REMUS RUNCAN
The Social Dimension of the Gospel: Involving Neo-Protestant Churches in Social Life
Introduction
One of the fields that has developed the most and the quickest in Romania in the last twenty-three years is social work. A large number of professionals are involved in social work, trying hard to find original, revolutionary principles or develop social policies or programmes.
We can but admire the golden-hearted people who want to find ways to help the people in need, be it material, spiritual or otherwise. What we cannot agree with is the current of opinion defending that helping people in need can be done by professionals only and not by Christians believers who would be too emotional, hoping to convert the client to genuinely help him/her in times of crisis.
We want to show that the Gospel, God’s good news for humans, supplies exceptionally clear principles concerning social action, which is not an option but an imperative of the Kingdom of God. We also aim at finding Biblical principles on which social work is based.
We believe that Christians are the most motivated and ready to actually help people in need, and have both the principles and the material resources to interfere with people’s desperate situations. The profession of
social worker appeared because the Church ignored its pivotal role in the
world.
Jesus said in Matthew 26: 11: “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” Like the disciples, we sometimes find it too expensive and extremely painful to look directly at people’s needs and to actively involve ourselves in the resolution of their problems. The Biblical text says that the poor are Jesus’ successors on earth and that they are a way to serve our master. This is clearly stated by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 25, where He speaks of the final judgement and of the reward for the righteous and the penalty for the unrighteous.
Those who ask for arguments to endorse the final decision without ever seeing or serving Jesus will get a surprising answer from the King: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25: 40), and “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Matthew 25: 45).
Those who have served their fellow human beings have not been motivated by reward, but by offering love. Wiersbe noted that this text does not claim salvation and can only be done through good deeds. A superficial reading would give the impression that helping one’s neighbour is enough to get salvation and reach Heaven. Alternatively, this is not the message of this passage as nobody has ever been saved due to his/her good deeds (Wiersbe 2008).
Both the New and Old Testament unanimously claim that Christian morality should mark our relationships with other people. Not even Jesus came to teach a new kind of morality. The golden rule of the Old Testament, “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself,” is a summary of what people have always kept for right.
Modern social work is rooted in the nineteenth-century United States of America. This is extremely important since we can easily induce that social work was the efforts of true believers whose Christian tradition was
unquestionable. The U.S.A. also founded its Constitution on the principles
of the Holy Gospels, and this could explain the progress this country has achieved at all levels. Even at present, the American social service system is one of the best in the world. However, the question that arises here is whether we perceive and apply the moral and ethical principles of the Bible in social work or if we need other principles that might work extraordinarily well but lead us on a wrong path. Dr. Johnson once said: “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed” (Lewis 1952, 43). Our responsibility is to always remember the old principles, to contextualise them and then to apply them.
Though relying on the concept “One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself,” Christianity does not pretend to have a comprehensive policy to implement it. Principles are for everybody and from time immemorial, while policies cover a particular place and time. Christianity has never aimed at replacing or removing common human arts or sciences; on the contrary, through its trans-cultural principles it has aimed at guiding everybody in the right direction, supplying the needed energy.
We do not believe that the Church should “take control” of social work, but we believe that this latter area needs the involvement of those
Christians that are gifted in social work and that could work, not for the people, but for Jesus.
The Bible and Social Work
The New Testament speaks a lot about social involvement. Even Jesus, while He lived on earth, managed to blend His missionary involvement (saving lost souls) and His social involvement in an excellent way. He was concerned with people’s needs; He cared about starving people, about sick people, about people in need, etc. Matthew synthesizes in a single verse these two components of Jesus’ message: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” (Matthew 9:
35), drawing the conclusion that “the workers are few.” Nevertheless, Jesus did not make it just because He was supposed to, but to show His disciples how they should consider their fellow human beings, especially
the poor and the miserable.
- The Sermon on the Mount
Ever since the Sermon on the Mount, of which Matthew speaks in Chapters 5–7, when Jesus launches the platform of the Kingdom of the Sky which He has come to deliver to the mortals, He counts among the happy people the blessed ones. In essence, the common notion about happiness is that you are happy if you can access certain things or if you can accomplish certain desires or, to be more precise, all desires. Happiness is, in fact, an emotional state, a matter of character, a humans option of doing what His Creator wants them to do. This explains what Luke attributes to the Saviour: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20: 35). “To give” means “to give a gift” or, more precisely, “to devote oneself,” “to serve” the others, which brings a sense of rights fulfilment and happiness to the one who chooses to do what the Bible recommends. Our feelings and conduct towards our fellow human beings makes us happy.
The fifth beatitude is “Blessed are the Merciful.” The merciful are those who support their fellow human beings and feel pity for them. Bible expert Ţon identifies grace and mercy as: “… the capacity of suffering with those who suffer, of understanding those who are in pain or sorrow, and of doing all you can to remove the pain and to solve the problem” (Ţon 2000, 99).
