“Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two” (Mark 6:7).
“The Lord appointed seventy-two [or ‘seventy’, according to the KJV] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1).
In both the small inner circle of the apostles, as well as the larger group of disciples, Jesus followed the pattern of sending his followers out on their missions in pairs.
This pairing up is discernible even in the order of the names of his apostles, as given in Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; and Luke 6:14-16. (With a couple of slight variations, the Twelve seem to be divided into six pairs: Simon Peter and Andrew his brother; James and John his brother; Thomas and Matthew; Philip and Bartholomew; etc. The last four — James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus/Judas son of James, Simon and Judas Iscariot — seem to be “mixed and matched” a bit; maybe they changed working partners at some point.)
Another practical example of this “two by two” grouping is found in Acts 13:2-4, where Barnabas and Saul (later called Paul) are set apart for the work of preaching. Later, when they go their separate ways in the continuation of this work, each takes along a companion, so that the “two by two” pattern is preserved while the total workers are doubled: Barnabas taking Mark (Acts 15:39), and Paul taking Silas (Acts 15:40).
Again, when the apostles in Jerusalem needed to assess the situation in Samaria, they sent not one but two investigators, Peter and John (Acts 8:14). There are many other instances of this approach in the New Testament. It seems that, as a matter of general practice, the apostle Paul was scarcely ever alone.
Why was this necessary?
Why was it thought necessary, or at least very desirable, that the disciples go on their missions in pairs?
One answer is found in a rather unlikely place:
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm… Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (Eccl 4:9-12).
Two working together can often accomplish more than the same two working separately. Sometimes an extra pair of hands, or an extra perspective, can surmount a problem that might otherwise stymie one person. “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17).
The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to envision two men on a journey in a distant land. Often the way is fraught with perils. If one falls into a pit, then the other is there to lift him out, or perhaps even to go for help. But if a single man falls into such a pit, or breaks a leg, or has some other accident, then he might very well perish where he falls, for no one will know of his plight.
The same may be true of individuals in ecclesial life:
“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal 6:1,2; cp Job 4:4; James 5:14).
But that man, or woman, who walks alone may have no one who is even aware of his or her spiritual problem. So there is no one to offer a gentle helping hand when a moral crisis looms, or an overwhelming temptation or trial pushes the believer to the brink. It is good to have those around us who know something of our faults and our weaknesses. They can help us through the times when we stumble and when we fall. When we need rebuke, their words may wound us, but we know they are our faithful friends, and only desire to help us (Prov 27:6).
Ecclesiastes 4:11 introduces an idea that may appear incongruous to us today, when speaking of the relationship of friends:
“If two lie down together, they will keep warm.”
However, in cultures other than our own, people of the same sex will often sleep next to each other for the sake of warmth, with no hint of impropriety such as we might feel (cp the “two people in one bed” of Luke 17:34). This lesson may be driven home to us in times of crisis. Mountain climbers have found themselves stranded and unprotected from brutally cold weather, and have shared their body warmth so as to survive until help could arrive, or the storm passed.
So in this verse, and in these circumstances, the “warmth” we need may be more than physical; it may be emotional or spiritual. It may mean having someone who truly cares. In a cruel, callous world, what a blessed help he or she can be. As Matthew Henry put it, “So virtuous and gracious affections are excited by good society, and Christians warm one another by provoking one another to love and to good works [Heb 10:24].”
And Ecclesiastes 4:12 continues the thought:
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.”
Two men in a lonely and out-of-the-way place can take turns keeping watch, so as not to be surprised by ambush. Thus they can defend one another much more effectively than any one man, alone, can defend himself (cp 2Sa 10:11).
In traveling and working “two by two”, with a companion, there may be comfort, encouragement, and safety.
But are there other reasons why “two by two” is a good rule to follow? Or, to put it another way, what bad things can happen if we don’t go about our work “two by two”?
First, there are dangers from…
Money…
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust [‘stewards’: AV] must prove faithful” (1Co 4:2).
Several of Jesus’ parables emphasize this necessity of proving oneself “faithful” in the handling of money.
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16:10-12).
“ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities’ ” (Luke 19:17).
On the other hand, the servant who did not use his master’s money correctly was rebuked and punished and sent away (Luke 19:20-26). A very similar parable in Matthew 25:14-30 ends with these words for the man who misused his master’s funds:
“And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v 30).
Finally, in Luke 12:42-48, the Lord draws a contrast between:
- the faithful servant (the steward of his master’s property, who administers and dispenses that property prudently) and
- the unfaithful servant (the steward who, thinking his master will not return soon to check up on him, “begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk”).
