DEACONS
Other Related Pages
Elders -- Deacons -- Comparison of Elder/Deacon Qualifications
Compulsive Personalities -- Three Styles of Church Government -- Leadership Diagram
III. Their Discipline
IV. Their Tenure
VI. Their Number
VII. Their Leadership
VIII. Their Decision Process
Doug Price wrote the folliwing in the April 1981 issue of Interest magazine:
. . . there is also weakness in the functioning of our elders. The job of shepherding is not being done. One major reason for this is the absence of qualified deacons. It is painfully obvious that many assemblies do not have deacons.
An analysis of most elders meetings (called business meetings) indicates that the time is consumed with matters that shold really be delegated to deacons. They look after the offerings, pay the bills, maintain the building, plan the sunday School and a whole host of items that ought to be conducted by the deacons. They are so bogged down with administration that the constant complaint is "no time to visit, no time to study, not time to counsel.
The Plynouth (Christian) Brethren have had a positive effect on the Church by defending and introducing the Biblical doctrine concerning the oversight. The reason why many Brethren assemblies do not appoint deacons is found in a forgotten controversy of the nineteenth century, a defective Brethren tradition. Unsaved seminarians were being installed in churches of Britian as deacons. In the reaction against this by the Brethren, the criticism against the misuse of the deaconry was taken by later generations as a censure of the office of deacon.
In general there is less written in the New Testament about deacons than there is about elders. For comparison purposes, the same topics are used below for deacons as was used for elders. Click here to see a comparison of elder and deacon qualifications.
No verb is supplied in 1 Timothy 3:8. Thus the interpreter may look for a parallel verse in the context from which to borrow the verb. In this case 1 Timothy 3:2 is clearly parallel. Following this procedure, dei . . . einai has been supplied by the NASV translators. Note that "must be" is in italics in the English text of 1 Timothy 3:8 indicating the words have been supplied.
Thus the discussion on the elders page applies. Click here to go to the appropriate place on the elders page.
The elder discussion applies. Click here to be taken to it.
Richard C. Trench says such a person ". . . inspires not respect only, but reverence and worship (Synonymns of the New Testament, 9th editon, page 346)."
This Greek word, diligos, only occurs twice in ancient Greek literature: here and in Polycarp to the Philippians, 5:2. The Polycarp reference is also in the context of deacon qualifications. Neither context gives enough information on which to determine the meaning of the word. The text of Polycarp to the Philippians, edited by Michael W. Holmes, translates the words, "not insincere (The Apostolic Fathers, Greek Texts and English Trsnslations, page 211)." Resorting to speculation on the make-up of the word (dis plus lego), A. T. Robertson believes it literally means "saying same thing twice." His commentary on the word is that it has reference to, "One placed between two persons and saying one thing to one, another to the other (Word Pictures in the New Testament, 4:574)." The meaning of this word is uncertain.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This apparently has something to do with living a life that is consistant with Christian doctrine, "the mystery of the faith." For example, a believer would have a guilty, not a clear, conscience if he were prideful rather than humble. A passage parallel in meaning is Ephesians 4:1, "I, . . ., entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, . . ." It enjoins the Ephesians to be humble (Ephesians 4:2) because of the doctrine taught in the preceding three chapters. "Truth must be united to a life lived with a clear conscience (The Ryrie Study Bible (NASV), page 1818)."z
In 1 Timothy 3:16, the mystery is the work of Christ as it applies to Gentiles ("the nations"). The verse indicates their "godiliness" is to goal of His work. His work is described in doctrine.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This is the deacon qualification around which there is the most controversary. The question is, who are these women? There are two interpretations:
This interpretation understands that the women are female deacons holding a leadership position in the local church. The following is a critique of the arguments used to support this interpretation.
Since verse 8 begins with "likewise" and introduces an office, the male deacons; then, since verse 11 also begins with "likewise," another office must be introduced, the female deacons (Henry Alford, Alford's Greek Testament, An Exegetical and Critical Commentary, 3:327; Newport J. D. White, The Expositor's Greek Testament, 4:115-116; Homer A. Kent, Jr., The Pastoral Epistles, Studies in I and II Tiomothy and Titus, page 140).