- The Parable of the Good Samaritan
An admirable illustration Jesus used to stimulate social participation is the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37). Though this parable has been interpreted in the most unusual ways (some of them hilarious), we still can draw a few common principles from it:
– Your neighbour is the person whose name is unknown to you and who is in trouble. This means we should not discriminate depending on race, social status or circumstances. It is a typical Christian action to help someone in pain. Failing to make it means lacking empathy. The world in which we live is full of pain. Those in poverty are numerous, but some are also proud to show that they need help.
– If the Church or its servants do not pay attention to the people in need, someone else will. The fact that a priest and a Levite passed by on the other side ignoring the person in need shows that faith servants are often too concerned with service to stop on their way and do as Jesus said: “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13).
Religious activities should not replace social action. A German priest, Maier (1991), stated that they who claim they would have done differently than the priest and the Levite would have actually done just the same. Accusing the other is the best indicator that the accuser is no better: “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets” (Matthew 23:30–31).
The Samaritan was considered to be the most unexpected person to help a stranger in need. All Samaritans were despised by the Jews, which made him a surprise element in Jesus’ report to show that God
uses other people when the Church forgets about its social position.
– It is not enough to just know what is good, one needs to become active, to get involved in the solution of social problems. The Samaritan’s plan was a good one, and we can derive many teachings and principles:
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have” (Luke 10:34–35)
Jesus challenged His listeners, and this has remained a challenge for all those who read His instruction: “Go and do the same.” Over the centuries, any believer who reads this direction should take it seriously because it is not a recommendation, but a command made by the one who involved himself and did so in an unforgettable way. Though we are saved by our faith in Jesus we are rewarded according to our good deeds, directly proportional with our social action: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). “All our deeds since we went back to God and were born from God will be subjected to the last judgement. If our achievements will turn out to be straw, hay, husk or reeds, they will be burnt out” (Ţon 2000, 104).
- The Concept of Agape (“love”)
This concept is key, materialised in the Holy Trinity for Christians and in real situations for everybody. All acts, attitudes, ideologies and systems should be under the judgement of love.
For a Christian, love is action for people in need, be they naked, hungry or confronted with others’ needs. As God’s love nurtures love in Christian souls, so will a believer’s involvement nurture compassion in those assisted.
The concepts of mercy, justice, and righteousness in the Old Testament are all contained in the concept of agape in the New Testament. It is difficult to understand this concept because the Romanian language only has the synonyms dragoste and iubire. The noun agape and the verb agapao are used in the New Testament to explain God’s attitude towards His Son (John 17:26), humankind (John 3:16, Romans 5:8), and believers in Jesus (John 14:21). The word is also used as a request from God concerning the relationships of a believer with other Christians and people (John 13:34, 1 Corinthians 16:14, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 2 Peter 1:7). This kind of love was commanded within “the great command of love” (Matthew 22:37–40, Mark 12:28–34, Luke 10:25–28).
- The Concept of Christian Service
The Greek term designating Christian service and participation is leitourgein (Barclay 1958, 197). It is fascinating to note that this is the source of the Romanian liturghie “service,” which is much poorer
semantically since it limits the meaning to “service by a priest in a church.”
In fact, this word meant, at the beginning, “performing a voluntary state service, contributing to the solution of a public issue to express one’s
patriotism.” Later, it meant “performing the services the State appointed
its trained citizens to perform,” which marks a shift from voluntary to mandatory services. Certain services could be trusted to all citizens owning the above three talents, i.e. about £700 sterling. In the end, the word came to designate all kinds of service.
In the New Testament the term has several meanings, and designates both Jesus’ service, the service of a judge serving the truth, and the service of a man for the benefit of another.
A Christian is a person working for God and the people, first because this is what they want wholeheartedly and second because they are compelled to do so (by Jesus’ love).
- The Concept of True Religion
Every religion in the world claims to be true, and most religions claim to be the only truth. The term designating true religion is eusebeia, the “relationship between man and God.” True eusebeia does not separate the human from their fellow human beings; on the contrary, it makes them serve them with love and affection.
True religion is defined by James (1:27): “examine the orphans and widows in need.” These two categories, on which the Old Testament and the Church (while acting as a social worker) have always focussed, make religion true or false.
Only someone who takes social duties seriously, taking care of people in need, can claim to be a truly spiritual person; otherwise, they deceive their own heart (James 1:26). The reverse is, however, not true because all
those involved socially are not actual religious people—they can be a
trained professional or just someone with charitable concerns.
Preaching the word and compassion are two complementary activities that result in the growth of the Church (both in numbers and in essence). We need to realise that the Church risks only making charitable acts, or
creating the idea that Christianity is better than charity. This would make
compassion into the cuckoo that settles in a nest while preaching the Word and praying (Gooding 1995).
