Student: 66462851 Module: HRMSG82

Ecclesial Diakonia Reclaiming Diakonia for the Local Congregation

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Table of Content 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2

1.1. Research Field .................................................................................................................. 2

1.2. The Problem ..................................................................................................................... 3

1.3. Material ............................................................................................................................. 3

1.4. Methodology .................................................................................................................... 4

1.5. Process .............................................................................................................................. 4

1.6. Ambition ........................................................................................................................... 5

1.7. Definition of Mission ...................................................................................................... 5

1.8. Definition of Diakonia .................................................................................................... 6

2. Is There a Need for an Ecclesial Diakonia? ......................................................................... 7

2.1. The Relationship Between Diakonia and The Danish Folk Church ......................... 7

2.2. Elaboration of Alf Oftestads Terminology ................................................................... 8

2.2.1. Individualistic Diakonia ......................................................................................... 8

2.2.2. Organized Diakonia ............................................................................................... 10

2.3. Biblical Argumentation for the Need for Ecclesial Diakonia .................................. 12

2.3.1. Exegesis of Three Texts from Acts ...................................................................... 12

2.3.2. The Essentiality of the Congregation .................................................................. 14

3. Discussion of the Thesis ....................................................................................................... 16

3.1. Is Diakonia Subordinate the Proclamation? .............................................................. 16

3.2. Where is the Individual Responsibility? .................................................................... 18

3.3. The Danger of Ecclesiocentrism .................................................................................. 18

4. Developing a Theological Understanding of Ecclesial Diakonia .................................... 20

4.1. Diakonia Based on the Doctrine of Creation ............................................................. 20

4.2. Diakonia Based on the Christology ............................................................................. 21

5. The Conclusion and the Consequences .............................................................................. 24

5.1. Conclusion With a Modification of the Thesis .......................................................... 24

5.2. An Example of the Thesis in Function........................................................................ 24

5.3. Further Studies .............................................................................................................. 25

Bibliography ................................................................................................................................... 27

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1. Introduction 1.1. Research Field Since the Reformation, Denmark has been a country with Lutheran Protestantism as reli-

gion. Although a nation like Germany dealt with different confessions within Christianity in

the aftermath of the reformation, Denmark became a Lutheran nation with the extinction

of the Catholic church in Denmark (Lausten, 2004: 126). Almost the entire population in

Denmark were Lutheran Christians, so it became a mono-confessional nation. The mis-

sional perspective seemed not relevant at that time. However, when the pietistic awakening

from Germany, which also spread to Denmark came, the relevance of mission was obvious

(Bosch, 1991: 255). The scope of the mission in the 19th century’s missions was the of course

not the already Christian European nations but was directed towards Africa and Asia.

The renewed focus on the missional task of the Church lay the foundations to the founding

of The International Mission Council (IMC). The World Council of Churches (WCC) and

IMC grew apart from each other in the following years. This happened due to the fact that

the purpose of IMC became to do missions in foreign countries and continents while WCC

focused on the Christians in the West (Nikolajsen, 2013: 250). One of the consequences of

this division was that missions in the foreign countries did not become integrated with con-

gregations but organized and institutionalized. It led to a culmination at the IMC conference

in 1952 in Willingen, Germany. Some of the participants suggested after a group session

that “the true task of the church is to show how God is working in the world, for example,

in political and social movements” (Nikolajsen, 2013: 253). The report was debated and be-

came refused by the conference. Instead, another report was made and Lesslie Newbigin

(1909-1998) was the most important figure of that report. In the new report, the emphasis

was on the church and it linked the church closely with mission (Nikolajsen, 2013: 253).

One of the consequences of the IMC conference in Willingen 1952 was that the missiology

and the ecclesiology gradually became bound together.

Nevertheless, diakonia, in some traditions are not bound together with the church. For in-

stance in the context of Denmark. State, church and the people have been bound together

since 1849, where the Danish Folk Church was founded. Therefore, there is a major quantity

of diaconal institutions and organizations funded by the state. Gradually these institutions

have become dependent on the funding of the state. Different state-funded organizations

are taking care of the marginalized groups of society and help the state succeed as being a

welfare state (Lodberg, 2005: 24). Therefore, they survive because of the state rather than

the church. It is argued that the congregations must be awakened to examine the relation

between the state and the diaconal institutions (Foss, 1992: 187).

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As Newbigin states, Denmark, like the rest of Western societies have been changed into a

pluralist society (Newbigin, 1989: 1). The state does no longer represent a common belief

and worldview (Newbigin, 1989: 1). With pluralism comes secularism and therefore, there

is a need to reconsider whether the close connection between the diaconal institutions and

the state is ideal.

I will argue that the situation is a result of a premeditated secularization of diakonia where

the instruments used are individualization and institutionalization.

1.2. The Problem Therefore, when diakonia and the state withhold a close relationship, the congrega-

tions’ role considering diakonia has become complex due to both the individualization

and the organization of diakonia. The fact that there is a growing interest in how dia-

konia can be a part of the local church’s missions to the neighborhood of the local con-

gregations, the thesis of the research will be this:

Due to both an individualistic view and an organized view on diakonia, it has lost its

connection to the local church, which must be regained in order to practice diakonia in

a biblical sense.

1.3. Material The framework of the article will be a terminology which contains three views on dia-

konia. In the problem thesis, I refer to these which are developed and explained by the

former professor in theology Alf B. Oftestad (1932-) in his book, “How to build a diac-

onal church” (2016). Oftestad describes three different views by which I have created

three terms: organized, individualistic, and ecclesial diakonia.

The main material to investigate, which will deliver responses to the problem I have

stated, is the Bible. More specifically I will analyze some selected qualified New Testa-

ment texts. The qualification criteria for the texts is that they deal with the idea of dia-

konia and that they fit with my hermeneutical aims which I will elaborate in the next

section of this paper. To approach the question considering the ecclesiology of the New

Testament, I will use three texts from the Acts of the Apostles. The reason is, that these

texts fulfill the criteria considering that they relates to diakonia and is a description of

the new ecclesial reality after the Pentecost.

Of other material, I will use different literature from the former Director of the Depart-

ment of Mission and Development for the Lutheran World Federation, Dr. Kjell Nord-

stokke (1946-). Nordstokke has written different books where considerations regarding

diakonia and the mainline of his work is mission.

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The Danish theologian, Helge Kjær Nielsen, has written a book, “Han Elskede Os Først:

Om den bibelske begrundelse for diakoni”1, which I will use throughout the article

to approximate the theme.

