the poor, the sick, the elderly and orphaned, and the widowed came through the offerings of the people of God, not the civil government. Calvin worked all his ministry in Geneva to keep the magistrates out of the business of the Church, and he worked just as hard to make sure that the Church cared for her own. When all the shepherds work together according to God’s order, grace flows to and throughout the community, and the Body of Christ is more visible to the watching world.

Is there a correlation between the Church’s lack of effective order, community by community, and the growth of civil government?

T. M. Moore

Pastoral Hope Initiative
Pastor, where are you in your walk with and work for the Lord? Are you growing? Covering all the bases? Working fruitfully toward the Kingdom of God? Our Pastoral Hope Initiative can help you establish a framework and baseline for steady, fruitful growth into the Lord Jesus. We have permanently waived the fee for men who want to work through this 14-week protocol. Watch this brief video, then, if you’re interested, let me hear from you at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.All quotations from John Calvin, “Draft Ecclesiastical Ordinances,” in J. K. S. Reid, ed., Calvin: Theological Treatises in The Library of Christian Classics (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1954), pp. 58ff.