A unique aspect of the early church that is all but lost in most churches today is the ministry of widows and virgins. During the writing of the New Testament and the first several hundred years of Christianity, each church had a small group of widows and another group of virgins (both men and women) who had a unique ministry in the church and were supported by the church.

The ministry of widows

The following passage in 1 Timothy mentions the ministry of widows:

• “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. . . . No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds. As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan. If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.” – 1 Timothy 5:3-16 (NIV)

Nearly every major early Christian writer mentions this order of widows in the church. In the passage above, Paul instructs that those chosen to be part of this ministry should be over 60 years old, faithful to their husbands, and mothers of children; they should also be women of character, good works, hospitality, and compassion. As part of the church’s order of widows, these women spent hours a day in prayer: “The widow . . . puts her hope in God and continues day and night to pray and to ask God for help” (1 Timothy 5:5 NIV). They also assisted the elders and deacons in caring for the sick, visiting believers who were in prison, and ministering to other women. These widows made a solemn commitment to serve Christ in this way for the rest of their lives, and they were supported financially and materially by the church.

• “Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are the altar of God.” – Polycarp (c. 135)
• “Follow the examples of those sisters of ours whose names are with the Lord, who – when their husbands have died before them – have given neither beauty nor age precedence over holiness. They prefer to be wedded to God. To God they give their beauty; to God they give their youth. With Him they live; with Him they converse. They handle Him by day and by night. To the Lord they assign their prayers as dowries. From Him, as often as they desire it, they receive His approval as dowry gifts. Thus, they have laid hold for themselves of an eternal gift of the Lord. And while on earth – by abstaining from marriage – they are already counted as belonging to the angelic family.” – Tertullian (c. 205)
• “[The order of widows] is limited not only to those with one husband (that is, married women), but also to mothers as well. In fact, [they must be] ‘educators of children’ [1 Tim. 5:10], in order that their training by experience in all the affections may . . . have rendered them capable of readily aiding all others with counsel and comfort.” – Tertullian (c. 207)
• “The bronze altar [in the tabernacle] can be compared to the company and circuit of widows. For they are a living altar of God.” – Methodius (c. 290)
• “All widows who are approved are to be held in honor.” – Cyprian (c. 250)

The Apostolic Constitutions, compiled around AD 390, shows that the fourth-century believers continued to practice Paul’s instructions in 1 Timothy:

• “Choose your ‘widows not under sixty years of age’ [1 Tim. 5:9], that in some measure the suspicion of a second marriage may be prevented by their age. For if you admit a younger woman into the order of widows . . . and she marries, she will bring indecent reflections on the glory of the order of the widows. And she will give an account to God – not because she married a second time, but because she has ‘waxed wanton against Christ’ [1 Tim. 5:11] and has not kept her promise. . . . Therefore, such a promise should not be rashly made, but with great caution. . . . Let every widow be meek, quiet, gentle, sincere, free from anger, and not talkative. . . . And let the widow attend to nothing but to pray for those who give and for the whole church. And when she is asked anything by anyone, let her not easily answer, . . . referring to the leaders those who desire to be instructed in the doctrines of godliness. . . . Let the widow, therefore, acknowledge herself to be the ‘altar of God,’ and let her sit in her house and not enter into the houses of the faithful to receive anything, for any reason. For the altar of God never runs about. Rather, it is fixed in one place. Therefore, let the virgin and the widow be ones who do not run about, or constantly visit the houses of those who are alien from the faith. . . . They should be content with their subsistence from the church, having moderate desires.” – Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c. 390)

The ministry of virgins

The early churches also had an order of virgins, consisting of young men and women who had a ministry similar to that of the widows. They made a commitment to serve Christ, but it was not a solemn pledge to never marry or to continue in the ministry for the rest of their lives, as it was for the widows.

• “The virgins also must walk in a blameless and pure conscience.” – Polycarp (c. 135)
• “How many voluntary eunuchs are there! How many virgins espoused to Christ!” – Tertullian (c. 197)
• “My address is now to virgins, whose glory . . . is the flower of the ecclesiastical seed, the grace and ornament of spiritual endowment. . . . These have dedicated themselves to Christ. They have departed from carnal immorality and have vowed themselves to God, in both the flesh and the spirit. In order to complete their work, which is destined to a great reward, they should no longer explore how to be adorned, or how to please anybody [by their appearance], except their Lord. For it is from Him that they expect to receive the reward for virginity. As He Himself says, ‘All men cannot receive this word, but those to whom it is given. . . . There are eunuchs that have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake’ [Matt. 19:11-12]. Again, also, by this word of the angel, the gift of chastity is set forth and virginity is preached: ‘These are those who have not defiled themselves with women, for they have remained virgins. These are those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes’ [Rev. 14:1, 4].” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “The second epistle of John, which is written to virgins, is very simple.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195)
• “In the Revelation of John, it is said: ‘These are the ones who have not defiled their clothes with women’ [Rev. 14:4] – indicating, of course, virgins and those who have become ‘eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake’ [Matt. 19:12]. Therefore, they will be ‘clothed in white garments’ [Rev. 3:5], that is, in the bright beauty of the unmarried flesh.” – Tertullian (c. 210)
• “If they have faithfully dedicated themselves to Christ, let them persevere in modesty and chastity, without incurring any evil report. Thereby, in courage and steadiness, they can await the reward of virginity. However, if they are unwilling or unable to persevere, it is better for them to marry than that by their crimes they should fall into the fire.” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “What else is virginity than the freedom of liberty? It has no husband for a master. Virginity is freed from all affections. It is not given up to marriage, nor to the world, nor to children.” – Novatian (c. 235)
• “God said to the woman, ‘I will multiply your sorrows and your groanings. And in sorrow you will bring forth children. And your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you’ [Gen. 3:16]. You are free from this sentence. You do not fear the sorrows and the groans of women. You have no fear of childbearing. Nor is your husband lord over you. Rather, your Lord and Head is Christ, after the likeness and in the place of the man. . . . You pass through the world without the pollution of the world. In that you continue chaste and as virgins, you are like the angels of God [who do not marry or bear children].” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “He who undertakes virginity completely and has faithfully fulfilled the precepts of the Decalogue, . . . he is the true priest of Christ. . . . Therefore, he is said to reign with Christ. And truly, in his case, the devil is bound.” – Victorinus (c. 280)
• “Virginity is a state of voluntary discipline – not for the reproach of marriage, but to have more time for godly service.” – Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c. 390)
• “How many men, therefore, and how many women in ecclesiastical orders owe their position to chastity, who have preferred to be wedded to God!” – Tertullian (c. 212)
• “The church, crowned with so many virgins, flourishes.” – Cyprian (c. 250)