1.4. Methodology To create the framework needed for the article I will use a typological method, inspired

by one of the founders of sociology, Max Weber. He described a term he called ideal

types: “The ideal-typical concept will help to develop our skill in imputation in research:

it is no »hypothesis« but it offers guidance to the construction of hypotheses. It is not a

description of reality but it aims to give unambiguous means of expression to such a

description” (Koshul, 2006: 112). The typological method will enable me to create the

hypothesis and will help to describe different positions.

To understand, investigate and analyze the chosen texts, I will use a hermeneutical

method. The hermeneutical method enables me to be consistent with the purpose of my

examination. For instance, I will analyze the Christological approach towards diakonia

and examine texts about the New Testament ecclesiology. When I use the hermeneutical

method it is important to know exactly what to look for when reading the texts. Through

my presuppositions and my reading of the different texts, I will gain new knowledge

about the theme chosen as focus.

At the end of the article, I will use an evaluating method in an attempt to evaluate the

main thesis with a criterium of consistency. Is the thesis consistent or should the thesis

be modified? I will also evaluate the thesis from a pragmatic perspective. What are the

implications of the thesis? Is the thesis applicable?

1.5. Process The article is structured as a line of reasoning. Therefore, I will relate to the different

elements of the thesis and gradually develop the foundation of the thesis.

The article is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction chapter

where the problem will be elaborated. The second chapter examines the question of

whether there is a need for an ecclesial diakonia. The third chapter is a discussion of

the thesis where other positions regarding the thesis criticize it. The fourth chapter is

the development of a theological understanding of the ecclesial diakonia as a sugges-

tion. The fifth chapter is the conclusion of the article followed by an example of the the-

sis in function and further research areas.

1 The English translation of the title: “He Loved Us First: the biblical basis of diakonia”.

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1.6. Ambition The main ambition of the article is to argue the thesis in a way that either proves, disproves,

or modifies the thesis about ecclesial diakonia so that the position created throughout the

article becomes both consistent and applicable.

1.7. Definition of Mission I find it necessary to clarify my usage of the term mission. The former professor of Missiol-

ogy, David Jacobus Bosch (1929-1992), has written one of the most crucial books when it

comes to mission: “Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission”

(1991). Bosch describes in his introduction of the book his position regarding defining mis-

sion:

“Ultimately, mission remains undefinable; it should never be incarcerated in the narrow

confines of our own predilections. The most we can hope for is to formulate some approxi-

mations of what mission is all about” (Bosch, 1991: 9).

Therefore, with Bosch’s position as a foundation, I will not attempt to define mission too

sharply. Instead, I will formulate various approximations of what mission is about. I sug-

gest, like Bosch, that instead of dealing with mission on a definable level one should describe

mission on a phenomenological level, where the phenomena get described as it is. However,

what I will argue throughout the article is that diakonia is a part of missio Christi and be-

comes a part of missio ecclesiae2. Therefore, the marks of mission that I present in the fol-

lowing do acknowledge that diakonia is a part of mission.

An example is the theologian, Lesslie Newbigin. He writes in his significant book, “The Gos-

pel in a Pluralist Society”, that to play words and deeds off against each other as mission is

meaningless: “The words explain the deeds, and the deeds validate the words” (Newbigin,

1989: 137). For Newbigin mission is the combination of words and deeds of the gospel.

Another example is Dr. Pachuau and Dr. Papageorgiou. They describe in their contribution

to the Edinburgh 2010 Regnum Series book, “Witnessing to Christ Today”, mission with

these words: “Mission is what the church is sent to be – koinonia, community, presence,

nearness, worship. Mission is what the church is sent to do – diakonia, care, service. Mis-

sion is what the church is sent to say – kerygma, the proclamation of the gospel, dialogue,

apologetics” (Pachuau & Papageorgiou, 2010: 45-46). Furthermore, Samuel Escobar de-

scribes from a Latin American perspective in the book, “The Local Church, Agent of

2 For instance, Jesus washing his disciples feet (Joh 13:1-15).

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Transformation: An Ecclesiology for Integral Mission”, the same terms as signs of a mis-

sionary church: koinonia, diakonia, witnessing, and kerygma (Escobar, 2004: 126-128).

My usage of the term, mission should, therefore, be understood in this way: I will distin-

guish between mission and missions, which is common in missiology. Mission refers to what

all missions have in common. Bosch states that ultimately mission refers to Missio Dei and

missions to missiones ecclesiae (Bosch, 1991: 10). Since this distinction is a helpful way of

dealing with the terms, I will use it throughout the article. Mission is ultimately missio Dei

and diakonia is a part of it.

1.8. Definition of Diakonia Since diakonia is the main theme of the article, it is a necessity to define my usage of the

word diakonia.

Helge K.Nielsen argues, that due to the fact that the term is used in different ways in differ-

ent confessions and eras, it is crucial to define precisely how one uses the term (Nielsen,

2009: 13). I will not define diakonia with an etymological approach, where I consider the

original meaning of the term. I will try to define diakonia with an exegetical approach and

with a systematic theological approach (Oftestad, 2016: 107-113). I will use texts from the

New Testament and relate the term to other theological terms. Since the whole article con-

siders the theme diakonia, this passage will just open the window into the definition of dia-

konia.

Diakonia as a theological term is distinctive from general carrying and service. The term

does not only relate to texts which include the Greek words διακονια, διακονειν or διακονος

because these are insufficient in describing the foundation of the theological term diakonia.

John N. Collins describes in his book, “Diakonia: Reinterpreting the ancient sources”, that

there has been a historical shift from the concept of the diaconate to the concept of diakonia

(Collins, 1990: 13). Furthermore, he argues that diakonia “is now widely accepted as a fin-

ished product of modern reflection on the linguistic data of the New Testament representing

what Jesus was and did, how disciples were related to him and each other, and both the

scope and style of the Christian community’s responsibilities” (Collins, 1990: 13).

Therefore, I will use the term as service constituted by Jesus (Luke 22:27)3, and as what the

church is sent to do in the world. The content of diakonia is with this definition what the

Christians are to do and what Jesus called them to do. As a part of missio Dei, diakonia is a

part of the very core of Christianity.

3 I use the English Standard Version translation of the Bible throughout the article.

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2. Is There a Need for an Ecclesial Diakonia? In this section, I will argue that there is a need for ecclesial diakonia. To do that I will begin

with the context of the article. I will argue that diakonia and the Folk Church in Denmark

are walking in different directions. Afterward, I will argue that there have been two domi-

nant views on diakonia in the context already described. Furthermore, I will argue that the

Bible contains material that supports the thesis that there is a need for an ecclesial diakonia.

At the end of this section, I will discuss the presented arguments with different perspectives

on diakonia. The section’s aim is to clear the way and lay the foundation to develop a theo-

logical understanding of ecclesial diakonia which I will do afterwards.

