Care for the poor was central to early Christian identity — John Chrysostom described the church's revenues sustaining thousands of widows and virgins daily, contrasting systematic ecclesial relief with the barbarity of private hoarding, and urged church leaders to name their offices after merciful acts like feeding the hungry rather than worldly dignities. Reformation theologians inherited and deepened this tradition: Calvin described care for the poor as a perpetual church office alongside governance, essential across all ages; Thomas Watson defined charity as "the sum of Christianity," warning that devout misers are the reproach of the faith. Biblical grounding ran throughout — Proverbs frames pity for the poor as lending to God himself, and Matthew's Gospel commands selling possessions for treasure in heaven.
"Though in such great abundance of persons to assist them, they are wailing every day... when the church is possessed of a revenue of one of the lowest among the wealthy, consider how many widows it succors every day, how many virgins; for indeed the list of them hath already reached unto the number of three thousand" — Chrysostom on the church's institutional mercy sustaining thousands daily, and his call for leaders to name their offices after acts of feeding the hungry and protecting orphans rather than worldly titles.
"There are two of perpetual duration — viz. government and care of the poor... experience shows that this arrangement was not confined to one age, and therefore we are to regard the office of government as necessary for all ages" — Calvin establishing care for the poor as a permanent church office alongside governance, essential to discipline and the church's mission across all generations.
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