However, these adverbs may simply mean that the deacon needs to be highly qualified like the overseer and that the deacon's wife needs to be highly qualified like her husband.
There is no reference to male deacons in verse 11. Thus the topic in the verse must not be male deacons but rather female deacons (Alford's Greek Testament, 3:327).
However, male deacons need not have been mentioned in verse 11 if the topic continued to be male deacons from verses 8-10.
Verse 12 mentions a wife. This mention would be an unnecessary duplication if verse 11 also deals with wives (Alford's Greek Testament, 3:327).
However, this objection would not stand if verse 12 was interpreted to deal with the broader problem of adultery. This is the preferred interpretation. "Husbands of one wife" was a common expression referring to adultery. Using this common expression necessitated the use of "wife."
The qualifications for the women in verse 11 are parallel to those for deacon. This indicates that another, similar, office is being created (The Expositor's Greek Testament, 4:116).
However, it would also be true that the wives of deacons should meet most of the same standards that their husbands met. Furthermore, the qualifications are not perfectly parallel.
Such an order of deaconesses existed in the first century. An example of such deaconesses is Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2 (Alford's Greek Testament, 3:327; The Expositor's Greek Tesstament, 4:115-116; Ralph Earle, 1 Timothy, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, 11:368, also indicates that J. H. Bernard, The Pastoral Epistles, pages 58-59, and Walter Lock, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Pastoral Epistles, pages 40-41, also make this interpretation; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures, 4:575; William MacDonald and V. Paul Flint, Timothy and Titus, The Pastoral Epistles, page 51; Kent, Pastoral Epistles, page 140).
However, the words "deacon" and "deaconess" have a more frequent meaning, "servant" or "helper" (William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, pages 183-184). The words are usually not used of the leadership position in the local church. Phoebe and other women could be described in the more general sense of the word (William Hendriksen, I-II Timothy and Titus, New Testament Commentary, page 133).
As further support for the previous argument, it might be argued that Phoebe was a leader because she is described as a "helper" in Romans 16:2 where the word means presiding or ruling.
However, there is no other instance of a woman holding such an office and Jewish synagogues conferred honarary titles on women who performed outstanding service. But such titles had no official significance (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, The Role of Women in the Church, pages 87-88).
This is the preferred interpretation.
Paul speaks about male deacons in verses 8-10 and again in 12-13. It is unlikely that he would have addressed female deacons prior to finishing his instructions on male deacons. However, it would not be unreasonable to talk of the wives of deacons as part of his discussion on male deacons (Expositor's Bible Commentary, 11:368; Ryrie Study Bible, page 1818; Ryrie, The Role of Women in the Church, page 90).
Women taking a leadership position is contrary to Pauline theology (1 Timothy 2:12; Hendriksen, I-II Timothy and Titus, New Testament Commentary, page 133).
In the history of the church, orders of deaconesses did not appear until the third century (J. Stam, Deacon, Deaconess, The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 2:49). Alexander Strauch explains that the first positive identification of women deacons appeared in the Didascalia Apostolorum which was written around A.D. 230 (Minister of Mercy, The New Testament Deacon, page 119). He also quotes Roger Gryson, The Ministry of Women in the Early Church, page 15, who indicates it is not possible to establish the circumstances of the beginning of of a feminine diaconate.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
A similar qualification is found in the elder list. Click here for the discussion.
However, the indication that this is to be a good reputation with those on the outside of the local church is missing in the deacon list. But this qualification is like the "above reproach" qualification. Expecting that the repeating of a qualification in a list should be the exception rather than the rule, the implication would be that this is an indication that the deacon candidate should also have a "good reputation" with everyone including those outside the church.
This has reference to the doctrine of the Filling of the Spirit.
Here and in the next point, imperfect men were mandated to do perfect things so that the beneficiaries might be in intimate contact with God. Thus, a supernatural endowment was necessary.