2.1. The Relationship Between Diakonia and The Danish Folk Church Since the geographical scope of the article is Denmark, it is a necessity to describe the rela-

tionship between the church and diakonia in Denmark. The main church in Denmark is an

Evangelical Lutheran Church and is identified as the Danish Folk Church (Lodberg, 2005:

18). The Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs published in 2014 a report in which a definition

of the identity and the tasks of the Danish Folk Church was elaborated. It is defined as a

community of people, where the gospel is preached and the sacraments, which, in a Lu-

theran context, is baptism and communion, are administered (Kirkeministeriet, 2014: 25).

It is explained that the congregation, which congregates around the preaching of the Word,

the baptism and the communion is central in the understanding of the Danish Folk Church.

The Danish Folk Church is financed by the state of Denmark and is the official church of

Denmark (Lodberg, 2005: 18). Peter Lodberg, Professor in Theology, explains in the book,

Nordic Folk Churches, the church’s relationship to the state: “We recognize a double prin-

ciple: freedom of religion, and the state-supported Evangelical Lutheran Church that is

basic to Danish society even today” (Lodberg, 2005: 18).

Considering the tasks of the Danish Folk Church, the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs de-

fines the central task of the Folk Church as to preach the gospel about Jesus Christ as the

savior of the world in both words and deeds (Kirkeministeriet, 2014: 25). Furthermore, it is

clarified that the proclamation of the gospel will be expressed, among other tasks, in social

care through the diakonia of the church (Kirkeministeriet, 2014: 25). As the text reveals, the

Danish Folk Church understands diakonia as a part of the tasks of the Church. The text

refers to free ecclesial organizations in relation to the Danish Folk Church as agents of dia-

konia as well as local congregations (Kirkeministeriet, 2014: 25-26). An example of this is

Kirkens Korshær, whose English name is DanChurchSocial.

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Alf Oftestad describes in his book, Kirke Fellesskap Omsorg4, that diakonia is not a struc-

tural part of the local congregational life, because the congregations usually do not have any

deacons employed (Oftestad, 2017: 209). Throughout the Danish church history, there have

been different movements that impacted the situation the Danish Folk Church finds itself

in today.

The theological and Barthian movement in Denmark, Tidehverv, gained a major impact af-

ter 1925 (Larsen, 2007: 148). The word diakonia was not a good word, in their opinion.

“According to Tidehverv the term diakonia almost was assertiveness and self-righteousness,

since one through good deeds wanted to make oneself better”(Larsen, 2007: 335)5. The pri-

ority of the church must be on the Word and the sacraments and not diakonia. This view

represents a Danish version of an individualistic approach towards diakonia. Therefore,

there is a diversity in the understanding of the term.

2.2. Elaboration of Alf Oftestads Terminology To clarify the term, diakonia various scholars have made an effort. One of them is Alf

Oftestad. He makes in his book, “How To Build A Diaconal Church”, a distinction between

three different types of diakonia. These types are the framework of the article and I will use

them to describe and discuss the complexities within the field of diakonia. The three views

are individualistic diakonia, organized diakonia6, and ecclesial diakonia7 (Oftestad, 2016:

11). In this chapter, I will describe two types of diakonia which, according to Oftestad, have

been dominant in the latest centuries. The argument of the thesis is, that the praxis of these

two specific views on diakonia has outplayed the role of the local congregation. Therefore,

there is a need for an ecclesial diakonia. This form of diakonia I will describe when it is

natural in the chronology of the article.

When I use a typological method to describe different views on diakonia, it is crucial to

emphasize that the danger of oversimplification or stereotyping. Therefore, I find it neces-

sary to use specific examples to express the implications of the three different views.

2.2.1. Individualistic Diakonia Individualistic diakonia has, according to Oftestad, its roots in the pietistic movement in

Germany and Scandinavia in the 18th century (Oftestad, 2016: 11). Oftestad describes that

4 My translation: “Church Fellowship Care”. 5 My translation: “For Tidehverv var begrebet diakoni nærmest selvhævdelse og selvretfærdighed, idet man ved gerninger ville gøre sig bedre” (Larsen, 2007: 335). 6 In his book he refers to this view in different terms, and I decided to call it organized diakonia. 7 In his book he refers to this view as classical, but for the sake of clarification I will call it ecclesial diakonia.

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individualism dominated both the cultural and the religious life of the 18th century. Within

the individualistic diakonia there are two different forms, Oftestad argues.

The first form is where the constitutional element regarding diakonia is the personal expe-

rience and repentance to the call of Jesus (Oftestad, 2016: 13). The individual Christian is

obliged to serve people. The personality of the Christian is where the diakonia begins. The

aim of diakonia is, in the end, to proclaim the gospel to the receiver of the diakonia. The real

Christian and the most important act is to help and show the way to the gospel so that the

receiver not only receive earthly but also spiritual salvation (Oftestad 2016: 13). The impli-

cations of this form is diverse. I will give examples of two different outcomes of this under-

standing. The main focus in the Bible will be on the cross, the soteriology, and the eternal

life (Oftestad, 2016: 13).

An example of this form of diakonia we find in the evangelical Lausanne Movement. When

they write about their relationship to people of other faiths in “The Cape Town Commit-

ment” from 2010, they make it clear that the center is to share the good news in evangelism

(Lausanne Movement, 2011: 32). However, they also recognize that proselytizing is not a

way the church can go. They make a distinction between evangelism and proselytism:

“Evangelism, which includes persuasive rational argument following the example of the

Apostle Paul, is ‘to make an honest and open statement of the gospel which leaves the hear-

ers entirely free to make up their own minds about it. We wish to be sensitive to those of

other faiths, and we reject any approach that seeks to force conversion on them. Proselytiz-

ing, by contrast, is the attempt to compel others to become ‘one of us’, to ‘accept our reli-

gion’, or indeed to ‘join our denomination’ (Lausanne Movement, 2011: 32).

The distinction makes it possible to maintain a powerful emphasis on the cruciality of proc-

lamation while distancing from proselytizing. The individual salvation seems to be of major

significance, however, there must be no form of forced proselytism.