That is, he misuses his position, as well as his master’s property, to serve his own desires, both in hurtful treatment of other servants and in his own self-indulgence.
But what does this have to do with the “two by two” scenario? As it turns out, a good deal.
First of all, there is the story of Acts 6. When the apostles realized that the administering of the funds and resources of the new ecclesia in Jerusalem would take a good deal of time, they decided to choose seven men. These brothers, evidently endowed with wisdom both practical and spiritual, were assigned to handle the finances and see that the needy were cared for properly and fairly. They did this with great distinction, while still attending to the ministry of the Word of God as well. This is a wonderful exhortation in itself.
Seven brothers were chosen to oversee one another, providing checks and balances to what might otherwise be unfair or unscrupulous use of resources by a single man left to himself.
This observation raises an interesting question: did anyone keep such a watchful eye on Judas Iscariot, the only one of the Twelve, so far as we know, to function as treasurer? And if not, does this partially explain his great fall?
Furthermore, when the ecclesias in various places raised and contributed funds for the care of the poor, especially at Jerusalem, were such funds entrusted to one brother only? No, not at all. Notice the words of the apostle Paul:
“And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift” (2Co 8:18-20).
We see that it was important not only to act righteously and honestly, but also to be seen by witnesses to do so.
The same pattern is seen again in 1 Corinthians 16:2,3:
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them [Notice the plurals here] with your gift to Jerusalem.”
Paul knows that one man alone should not be trusted with a large sum of money. Once again, the rule of “two by two” is enforced. One man may indeed be honest; in fact, he most certainly should be honest! (As it has been said, “Character is what we do when no one is watching.”) But how much easier it might be, in the company of another brother or brothers, to be perfectly honest.
In a situation like this, the support and help and companionship are just as necessary, as in the more positive ways described earlier. It is of use to the brother who might otherwise be tempted, as Judas was, to take money out of the common purse for his own sinful indulgences. And surely, if we look at ourselves squarely in the mirror, we ought to admit that we need such encouragement, just as much, if not more, to avoid the wrong as to do the right.
Bro. Harry Tennant, in Ye Servants of the Lord, stresses the wisdom of having a second person oversee the work of the ecclesial treasurer:
“There should be an auditor. It is not that dishonesty is suspected but that good stewardship is required of us. Accounts properly kept, with an initialed record of all collections, properly receipted bills, the bank books, and cash in hand properly produced to the brother appointed as auditor, will lift the matter into its rightful place. Jesus said, ‘The witness of two men is true’ — and, oddly enough, he said that in the treasury [John 8:17,20].”
There is an interesting Old Testament example of auditing also. In Ezra 8:26-29, Ezra entrusts the leading priests with the duty of transporting from Babylon to Jerusalem all the treasures, silver, gold, and bronze, allocated for the rebuilding of the temple:
“Guard [all the treasures] carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the LORD in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel” (v 29).
After their journey, upon arriving at Jerusalem, the narrative states specifically that:
“Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time” (v 34)……so that it might be proven, before witnesses, that not one ounce of all the treasures had been stolen or even misplaced.
Widows’ houses
There are other negative examples of what can happen when the “two by two” format is ignored, and when individuals — acting on their own, without proper supervision and oversight — are tempted by large sums of money:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Therefore you will be punished more severely” (Matt 23:14).
Widows, particularly, might be left alone with resources they are ill equipped to manage, since their husbands may have handled this function previously. And they may have no one to advise them fairly and honestly. A woman in such circumstances might easily become the victim of an unscrupulous man, who prevails upon her to sell her house and goods, and donate the money to his favorite ‘charity’, meanwhile flattering her on what a wonderful work she is doing. Or such a man, while pretending to take care of her property, may dispose of assets to his own advantage.
It may be said, ‘Surely such things would never happen with Christadelphians!’ There is a measure of pride in such protests, however — as if to say, ‘We are all better than that!’ But bitter experience tells us otherwise. So it is better if we say, ‘Surely such things should never happen with Christadelphians!’
In the world around us, a growing approach to fundraising in recent years has been for large institutions (and ones not so large) to encourage bequests. In other words, if you are a widow living on a small and fixed income, it may not be possible to give much to the work of the Truth. But you can remember your favorite cause in your will, and by this means charities can raise quite large sums.
Surely there is nothing wrong with this approach, provided that the funds are used for the purposes as advertised. A Christadelphian organization, whose administrators are accountable to the body of believers and operate with proper oversight and accounting methods, is a perfectly acceptable charity. And in such cases, yes, by all means, a bequest would certainly be in order.