Many prophets endured horrible persecution. They had to have a supernatural endowment to perservere.
In his later ministry he would have the ability to be the forerunner to the Lord Jesus Christ and would have the boldness to severely criticize the citizens and the leaders of the Jews. John needed a supernatural endowment to accomplish the dangerous task of calling leaders on the carpet.
Jesus did this following forty days of fasting in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13).
The powerful influence was from the majority religion that worshipped Artemis, Diana (Ephesians 5:18).
The Old Testament passages indicate that the filling is associated with increased mental ability to accomplish spiritual service. In Ephesians 5:18, the corrupting influence of evil is so great that Paul desires everyone to be equipped for extraordinary service. A candidate for a local church leadership position needs such an endowment; otherwise, he will not be able to meet the high requirements for office.
The filling is sometimes repetitive.
Note that some of the apostles who were filled in Acts 2:4 are again filled in Acts 4:31. All those who were present, not just the non-apostles were filled in Acts 4:31. Saul (Paul) was filled at least three times.
The durative nature of the present imperative verb in Ephesians 5:18 implies the repetitive nature of the filling. A proper translation might be, "be filled continually," as though there was the possibility of suspension and restoration of the filling. A. T. Robertson indicates that this is a legal use of the present imperative (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, page 890).
The One who applied the Holy Spirit to a believer in filling is God, the Father. Acts 4:24 introduces a petition addressed to the Father. We know that the reference to "God" is to the Father because He is addressed in the second person while Jesus (Acts 4:26) is addresssed in the third person. The answer to the prayer was the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31).
However, the filling was not expressly requested. It seems to have also been sovereignly bestowed by God.
Note especially verse 67 in which Zacharias is filled after being obedient in the naming of his son. However, he also never specifically asks for the filling. This too seems to be an example of God sovereignly bestowing the filling.
Since Paul commands the Ephesians in Epehsians 5:18 to be filled by the Spirit, the filling there must be the result of obedience. While the Greek grammar allows the catalog that follows (verses 19-21) to be evidences of the filling or the means to be filled, the latter alternative seems best in this context. This is because Paul commands the recipients to be filled and they need to know what they must do to be filled and because the evidence of the filling has already been given in previous verses (e.g., verses 1-17). They will know they are filled once they are empowered to overcome the evil in Ephesus.
The four conditions of being filled are singing to each other, meditating on songs, giving thanks to God for all things, and being in appropriate subjection to one another.
In the parallel passage, Colossians 3:16, these types of songs are the means used to cause the Word of Christ to richly dwell within the singers. They are used to teach and admonish one another.
"Psalms" is always used in the New Testament of psalms in the Old Testament (Trench, Synonymns of the New Testament, pages 296-297). The Greek used "hymn" with reference to poetry in praise of a god (Trench, page 297). The Greek translaters of the Old Testament used it of poetry praising the true God (e.g., Psalm 67:title). The term, "spiritual songs," is probably used of other poetry used by Christians other than the inspired psalms and poems of praise to God (Trench, page 300).
Apparently ministry of the Word through singing is recommended above just speaking because of the strong emotional element. Emotion, used rightly, can reinforce the presentation of and response to the teaching.
The two participles, "singing" and "making melody," use verb forms of "hymns" and "songs," above.
Sometimes when we sing, we are so unfocused on the message of the song and on the intended Recipient of its praise, that we seem to be in a trance. The exhortation here is that we focus when we sing. We need to keep reminding ourselves that the songs are being sung for the benefit of our Lord. The parallel passage reads, ". . . with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Colossians 3:16)."
When we give thanks to the Father for all things, we demonstate our knowledge that we are dependent upon Him. It is through the Lord Jesus Christ that we are able to appoach the Father with our thanks.
God is pleased when believers submit to each other because it shows they are committed to operating His Church properly. Subjection involves conforming our life to fit the standards of the One to Whom we are subject (Luke 2:41-51; Philippians 3:20-21; Hebrews 12:9). It is not just relating, responding, or adjusting--it is actual submission (Luke 10:17; Romans 13:1-7). We are in such subjection when we do not rebel, when we do not lord over others, and when we exercise Biblical checks and balances.