Another example of an individualistic approach towards diakonia does not emphasize the

personal experience rather than suggesting that to be a spontaneous good person to others

is to participate in diakonia. An example of that approach is found in the document, “Dia-

konia in Context” from the Lutheran World Federation. When Christians spontaneously

help people in need it is mere diakonia (LWF, 2009: 47). Although there are certain ele-

ments from the individualistic approach towards diakonia in relation to LWF, I find that the

majority of the representants of LWF is supporting the organized diakonia, which I elabo-

rate below. Another example of the individualistic approach diakonia is the Tidehverv-in-

spired Danish Theologian, K. E. Løgstrup, who described his view on how to live a serving

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life with these words: “An individual never has something to do with another person without

him holding something of their life in his hands” (Løgstrup, 1956: 25)8. Diakonia must not

be organized but is an expression of the individual. This view on diakonia has impacted the

way the Danish Folk Church deals with diakonia. For instance, as stated, it is not an ordinary

procedure to have deacons employed in the local churches.

What is the role of the local congregation within this perspective? Both forms of individual-

istic diakonia will have a free relationship to the organized, visible congregation: “Therefore,

the diakonia, based on the individual Christian and his personality and piety, is given cer-

tain freedom towards the church” (Oftestad, 2016: 14). Due to the fact that the spiritual

salvation is the center and aim of this form of diakonia, or that the spontaneous good deeds

come from inside the individual, the congregation becomes less significant. As I will discuss

later in the article this will be a problem when I want to describe the biblical reason for

diakonia.

2.2.2. Organized Diakonia Organized diakonia is, according to Oftestad, a reaction on the individualistic diakonia. It

has its roots in the political theology which grew out of the crisis of Christianity after World

War II (Chung, 2019: 6). In terms of political theology, religion is neither individualistic nor

private but must be a part of the public sphere. Oftestad describes the reasoning in this

specific view with these words: “The argument is this: when the individualistic faith in the

life to come is dominating, the social responsibility for the needy and those who suffer, will

probably disappear” (Oftestad, 2016: 20). As the individualistic diakonia, there are also two

different types of organized diakonia. The goal that both of the types of organized diakonia

have in common is their aim to “establish a human life, salvation or deliverance from pov-

erty, distress, war, hunger, illness, slavery and all kinds of unjust and mainly physical suf-

fering” (Oftestad, 2016: 23). Within this kind of diakonia Oftestad states that it is also a

common feature that diakonia is to help people with the physical need primarily. This indi-

cates that there is less room for the proclamation of the gospel.

While one perspective is aiming for changing the person in need’s situation right now, the

other is aiming for structural changes in society (Oftestad, 2016: 23). An example of the first

perspective in a Danish context is that there is a need for shelter for homeless persons.

Therefore, various shelters have open doors for homeless persons, in order for them to give

them a place to be in the cold weather of Northern Europe. Organizations as Blue Cross

8 My translation: “Den enkelte har aldrig med et andet menneske at gøre uden at han holder no-

get af dets liv i sin hånd”.

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Denmark and KFUM’s Social Work are agents of this type of organized diakonia. Within

this perspective, the organized diakonia often has mutual interests with the social work of

the state (Larsen, 2007: 333). Therefore, a problem emerged considering the distinctiveness

of Christian social work. When the state and Christian organizations agree, what then is the

need for Christian organizations and what is their distinctiveness (Larsen, 2007: 333)? Fur-

thermore, when the state finances what congregations and the church cannot fund, the con-

gregations can be influenced by the interests of the state, which can be dangerous for the

diakonia (Klinken, 1989: 80).

An example of the second perspective in a Danish context is Kirkens Korshær. The political

theology and the liberation theology inspired them to look for people in society who were

not helped by the state. They wanted to be the spokesperson of the marginalized (Larsen,

2007: 333). The transformation of society becomes more important than keeping the wheels

going. First, the transformation takes place in the political sphere.

The main focus in the Bible which both perspectives have in common is the creation and the

perspective of humankind made by God in the image of God (Oftestad, 2016: 20). Another

focus in the bible is parables as the good Samaritan. This parable is an archetypical example

of how Christian organizations must function. They must take care of the person in need –

the first perspective – and they must do what the society or even the church9 does not do –

the second perspective.

What is the role of the local congregation within this perspective? The church becomes

where these loving acts are done and where the marginalized people are (Oftestad, 2016:

21). The ecclesiology loses emphasis. In the church, there is an actualization of what God is

for the whole world. The difference between the world and the church is that the world does

not have words for the Kingdom of God. Within this perspective, the local congregation is a

dynamical fellowship and the pastor an advisor helping the congregation in each function

(Oftestad, 2016: 22).

As this part revives, the different perspectives and positions regarding diakonia maintain a

certain main focuses in their way of interpreting the biblical literature. In both approaches

the church does not play a significant role. What, then, is the biblical argumentation for an

ecclesial diakonia?

9 Exemplified with the priest and the Levite passing by without stopping to help.

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2.3. Biblical Argumentation for the Need for Ecclesial Diakonia I will deliver two different approaches considering the biblical argumentation for the need

for ecclesial diakonia. Firstly, is – and if so, how is - the local congregation described in the

Bible – more precisely in the Acts of the Apostles - as a facilitator of diakonia? Secondly, the

essentiality of the local congregation.

First of all, Oftestad asks, if the local congregation is the basis for diakonia. To answer the

question one must examine the ecclesiology of the New Testament. The word, εκκλησια oc-

curs 114 times in the New Testament. Of the gospels, the Gospel of Matthew is the only one

using the word. In Acts, the word is used 23 after what is usually referred to as the birth of

the church, the Pentecost. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that it is the church Jesus is

referring to when he states this: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am

I among them” (Matt 18:20). The church is characterized as a fellowship of people gathered

in the name of Jesus.

2.3.1. Exegesis of Three Texts from Acts I will use three texts from the Acts of the Apostles to examine the question of whether the

local congregation is the basis for diakonia in the New Testament. One of the strengths of

the texts is that they specifically deal with the new ecclesial reality after the Pentecost. These

three texts, Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37, and 5,12-16 are referred to as summaries (Nielsen, 2009:

150-151). In the exegetical debate considering these texts, it is a discussion whether the au-

thor presents the idealized picture of the church, which for instance Conzelmann argues in

his Hermeneia Series commentary on Acts (Conzelmann, 1972: 24) or the reality of the

church which are common in evangelical circles. For instance, Keener recognizes that the

author is using idealistic language, however, there is a clear connection between these pas-

sages and the virtues of the early Christian congregations, according to the Pauline litera-

ture like Rom 12:16; 15:5 or 1 Cor 1:10; 10:24; 13:5, etc. (Keener, 2013: 1175). I will not go

further into the discussion, but the premise for this exegesis will be that it is the new reality

of the church. The first text is from Acts 2:

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking

of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs

were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all

things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distrib-

uting the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together

and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number

day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42.47).