The early Christians viewed voluntary virginity as the dedication of a young person’s time, energy, and devotion to the Lord – much as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:

• “The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 7:32-35

The early Christians taught that those who were part of the order of virgins should be especially careful in their appearance and conduct, in order to seek the approval of God rather than the praise of men:

• “Do not belie yourself in appearing as a bride. For you are wedded to Christ. To Him you have surrendered your flesh. To Him you have espoused your maturity. Walk in accordance with the will of your Espoused.” – Tertullian (c. 207)
• “A virgin should not only be so in fact, but she should also be recognized so [by others] and believed to be so. No one on seeing a virgin should have any doubt as to whether she is one. . . . Why should she walk out adorned? Why should she have hair that has been styled – as if she either had a husband or was seeking one? . . . For it is not right for a virgin to have her hair braided for the appearance of her beauty or to boast of her flesh and of its beauty. . . . It is not becoming for any Christian – and especially it is not becoming for a virgin – to seek any glory and honor of the flesh.” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “Some virgins are not ashamed to be present at marriage parties, and in that freedom of wanton discourse to mingle in unchaste conversation. They are not ashamed to hear what is not becoming, or to say what is not lawful. They are not ashamed to expose themselves and be present in the midst of disgraceful words and drunken banquets. . . . When virgins wish to be more carefully adorned and to wander with more liberty, they cease to be virgins. . . . In the same proportion as they had been destined to great rewards as virgins, so will they experience greater punishments for the loss of their virginity.” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “A virgin who has no charity, mercy, or humanity is much inferior to those who honorably exercise chastity [within marriage]. . . . All the bodily members are to be preserved intact and free from corruption. . . . For it would be ridiculous to keep pure [the rest of the body], but not the tongue. It would be ridiculous to preserve the tongue, but not the eyes, ears, or hands. Lastly, it would be ridiculous to keep all of these members pure, but not the mind, defiling it with pride and anger.” – Methodius (c. 290)

What changed?

In the fourth century during the reign of Constantine, Christianity became a legal religion and eventually the state religion of the Roman Empire. By the turn of the fifth century, nearly all of the empire professed Christianity, but many people were unconverted pagans who simply wished to avoid persecution. As a result, the church quickly became corrupted with pagan ideas, attitudes, and worship practices. During this time, John Chrysostom wrote:

• “If anyone is trying or intending to corrupt a woman, there is no place, I suppose that seems to him more suitable than the church. And if anything is to be bought or sold, the church appears more convenient than the market. Or if any wish to say or hear any scandal, you will find this too to be had here more than the forum without.” – John Chrysostom (c. 386-397)

As a result of the widespread corruption and worldliness of the institutional church, hundreds of true Christians began fleeing to the deserts of Africa and the Middle East to live as hermits – pursuing solitude, prayer, and a vibrant relationship with Christ. Seeing the radical transformation in their own lives, many of these people began to establish ascetic communities in the desert, and the monastic movement was born.

Monastic communities were created for both men and women, who were eventually referred to as monks and nuns (both words mean single or solitary). As these communities gained popularity, the Scriptural ministry of widows and virgins disappeared. Although monasticism had an admirable beginning, its reputation was tarnished over the next several hundred years as scandal and immorality began to plague the communities. Many leaders of the Protestant Reformation (the 16^th and 17^th centuries), familiar with the failures of monasticism, denounced the movement as a whole. For example, Martin Luther viewed the celibate life as contrary to Scripture, and John Wycliffe called for the abolition of all monasteries. As a result, most Protestant groups today know nothing of the New Testament ministry of widows and virgins in the church. However, the Anglican, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions continue some aspects of this ministry in their monastic communities.

Application

How can we bring this unique aspect of early Christianity into the modern church? A pastor or elder may consider starting a small ministry of widows and young people who dedicate their time to prayer and helping the needy. Perhaps a widow or a single person will take this responsibility upon herself (or himself), leading others into the heart of God and the joy of serving others.

A life of prayer and service will seem nothing but drudgery until the heart is awakened by the touch of God. True devotion begins with a hunger to seek the face of God, to know His heart, to see through heaven’s eyes, and to love supremely. If you seek Him, He will be found – when you search with all your heart.

A life of prayer and service becomes a joy when – and only when – the soul is satisfied with nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else than Jesus alone. “When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘Your face, Lord, I will seek’” (Psalm 27:8 NKJV).