In every place where the verb, "to fill," and the noun, "Spirit," appear in the same context (Luke 1:15, 41, 67; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9, 52; Epheasians 5:18), the Holy Spirit is the content being used in the filling (Philip R. Williams, Grammar Notes on the Noun and the Verb and Certain Other Items, Revised, Page 11).
Richard C. Trench describes the wisdom mentioned here (sophia) as, ". . . the wisdom which is akin to goodness, or rather is goodness itself contemplated from one particular point of view; as indeed the wisdom which only the good can possess (Synonyms of the New Testament, 9th editon, page 284)."
C. Brown calls it an ". . . unusual ability and knowledge earlier in the practical sphere as well . . . but later concentrated on theoretical knowledge." He indicates that in the Gospel and Acts it has reference to, "man's approach to life, arising out of his life in the covenant bestowed by God, and so must be regarded as the gift of God (Sophia, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3:1026-1027, 1030)."
Using these scholarly definitions as guides, we could define this wisdom as, "a special ability and knowledge given by God to godly believers."
There is a figure of speech called hendiadys in which two formally coordinate terms are joined by "and" and express a single concept in which one explains the other. The phrase, "full of the Spirit and of wisdom," is probably a hendiadys and should be interpreted as meaning "full of the Spirit that produces wisdom." Note that the filling of the Spirit often occurs in Scripture connected with wisdom (Exodus 28:3; 31:2-5; 35:30-33; Deuteronomy 34:9; Isaiah 11:1-2).
The same logic applies here as with the elder list. Click here for the elder discussion.
Scripture provides no indicates of the age a candidate must be before he becomes a deacon.
When refering to the office, the gender is always masculine.
This qualification is shared with elder candidates. Click here for the discussion.
This was discussed on the elder page. Click here for the discussion.
There is no specific information in the New Testament on how deacons are to be disciplined. The procedure used with the other local church office, elders, should probably be followed. Click here.
Again there is nothing to report from Scripture. Perhaps the information on the other local church office, elders, can be applied. Click here.
There is no guidance from the Bible specifically for deacons. However, if a person must leave a "secular" vocation and work for the local church to accomplish his duties as a deacon, he must be supported by the church. For the authority behind this teaching, we would reply on general principles taught by Biblical writers for various circumstances (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15; 25:4; Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Corinthians 9:9, 14; 1 Timothy 5:18).
Some of these passages addrsess elders, apostles, disciples, evangelists, and those who otherwise minister the Word. Other passages are general like Deuteronomy 25:4. Notice that this last verse is in an extended section that deals with persons, not animals. The ox is used figuratively for a person. In general, when a person works, he must be supported by the persons benefiting from his work.
At the churches mentioned in the New Testament in which deacons are found, there was a plurality (Acts 6:5; Philippians 1:1).
The initial responsibility of the deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church was to oversee the daily distribution to widows (Acts 6:1-2).
The oversight is the highest leadership board of the local church and their priority work is the ministry of the Word. Since deacon and elder qualifications are similar, the deacons are capable to take on other responsibilities as the elders require in order that they may be unfettered in prayer and the ministry of the Word. This reassignment of work was successful in promoting evangelism (Acts 6:7). Some of the tasks deacons may be assigned might be supervising Sunday School, keeping the financial records, supervising the maintenance of property, publishing a newsletter, running the tape ministry, and so forth.
Much of what has been said about the oversight's leadership is applicable to the deaconary in its more limited leadership role. Click here for that discussion.
There are some areas in which the congregation has responsibility. Deacons should be careful not to infringe into those areas. Click here for the discussion.
Frankly, Scripture is silent. We do not even know if they had meetings. Perhaps they did. Perhaps they just met with the elders without "voting" rights. If they had meetings as a board, the information on preponderance would be useful. Click here for that discussion.
Click here for a bibliography shared with the elder topic.
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Ken Bowles -- June 08, 2002, Edition
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