13

As a result of the coming of the Spirit the teaching, the fellowship, the eucharist, and the

prayers are a part of the life of the church. Furthermore, all the believers were together and

shared everything and helped those in need, χρειαν. When the question is raised whether

the local congregation is the basis for diakonia this text describes diakonia next to all other

elements of the congregation. The extent of diakonia in this text is as far as to the congrega-

tion itself, thus of an internal matter. Nielsen questions if the congregation is both subject

and object to diakonia (Nielsen, 2009: 180). According to this text, the extent of diakonia to

the borders of the congregations. However, the text reveals that people came to faith

through the congregation having favor, χαριν, with all the people. According to this text,

the congregation is the subject of diakonia which proves the first part of the argument.

The second text is from Acts 4:

“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that

any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33

And with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the

Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among

them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds

of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had

need. 36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of

encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, 37 sold a field that belonged to him and

brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” (Acts 4:32-37).

According to Nielsen, the emphasis of this text is not that everybody must give everything

they have rather than the fact that nobody must need anything (Nielsen, 2009: 151). It is the

congregation, according to Acts 4:32-37 which is the conveyer of diakonia (Nielsen,

2009:153).

The third text is from Acts 5:

“Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the

apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join

them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added

to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick

into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow

might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem,

bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.” (Acts

5:12-16).

14

Considering how the local congregation should practice diakonia the third and last sum-

mary in Act 5:12-16 gives a response. In concrete terms, diakonia is healing, cleaning, and

caring for the needy (Nielsen, 2009: 153). Keener states that these ways of exercising dia-

konia are in direct relation to Jesus’s ministry. He describes the verses’ close connection to

Luke 6:18, where the same words are used about the ministry of Jesus (Keener, 2013: 1203).

A parallel can be drawn to the sending of his disciples in the Gospel of John: “Jesus said to

them again, »Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you«”.

(John 20:21). As Jesus was sent to the world he is now sending his disciples

The extent of the diakonia and the statement that diakonia appears to be of an internal mat-

ter alone is not a reasonable assumption. As the text reveals, people came from towns

around Jerusalem to get healed. There is a wider scope of the diakonia of the congregation.

According to Nielsen, it is an important perspective in Luke-Acts that Jesus not only came

to save but also to send the disciples, not only the twelve but 70 as it is described in Luke

10.

2.3.2. The Essentiality of the Congregation Why is the congregation essential? Are we throwing out the baby with the bathwater if the

loving acts are done by the individual without relating to any community or congregation?

In a contribution to the book, “The Local Church, Agent of Transformation: An Ecclesiol-

ogy for Integral Mission”, Pablo Escobar argues that both the individualism and the collec-

tivism in the Bible must not be understood in absolute terms (Escobar, 2004: 131). Both

perspectives are a part of the Bible and a part of the church.

The congregation is, according to Paul, corpus Christi (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:4-30). Nielsen

describes that Paul aims towards defining the congregation’s diversity and its unity with

this language (Nielsen, 2009: 158). In John 15:1-8 the congregation is described as branches

of the vine, and these two images match each other. The congregation is a part of Jesus

Christ. The community, the koinonia, is first and foremost characterized as the koinonia

with God, however, there is a deeply dependent relation to the koinonia within the congre-

gation, the σωμα, the body of Christ:

“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread

that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we

who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor 10:16-17).

A vital aspect of the koinonia within the congregation is described as mutual love and service

for each other. The Johannine literature describes that Jesus gives a new commandment, to

love one another (John 13:34). This is elaborated in the first letter of John 2:10;3:11;4:11.

15

The one who loves his brother, αδελφον αυτου, which should be interpreted as the brothers

and sisters in Christ (Jobes, 2014: 97). The love is closely related to the fact that God is love

(1 John 4:8) expressed with the crucifixion and sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the people

(1 John 4:10). This is the foundation of the mutual love of the congregation (1 John 4.11).

However, the koinonia aspect of the congregation and the mutual diakonia within the con-

gregation must not lead to isolation. The theologian Jeppe B. Nikolajsen uses these words

to describe the dynamic between the internal and external perspectives of the koinonia:

“In conclusion, even though the church is a called-out community, this should not lead to

isolationism. The church is sent to the world, and therefore must not divorce itself from

society, but should make present in the world what would otherwise be absent: a people

confessing Christ as Lord. Therefore, being not of this world and being in the world do not

necessarily contradict each other” (Nikolajsen, 2015: 176). The perspective that mutual love

and unity is a part of the mission is also emphasized by Jesus in the Gospel of John:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be

in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:20-21).

D. A. Carson states that the genuine love between the brothers and sisters in Christ displays

the love of Christ which is compelling and different from what the world is used to see (Car-

son, 1991: 568). Thus, mutual love does not only have internal implications but also exter-

nal. Living in mutual love and service to one another in the koinonia through internal dia-

konia, the congregation becomes a witness of who Jesus is.

In conclusion, the local congregation is unavoidable when one must understand an interpret

the biblical conception of diakonia.

16

3. Discussion of the Thesis I have now proved that diakonia should be a part of the congregation, as ecclesial diakonia,

both when it comes to the internal perspective and external perspective. However, the dy-

namic between ecclesial diakonia, organized diakonia, and individualized diakonia is a con-

tinuing discussion. Therefore, I will discuss the argumentation with the two dominant ap-

proaches towards diakonia to discuss whether my thesis that diakonia must be reclaimed

by the local congregation is valid.

First of all, the individualistic critique of the thesis. Earlier in the article, I describe two

forms of individualistic diakonia. Some of the questions which the individualistic diakonia

raises in criticizing ecclesial diakonia are these: Is diakonia subordinate proclamation?

What is the individual responsibility?

3.1. Is Diakonia Subordinate the Proclamation? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus describes that there is one thing which must be the first

thing, πρωτον, to seek, that is the kingdom of God and his righteousness, βασιλειαν του

θεου και την δικαιοσυνην αυτου. Afterward, everything else will be given (Matt 6:33).

Therefore, there is a proto-perspective regarding mission. The kingdom of God and his

righteousness is proto everything else. However, Nordstokke does not find any discrepancy

between diakonia and proclamation. It must be seen as a unity – he refers to a declaration

from 1981 from the Norwegian Missionary Society, NMS:

“Our aid work must never be used as ‘bait’. It is unworthy for the disciples of Christ, and it

can create a superficial attitude towards the gospel. On the other hand, we must not refrain

from giving a Christian testimony. There is a unity considering the work which we must not

lose. Our effort for the needy must walk side by side with the congregation building work.

It is this unity of service and testimony which make the effort diakonia”10 (Nordstokke,

1994: 64).