Protestant Churches
Protestant churches (this title also covers neo-Protestant churches) are numerous and have different doctrines; as far as social participation is concerned, all have numerous social projects.
Numerous sociologists have noted that the countries that are predominantly Protestant are also the most successful economically and benefit from the best social services.
The positions of Protestant theologists at the beginning of the Reform, and especially Jean Calvin as stated in his essential book Institutio Christianae Religionis, are as follows: we should not use these blessings in a sympathetic way or look for richness greedily, but serve with faith (Calvin 2003). This is possible for a Christian if one considers not this life, but eternal life:
This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1
Corinthians 7:29–31)
We will have to answer for everything we have in life: “Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager” (Luke
16:2).
Calvin quotes texts such as those in 1 Thessalonians 4:11: “and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,” or 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” Work is not seen as inevitable, unpleasant and ensuring the simple bare necessities of life, but the most laudable of all human activities. To be called by God does not mean to withdraw from the world but to be involved in all spheres of influence of the world. This attitude towards work, that produces dedicated people with strong ethics, is attributed to the doctrine of predestination. Since the human does not know if they have been chosen or not, they strive to prove to themselves and others that they are the chosen one.
Measure in everything as recommended by Calvin has generated a surplus of goods that have either been invested, which creates economic prosperity, or charity, which has determined remarkably well-designed
social systems in all the countries affected by the Reform. As William
Pinson says, the Church has a plan for the solution of the most important
social issues, and getting general support from the Church and founding an organisation is but the beginning; the next step is to focus on specific issues. Here are a few very practical suggestions Pinson makes:
– Identifying the problem
– Localising resources
– Assessing social change methods
– Prioritising
– Developing specific action plans
– Acting
– Revising and assessing (Pinson 1975, 68).
In this pragmatic spirit, all neo-Protestant churches in America, almost without exception, have social actions or programmes, or at least morally and materially support programmes of other churches and foundations in the U.S.A. and overseas.
The model of serving in Protestant churches is that of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples:
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:14–
17)
Neo-Protestant churches are not satisfied with writing social theology or speaking of intervention methods, but interfere knowing very well that only those who act are truly happy.
Those helped are not selected by discriminatory principles, but because everybody is essential to God who created them after His image. Another reason is that God’s gift was received without merit and following this model determines serving based on one’s gift and not on one’s merits.
Where churches become involved in social activities, the State rules to facilitate these actions and remove enormous responsibilities from its shoulders. Unfortunately, in Romania, because there are few Protestants
and Neo-Protestants, and because some of them refuse to get involved in
social matters, the State carries the burden of spending large amounts of money from the budget, which causes a growth of taxes. As a consequence, the believers pay more taxes instead of helping to directly solve social problems. Their support is contingent because they pay taxes, but they miss the pleasure of giving and being rewarded by the Saviour.
Conclusions
The first forms of social work occurred within the church, which proves that the Church can practice social work and practice it well, and had been doing so when social work did not exist as a science. Moreover, for the Church social participation is not an option but a duty since it was commanded by Jesus and practiced by the first Christians.
After December 1989 Protestant cults became involved in solving multiple social problems left unsolved by a social system that preferred to hide social problems rather than solve them.
The Bible often speaks of social work (although using other terms to designate it) in both the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus gave people principles of social work and was Himself a model of social involvement.
The concept of agape (“love”), the idea of Christian service and the
notion of true religion are Biblical models of social involvement for people.
The different churches are not yet as motivated to solve all social problems, and we believe that preachers and leaders should make believers aware of their great responsibilities. With a large numbers of believers the
churches can take over part of people’s problems. We await playing
pivotal roles for those around us and especially for those who suffer or are in need.
Getting involved in the social area is not a matter of controversial theology for the different Christian cults, and this is why we believe that all we need is to make firm decisions and to take concrete measures. This
would also be the way of getting the different Christian cults that believe
in Jesus’ word and principles together, and that are ready not only to know them but also to apply them.
References
Barclay, W. (1958). A New Testament Wordbook. New York, NY: Harper
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Calvin, J. (2003). Învăţătura religiei creştine [The Teachings of the
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Gooding, D. W. (1995). True to the Faith: Charting the Course Through the Acts of the Apostles. Gran Rapids, MI: Gospel Folio Press.
Lewis, C. S. (1952). Mere Christianity. London: Macmillan Publishers. Maier, G. (1991). Lukas-Evangelium. 2 vols. BK 4-5. Neuheusen-
Stuttgart: Hänsler.
Pinson, M. W. (1975). Applying the Gospel. Nashville, TN: Broadman
Press.
Ţon, I. (2000). Predica de pe Munte [The Sermon on the Mount]. Oradea: Cartea Creştină.
Wiersbe, W. W. (2008). Be Loyal (Matthew): Following the King of
Kings. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook.