But there may be other ‘organizations’ which operate basically as fronts for individuals — groups which are not recognized and supported by significant numbers of ecclesias, which may not comply with all the laws of the country in which they are organized, or which may lack appropriate checks and balances of a financial nature. Brothers and sisters should realize that good words and flowery speeches do not take the place of honest dealings. They should realize that, even in the brotherhood, promises are not always the same as practices. Therefore they should be extremely hesitant to entrust their resources, either by contributions now or by bequests later, to such an organization.
One mark of such organizations is that they frequently change their names, a bit like shady investment companies.
We ought to remember that there could be those, even in the brotherhood, who teach “things they ought not to teach — and that for the sake of dishonest gain” (Tit 1:11).
This personal “gain” certainly includes material wealth, but is not altogether restricted to that. “Gain” can also mean position or power or prominence. Men intent on personal advantage, whether it is increase in riches or increase in prestige, are more concerned with what they can take from their followers than with what they can give to them. When the preacher looks upon his preaching simply as a career, and a means to personal advancement and comfort, he is surely in a most perilous position. Over time, he may come to see the money he raises as less God’s money and more his. And over time, again, his attention to his own present advantage may replace his faith and hope in the future. Like the hypocrites who pray in the street corners to be seen of men, he already has his “reward” (Matt 6:5). But what a paltry reward it is!
Of course, we are all required to “examine ourselves”, but this is made all the easier when we know that others are charged with examining what we do as well. It is always good to avoid unnecessary temptations. None of us are immune to the pride that whispers in the ear: ‘You deserve this’, or ‘You of all people are indispensable to this work’, or ‘You won’t get caught’, or ‘Why not? Everybody does it!’
The warnings in God’s Word should be a light to disperse the shadows of darkness and pride, and bring the wisdom of humility:
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18).
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Prov 11:2).
In addition to the problems of money, and the love thereof, there are other dangers that await us if we forget the Scriptural advice: “two by two”. There is the danger of…
Unchecked self-indulgence
For that matter, this may be made even worse by too much easy money.
For the ‘loner’, the availability of money, without strings or oversight, may actually bring into play this second deadly threat. Plenty of money on hand, ease of travel, and lack of supervision — in short, being a long way from home and other brethren, in a distant land, and with full pockets — may all too easily translate into various indulgences, including especially sexual immorality.
In third-world countries, beset with a pervasive poverty that many of us can scarcely imagine, money in the hands of visitors can be a terrible temptation. It is not just that the possessor of such money may yield to the temptation to use it wrongly. It is also that young women in such places may be seduced by a promise for themselves and their families, implicit or explicit, in such wealth. Thus they may be led into sins from which they might otherwise refrain.
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be… lovers of money… abusive… slanderous, without self-control… treacherous… They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires” (2Ti 3:1-4,6).
This warning should not be restricted just to young sisters in third-world countries. Even in relatively well-off countries, money and prestige, coupled with the allure and ‘romance’ of ‘doing God’s work’ at the same time, can be a practically irresistible combination to some.
Money, and what we imagine it might bring us, can just as easily lead brothers into other terribly dangerous sinkholes:
“In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (2Pe 2:3).
It is an observable and well-chronicled phenomena, at least in non-Christadelphian circles up until now: slick religious salesmen who prey on the latent sympathies of others, and the natural guilt that may be felt by those in more well-off countries and circumstances, when they see so much suffering elsewhere in the world. For such men, the temptation may prove irresistible to:
- inflate the number of ‘conversions’ by quick-and-easy baptisms, without proper instruction;
- give the well-to-do masses their most effective ‘sob stories’;
- tell them of the desperate needs here and there; and then
- open their coffers to receive a flood of donations small and great: the rich widow’s bequest and the poor widow’s mites alike.
But could the same techniques be tried upon Christadelphians? Again, we are revolted at such a thought. But the little voice asks us, ‘Are we inherently better than the world? Are we immune to the blandishments of the flesh? To the lusts and desires of human nature? Let him who stands take heed lest he fall!’
Dare we even suggest it? Could some Christadelphians “exploit [us] with stories they have made up”?
A better way? Yes
On the other hand, let it be said as plainly as possible: there are organizations with long records of honesty and integrity (who don’t, for example, change their names and reinvent themselves every few years). These organizations are directed by many different brothers, chosen and agreed upon by large numbers of ecclesias. These brothers have long records of fair dealings, and no reasonable complaints may be made against them. Nor do they profit in any way from their ‘labors of love’. These brothers are not romantic ‘loners’, going their own way, but brothers who work “two by two”, or in larger companies, overseeing one another in their work. These are the modern equivalents of the seven brothers of Acts 6. Their organizations, with long track records, include:
- Christadelphian Bible Mission
- Christadelphian Bible Mission of the Americas
- Christadelphian Bible Mission (Canada)
- Australasian Christadelphian Bible Mission
- Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation
- Joy Fund
- Christadelphian Indian Children’s Homes
- Christadelphian Meal-A-Day Fund …and others [see the page of charitable organizations in this magazine, p. 566].