According to Nordstokke, the biblical basis for diakonia as a part of the mission is that words

and deeds are closely bound together throughout the New Testament (John 5:36; Acts 1:1;

Matt 5:16; Nordstokke, 1994: 66). He states that a holistic11 understanding of the human

being is crucial for everything called diakonia.

10 My translation of: ”Vårt hjelpearbeid må aldri brukes som ’lokkemat’. Det er uverdig for Kristi

disipler, og det kan skape en overfladisk holdning til evangeliet. På den annen side må vi heller ikke

unnlate å gi et kristent vitnesbyrd. Der er en helhet over arbeidet som vi ikke må miste. Vår innsats

for nødlidende må gå hånd i hånd med menighetsbyggende arbeid. Det er denne sammenknytnin-

gen av tjeneste og vitnesbyrd som gjør arbeidet til diakoni”. 11 Although Nordstokke does not use the word holistic himself, it is clearly what he is referring to.

17

At the second conference held by the Lausanne Movement in 1989, the conference made a

manifest. In the manifest there is a definition of the proto-perspective which is interesting

under part A.4, The Gospel and Social Responsibility: “Evangelism is primary because our

chief concern is with the gospel, that all people may have the opportunity to accept Jesus

Christ as Lord and Saviour. Yet Jesus not only proclaimed the kingdom of God, he also

demonstrated its arrival by works of mercy and power. We are called today to a similar in-

tegration of words and deeds. In a spirit of humility we are to preach and teach, minister to

the sick, feed the hungry, care for prisoners, help the disadvantaged and handicapped, and

deliver the oppressed. While we acknowledge the diversity of spiritual gifts, callings, and

contexts, we also affirm that good news and good works are inseparable” (LCWE, 1990: 30).

As the quote explains it is indisputable that LCWE in 1989 had the perspective that the cen-

tral part of the gospel is the perspective that God wants every soul to be saved. The biblical

basis for this statement is for instance Rom 10:13-14: “for »everyone who calls on the name

of the Lord will be saved.« How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to

hear without someone preaching?” (Rom 10:13-14). The reason is this; salvation is to call

on the name of the Lord and people cannot do that if nobody has preached the gospel to

them.

However, LCWE’s Cape Town Commitment from 2010 describes social responsibility in dif-

ferent terms. In the Cape Town Commitment, they quote the Micah Network Declaration

on Integral Mission where they affirm that both the social responsibility and evangelism are

“necessary expressions of our doctrines of God and humankind […]” (Lausanne Movement,

2011: par. 10,b). The Micah Network Declaration on Integral Mission defines Integral mis-

sion with these words: “Integral mission or holistic transformation is the proclamation and

demonstration of the gospel. It is not simply that evangelism and social involvement are to

be done alongside each other. Rather, with an integral understanding of mission, our proc-

lamation has social consequences as we call people to love and repentance in all areas of

life. And our social involvement has evangelistic consequences as we bear witness to the

transforming grace of Jesus Christ” (Micah Network, 2001). Therefore, LCWE is not seeing

proclamation and diakonia as equal rather two aspects of the mission with a reciprocal re-

lation to each other. I find LCWE’s perspective nuanced and I endorse this view. It is not

the task to examine which one that is more important rather the relation between the two

18

that is crucial. Nordstokke has a simple but meaningful way to describe this: ”Preaching is

Christ-service in words; service is Christ-preaching in action”12 (Nordstokke, 1994: 63).

3.2. Where is the Individual Responsibility? The individual has a responsibility for the needy, however, I find the thesis that diakonia

must be done by the individual alone unreasonable. The individual member of every con-

gregation has an individual responsibility to live a life of integrity. Escobar argues in his

contribution to the book, The Local Church, Agent of Transformation, that the historical

evangelical emphasis on the individual has become an individualism (Escobar, 2004: 131).

However, Escobar finds this position unbiblical due to the fact that it undervalues the com-

munal aspect of the Bible. To prove his argument he quotes Bible scholar, H. H. Rowley: “In

no period of the of Israel do we find extreme collectivism or extreme individualism, but a

combination of both” (Escobar, 2004: 131). The Bible contains both perspectives. Therefore,

it is irrelevant to discuss whether or not individual diakonia is important. The bible with-

holds a strong emphasis on the individual bearing witness but the Christian is always a part

of the people of God. Escobar is using the example of Our Father-prayer. This prayer can

never be prayed in isolation but is always a part of the community (Escobar, 2004: 130).

Therefore, the Christian individual has a major responsibility to serve those around him or

her.

3.3. The Danger of Ecclesiocentrism How would representants for organized diakonia criticize the thesis? If the congregation is

the only conveyer of diakonia, that would reveal a serious lack of emphasis on the doctrine

of creation. Mission will also be rooted in an ecclesiocentrism and triumphalism. The

church is the body of Christ with Jesus as the head, but is also a congregation of sinners, as

the rest of the world (Rom 3:23). This fact combined with the fact that mission Christi and

missio ecclesiae are not similar, as I will explain in 4.2 and 4.3, will guard the church against

becoming more than agents of missio Dei.

However, diakonia is something else than the good done in the world. The theologian, J. C.

Hoekendijk (1912-1975) argued in one of his writings that the clericalization of diakonia or

good deeds has “among other things, had the result that the diaconate became hollowed out

into a service-without-solidarity. It became bent toward philanthropy and landed in the

sphere of alms and charitable gestures” (Hoekendijk, 1964: 145). What Hoekendijk sees as

12 My translation of: “Forkynnelse er Kristus-tjeneste I ord; tjeneste er Kristus-forkynnelse i hand-

ling”.

19

the danger is that the ecclesiocentrism makes the receiver of diakonia an object and, there-

fore, insufficient. The church becomes emphasized which undermines the mission as first

of all a missio Dei.

However, when I closely incorporate diakonia in mission and as a part of missio ecclesiae,

it does not mean that I disapprove social work financed by the state. It is just not diakonia.

I argue in this article that diakonia is a part of mission and to take part in that mission one

must be sent (John 20:21). The church must support social work of different kinds to facil-

itate a functioning welfare state, however, the aim of the church is not the same as the aim

of the state. The purpose of the welfare state is to secure a reallocation of the resources for

the sake of the weak in society. The purpose of the church is to bear witness about Jesus and

to be light and salt to the world. Oftestad argues that the secularization of the state has in-

fluenced diaconal organizations because they are financially dependent on the state

(Oftestad, 2016: 64). As Oftestad underlines, the danger of the church being financially de-

pendent on the state is a dangerous path.

Nordstokke's solution to the danger of ecclesiocentrism is what he calls prophetic diakonia.

He argues that the first ones to be addressed by the prophets were the religious leaders

(Nordstokke, 2011: 52). He describes how political diakonia and prophetic diakonia have

been viewed as the same, but he argues that they are different. Prophetic diakonia “relates

to the intrinsic theological nature of diakonia, affirming the prophetic task as a part of the

mandate and authority that God has given the church and its diakonia” (Nordstokke, 2011:

51). Consequently, the prophetic diakonia is pointing toward the depravity of the church.

The prophetic diakonia must question the church continually whether it is too conformed

to the world (Nordstokke, 2011: 53; Rom 12:2). I find Nordstokkes argument important

since the owner of the mission is not the church, but God. His focus on prophetic diakonia

to maintain this balance is a solution to the question of whether the mission becomes eccle-

siocentristic.

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4. Developing a Theological Understanding of Ecclesial Dia-

konia In this section, I will develop the foundation of an understanding of ecclesial diakonia.

Firstly, I will describe diakonia on the basis of the doctrine of creation. Afterward I will

describe it with a Christological approach.

4.1. Diakonia Based on the Doctrine of Creation Within this perspective, the essential part of diakonia, the view of humankind is elaborated

(Nielsen, 2009: 23). When people lose the conception that everyone and everything belongs

to God and are created by God, violence, hatred, and submission appear. Nielsen uses an

example of this from the Old Testament: “Have we not all one Father? Has not one God

created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fa-

thers?” (Mal 2:10; Nielsen, 2009: 24). Every human being has the feature of being created

by God.

Nielsen describes that the creator has a particular purpose with humankind which is the

reason why God created humans in His own image and gives it a purpose: “Let us make man

in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and

over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every

creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26; Nielsen, 2009: 26). This leads to the

statement that if you suppress another human being, you are suppressing a person imago

Dei (Prov 14:31; Jak 3:9). The imago Dei-perspective is emphasized even more by Jesus in

Matt 25: “Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do

it to me” (Matt 25:45). As if it was not terrible enough that the moral breakdown of neglect-

ing the weak Jesus adds the imago Dei perspective. Nielsen describes it with these terms:

“The suffering fellow human being cannot be isolated from God, who has created it and

bound himself to it, and it cannot be isolated from Christ, who in love has bound himself to

it, what the gospels’ narratives about his relation to tax collectors, sinners and other dis-

dained, isolated and needy are powerful testimonies of”13 (Nielsen, 2009: 27-28).

When we analyze diakonia in relation to the doctrine of creation it is clarified, that human

beings are created in the image of God which makes every human inviolable. The doctrine

of creation makes sure that the extent of diakonia is universal and not only particular for

the church. Diakonia based on the doctrine of creation makes it impossible for the church

13 My translation of: “Det lidende medmenneske kan ikke isoleres fra Gud, som har skabt det og

bundet sig til det, og det kan ikke isoleres fra Kristus, som i kærlighed har bundet sig til det, hvad

evangeliernes fortællinger om hans forhold til toldere, syndere og andre ringeagtede, isolerede og

nødlidende er stærke vidnesbyrd om”.

21

and congregations to live in isolated spheres and not participating in caring for every human

being in on earth. Therefore the diakonia in light of the doctrine of creation withholds a

universality.

4.2. Diakonia Based on the Christology Since diakonia is a part of mission. Oftestad states that there must be a Christological cor-

rective. The specific content of diakonia as a part of mission and different from common

social work makes it impossible to avoid the Christological basis of diakonia: “All Christian

service, as distinct from the concept of philanthropy and humanistic way of care and love,

springs from and is nourished by God’s love as revealed through Jesus Christ” (Oftestad,

2016: 143). There is no such thing as diakonia outside the body of Christ.

Nielsen argues that the life of Christ was a life as a servant (Nielsen, 2009: 77). Nordstokke

supports this assumption (Nordstokke, 2011: 19). Nordstokke uses the discussion between

the disciples in Mark 10 concerning who will take the seat next to Jesus in his kingdom to

state that Jesus turns the thinking of the disciples 180 degrees around (Nordstokke, 2011:

19). The key verse to understand this reversed perspective is Mark 10:45: “For even the Son

of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark

10:45). Nordstokke argues that Jesus closely links the messianic Son of Man together with

the serving and sacrificial call he has been given (Nordstokke., 2011: 19). The disciples' mes-

sianic expectations do not correspond with the purpose of what Jesus came to do. He came

to serve and ultimately to save. The soteriological content of the verse, that Jesus came to

give his life as a ransom for many, is missio Christi and not missio ecclesiae (Nielsen, 2009:

98). As Andrew Kirk describes it in his book, What Is Mission, the church bears the witness

of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s continued activity in the world (Kirk, 1999: 30-31).

Therefore, it is reasonable to state that the missio ecclesiae is a distinct entity from missio

Christi in this way: The church bears witness about the Word, who is Jesus and Jesus’ mis-

sion constitutes this mission through his life as a servant and his sacrifice. As Nordstokke

describes, only Jesus came to save sinners. Thus, although the continuity between missio

Christi and missio ecclesiae is clear, there is also a discontinuity (Nordstokke, 2011: 21).

However, the continuity reveals the overlaps between missio Christi and missio ecclesiae.

For instance, what is the link between missio Christi and missio ecclesiae when it comes to

the theme of this article, diakonia? In the same passage from Mark Jesus describes it with

these words: “But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must

be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-

44). The quote unambiguously describes that the disciples are to be διακονος to each other.

The reciprocity of missio Christi and missio ecclesiae is also signified in the Gospel of John

22

where Jesus says: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you”

(John 20:21). The spirit which came upon Jesus during his baptism in Mark 1:10 is to be

received by the disciples to constitute the missio ecclesiae in John 20:32. Besides the sote-

riological aspect of missio Christi, the spirit which came upon the disciples also constitutes

the diaconal task of the church.

Oftestad describes three elements of the life of Jesus to structure how his ministry in the

presupposition for the diaconal task of the church: The incarnation, the passion and the

resurrection (Oftestad, 2016: 144-156).

First of all the incarnation. The incarnation reveals not only that God wants to save the

world, but also that God cares for the world in its worldliness (Nordstokke, 1994: 23). The

life as a human being is, for Jesus, not a degradation, in fact, the biblical literature describes

how good the creation is (Oftestad, 2016: 145; Gen 1:31). Nordstokke defines the incarna-

tion as a diaconal motive: “The sustainability of the incarnation is the love of God directed

to the world”14 (Nordstokke, 1994: 23). One of the most important consequences of the in-

carnational perspective is that the creation has value in itself because God himself became

a human being and lived a human life with food, relations, sleep, sorrow, laughter, etc. with-

out giving up his divinity (Phil 2,7; 1 Tim 3:16).