Read their reports, and their careful and measured appeals for support. They are characterized by calmness and dignity, and their funds are properly accounted for, with full public reporting of accounts.
These committees are organized in such a way that, even if some one member were to fall into the sin of misappropriating or misusing funds, or abusing the trust given to him, for personal and illicit purposes, his brothers would be positioned to discover and repair the loss.
Jesus said, “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt 7:16,20). It is entirely possible for those who wish to contribute to the Lord’s work, in preaching or welfare or other areas, to evaluate the organizations around them, and make wise choices based on good principles.
The danger is very real
But, on the other hand, there are those who may be described quite differently: “With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed — an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness” (2Pe 2:14,15).
“They have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error” (Jude 11).
Such New Testament passages point us toward the tragic story of Balaam the false prophet of Numbers 24; 25; 31; etc. There we see the Spirit’s warning that the love of money may go hand in hand with the indulgence of every sensual passion. Such passions may well be the object of enjoyment for the false prophet, as well as the means by which he beguiles others out of their money as well as their good names.
Money, sex and power — what an unholy trinity!
God’s commands, advice and examples are all for our learning. We may see the worst of sins documented in the pages of the Bible, only to turn away in disgust, declaring to ourselves that such things will never, ever, be even “named” among the saints (Eph 5:3). But we ignore such warnings at our own peril.
We can be so naïve. Sometimes it takes us quite a while to learn otherwise. Sometimes it requires the bitter lessons of some terribly bad examples, before we begin truly to see the wisdom of God’s appointments. It was there, all along, had we but paid attention.
Some general rules are surely in order, something like the following.
Rules for mission work
- No individual brother should be traveling (and certainly not living) in missionary areas all alone, without proper supervision and companionship. If extraordinary circumstances require that such must be the case once in a great while, it should be for the shortest possible time only.
- All money given to Christadelphian charities ought to be properly receipted by the organizations, and audited by independent brothers, and reported fully and openly to the brotherhood.
- No novices or recent converts (cf 1Ti 3:6) ought to be entrusted alone in distant lands, and/or with large sums of money.
- Brothers ought to work, and earn their daily bread as much as possible (cf even the apostle Paul in Acts 18:1-3; 20:34,35; 1Co 4:12; 1Th 2:9; etc.), and learn responsibility in managing their own financial affairs, before ever being considered as potential “missionaries” or “welfare workers”, and given stewardship over other people’s money.
- All of us should be warned, again and again, that merely professing the name of Christ is never a guarantee of righteous actions, or even of good motives.
- Young sisters especially should be advised sternly against accompanying a brother alone on any sort of ‘work’, ‘preaching’ or otherwise, if it takes them away from the company of other brothers and sisters.
- Young people should be exhorted and warned about the specious arguments by which young women (especially, but not exclusively) might be lured into dangerous places, and indiscreet and finally sinful actions. What might those arguments be? They include, among others:
- ‘Sweetheart, we are as good as married already; it’s only a matter of time.’
- ‘As soon as this or that happens, we will get married. So there’s no need to wait. We can enjoy one another right now.’
- ‘After all, a marriage license is just a piece of paper. Adam and Eve didn’t apply for one.’
- ‘What is sex, and what is not sex anyway? Or, ‘It’s okay so long as we stop just short of real sexual intercourse.’
- ‘What’s the big deal? Everybody does it!’
- ‘Don’t worry: we can be forgiven. David was an adulterer, and a murderer, and God forgave him.’
- ‘Look at the young couple in the Song of Songs; they weren’t married.’
- ‘Look at Solomon himself, and all his wives and concubines. We don’t need those old “Victorian” standards any more.’
Conclusion
There are indeed good reasons for the Bible pattern of going abroad only with other companions, of exercising discretion in interacting with those of the opposite sex, and of handling funds only with proper safeguards. For there are many things done in secret, when others are not looking, or cannot look, which ought not to be done, even by — especially by — brothers in Christ.
“Wisdom is justified of her children” (Matt 11:19) [“proved right by her actions” (NIV; cp Luke 7:35)].
“Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two” (Mark 6:7).
“The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One