Secondly, and in continuation of the incarnation is Jesus’ service of redemption and salva-

tion (Oftestad, 2016: 146). The four gospels are structured with the climax in the passion of

Jesus. The passion and its soteriological consequences deliver a crucial argument for dia-

konia being a part of mission. Nielsen states that the healing ministry of Jesus is not sepa-

rate from his sacrificial death on the cross. He uses the example of the healing of the blind

man in Jericho when Jesus was walking towards Jerusalem to die to argue that the soterio-

logical aspect of the healing ministry is closely connected to the cross (Luke 18:31-43; Niel-

sen, 2009: 86). Thus, Jesus did not separate in spiritual ministry and worldly ministry as a

dualism but connected these different aspects very close to each other.

Thirdly, in continuation of both the incarnation and the passion of Jesus, the resurrection

has perspectives concerning diakonia. The resurrection of Jesus is the “firstfruits of those

who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). The resurrection is, therefore, what constitutes the

Christian hope (Oftestad, 2016: 149). Jesus goes before his disciples in the resurrection

which emphasizes life after death with no physical or mental disabilities. Therefore there is

14 My translation of: ”Inkarnasjonens bærekraft er Guds kjærlighet som rettes mot verden”.

23

an eschatological dimension of diakonia when it is examined on the basis of Christology.

Diakonia aims at the new reality after death.

When I summarize the Christological aspects of diakonia there are similarities and distinc-

tions between missio Christi and missio ecclesiae. Diakonia is constituted by Jesus which

emphasizes the particularity of diakonia. Diakonia is practiced by disciples. At last, Jesus’

incarnation, death, and resurrection all withhold different aspects considering diakonia:

The value of creation, anti-dualism, and the eschatological hope.

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5. The Conclusion and the Consequences

5.1. Conclusion With a Modification of the Thesis I began my study with this thesis:

Due to both an individualistic view and an organized view on diakonia, it has lost its

connection to the local church, which must be regained in order to practice diakonia in

a biblical sense.

I can approve that there are tendencies towards making individualistic or organized dia-

konia the ideal type of diakonia. However, to talk about individualistic diakonia as an aim

in itself is a banality. The individual Christian must self-evidently live a life of integrity doing

good to “the least” of all, because of the Christian view of humankind constituted by the

doctrine of creation and cemented by the incarnation. Furthermore, there is no contradic-

tion between this perspective and an ecclesial diaconal perspective. The individual is both a

part of a local congregation and a Christian individual everywhere and anytime.

However, I have not become unambiguous when it comes to ecclesial diakonia. In any given

congregation there will be problems where you need expertise and people who are capable

of giving more than common knowledge - and this can be done, as an example, by the diac-

onal institutions. Here they have specialized people who could help with specific things.

The question is not either-or but both-and. The individualistic diakonia is vital for the

congregation to live in integrity. The organized diakonia is vital when it comes to exper-

tise considering different diaconal tasks. The ecclesial diakonia is vital considering the

churches being agents in the Missio Dei to bring his creation to freedom and show the

connection between earthly caring and the Kingdom of God.

Furthermore, I can conclude that diakonia withholds both the universality and the par-

ticularity. The doctrine of creation reveals the universality of diakonia and the Chris-

tology reveals the particularity.

Therefore, I will end with a modification of the thesis:

Due to too much emphasize on the individualistic view and an organized view on dia-

konia, the relationship towards the local congregation has become complex. In order

for the local congregation to practice diakonia in a biblical sense one must understand

diakonia as an individual, a professional, and an ecclesial task.

5.2. An Example of the Thesis in Function The congregation, Christianskirken in Aarhus, Denmark, is the example I will use to demon-

strate the implications of the study. The congregation is a part of the Danish Folk Church

(https://www.christianskirken.dk/). The vision for Christianskirken is to be “a tree of life

25

with many branches which reaches out in the local environment, which points upwards and

inspires to seek God, and which strengthens and engages the individual and the congrega-

tion to make the gospel known, believed and lived”15 (https://www.christianskirken.dk/om-

os/vision-maal-og-samspilsvaerdier/)

Through the sermons, the liturgy, the fellowship of the congregation, the members learn to

live a life in obedience to the law of Christ. Through him, they will find a model to practice

individualistic diakonia. As argued in 3.2 there should be no contradiction between the in-

dividual Christian practicing his faith with diakonia with the local congregation practicing

diakonia together.

The congregation cooperates with different diaconal and social institutions. As described in

the conclusion, they use the different organizations to help with the expertise to the citizens

in their area that needs specific help. For instance, groups from Christianskirken visits shel-

ters for homeless people. They acknowledge that the church cannot facilitate this and help

with voluntary tasks in the diaconal organizations (https://www.christianskirken.dk/om-

sorg/nordbyen-herberg-for-voksne-hjemloese/).

Finally, the congregation practices ecclesial diakonia in different ways. The aim is to help

the needy with the specific needs and through that gesture illustrate the love of God so that

the diakonia becomes a part of the mission. They diaconal pastor and the congregation do

not practice diakonia in an isolated room, where there will be no further reflection, dialogue,

or proclamation.

5.3. Further Studies In 5.2 I deliver an example of the implications of the study. How will ecclesial diakonia look

like in a concrete local congregation? Although it reveals the implications of the study and

indicates that the thesis is applicable, a further empirical study would be necessary to ce-

ment the thesis and make it robust.

Of other themes to explore considering the article, I will refer to various of them. First of all,

it would be interesting to explore how the first Christians understood the concept of dia-

konia and the diaconate. As the study of John Collins reveals, there are complexities and

15 My translation of: ”Christianskirken - et livstræ med mange grene der: Rækker synligt ud i sog-net, peger opad og inspirerer til at søge Gud, styrker og engagerer den enkelte og menigheden for at gøre evangeliet kendt, troet og levet”

26

misunderstandings regarding diakonia throughout church history. Collins describes the

translation of diakonia as service and why this is a misunderstanding (Collins, 1990: 3-4).

Of biblical themes, I could have explored and which can be explored in further studies are

how the Old Testament deals with diakonia. Diakonia is, of course, a Greek term, but there

are words of the Old Testament describing the theme. I could also have gone further in the

Acts of the Apostles and describe the diaconate and the election of the seven deacons. Sec-

ondly, the pneumatology of the New Testament’s relation to diakonia. As I mentioned in 4.2

the soteriological aspect of missio Christi constitutes the diaconal task of the church as well

as having the spirit upon each Christian. It would be interesting to examine the pneumatol-

ogy of the New Testament in order to get a wider perspective in the last part of the study.

27

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16 Referred to as ‘LCWE’. 17 Referred to as ‘LWF’.

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