The Church: Deacons
1.
Mention of deacons (diakonos) as an office in church: Philippians 1.1; 1 Timothy 3.8,
12; and maybe Romans 16.1.
2.
Qualifications: 1 Timothy 3.8-13
a.
Similar to those of elder shown in chart[1]:
|
1
Timothy 3
|
Titus
|
|
Above
reproach
|
Above
reproach
|
|
The
husband of one wife
|
The
husband of one wife
|
|
Sober-minded
|
|
|
Self-controlled
|
Self-controlled
|
|
Respectable
|
|
|
Hospitable
|
Hospitable
|
|
Able
to teach
|
Hold
firm to the trustworthy word as taught—give instruction in sound doctrine and
also rebuke those who contradict it
|
|
Not
a drunkard
|
Not
a drunkard
|
|
Not
violent
|
Not
violent
|
|
Gentle
|
|
|
Not quarrelsome
|
|
|
Not
a lover of money
|
Not
greedy for gain
|
|
Manage
his own household well, keeping his children submissive
|
His
children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or
insubordination
|
|
Not a recent convert
|
|
|
Well thought of by outsiders
|
|
|
|
Not arrogant
|
|
|
Not quick-tempered
|
|
|
A lover of good
|
|
|
Upright
|
|
|
Holy
|
|
|
Disciplined
|
b.
“Consequently,
if a moral qualification is listed
for elders but not for deacons, that qualification still applies to
deacons. The same goes for those
qualifications listed for deacons but not for elders… The differences in
the qualifications, then, signify traits that are either particularly fitting
for the officeholder to possess in order to accomplish his duties or especially
needed in light of particular problems in the location to which Paul writes (in
this case, Ephesus).”[2]
c.
Qualifications specific to deacon list
i. Dignified
(1 Timothy 3.8)
1.
Word “dignified” (semnos) occurs only 4 times in NT (Phil. 4.8; 1 Tim. 3.8, 11; Titus
2.2)
2.
Characterized as people who are honored and
respected by those who know them.
ii. Not
double-tongued (1 Timothy 3.8)
1.
Sincerity of speech
2.
Not slippery with words
iii. Sound
in faith and life (1 Timothy 3.9)
1.
Refers to the doctrinal beliefs of deacons
2.
Although deacons are not required to be able to
teach (as are elders—1 Timothy 3.2) they do need to understand the faith and
live in accordance with it
3.
“One might think that this requirement is not
necessary because deacons are not responsible for teaching in the church. Yet, as church officers and leaders,
they have influence on the lives and beliefs of others. Furthermore, simply because deacons are
not required to teach does not mean they are not permitted to teach.”[3]
iv. Tested
(1 Timothy 3.10)
1.
Personal background
2.
Reputation
3.
Doctrinal understanding
4.
Current service in the church—where are they
already serving?
3.
1 Timothy 3.11—Deaconesses or Wives of Deacons?
a.
Arguments for deaconesses
i. The
absence of qualifications for overseers’ wives: why would Paul give
qualifications for deacons’ wives but not for overseers’ wives?
ii. Phrase
“in the same way” (“likewise”—NASB) in 1 Timothy 3.11 most likely indicates a
transition from one office to another, as it does in 1 Timothy 3.8 (from elders
to deacons).
iii. The
parallel sentence structure and similar characteristics in verse 8 and 11
(including the lack of article before “women”) also suggests two distinct but
related offices.
iv. The
absence of qualifiers such as “their” in the Greek: note that “their” is added,
e.g., in the NIV, suggesting that the translators felt this is needed in
English.[4]
v. “The
Greek word for ‘women’ in 1 Timothy 3:11 is gunaikas. That refers, most likely to women who
are in the office of deaconess.
The only way Paul could refer to women in verse 11 would be to use the
Greek word gunaikas, because there is
no feminine form of diakonos. The same form of the word diakonos is both masculine and feminine;
it would have been unclear for Paul to use just the term diakonos if he wanted to refer to women servers. He had to identify them as women.”[5]
b.
Arguments for deacon’s wives
i. Greek
word gune/gunaikas is translated
“wife” in verses 2 and 12.
ii. Not
a clear separation that Paul is now talking about a separate office of female
deacon.
iii. If
reference to women deacons then why is there no reference to marital status and
fidelity as with elders and deacons?
iv. “It
would be strange for Paul to give the qualifications for male deacons in verses
8-10, interrupt himself to introduce a new office of female deacon in verse 11,
and then return to the qualifications for male deacons in verses 12-12.”[6]
4.
Romans 16.1—Phoebe as Deacon or Servant?
a.
“…a diakonos
of the church which is at Cenchrea.”
b.
Only time Paul uses the expression of diakonos with a particular church—this
may indicate an office and not merely a general posture of service.
c.
Others, such as Tychicus (Eph. 6.21), Epaphras
(Col. 1.7) and Timothy (1 Tim. 4.6) are designated diakonos of “the Lord” or
“Christ” or “Christ Jesus.”
5.
Acts 6.1-6—The First Mention of Deacons?
a.
Many see the seven men of Acts 6 as the first
deacons.
i. The
language of diakonos is not used but other similar words are used
1.
diakoknia:
verses 1 and 4
2.
diakonein:
verse 2
b.
Others see the seven as the first elders[7]
i. Later
in Acts when food relief is sent to the Jerusalem church it is sent to the
“elders”—Acts 11.29-30
ii. Some
of the men in Acts 6 had other ministry functions
1.
Stephen: spoke the word of God and performed
signs and wonders—Acts 6.8
2.
Phillip
a.
Identified as an “evangelist”—Acts 21.8
b.
Spoke the word of God and performed miracles—Acts
8.4-13, 26-40
[4]
These first four points (i.-iv.) are from Andreas Kostenberger, “Can Women Be
Deacons?” Available online: http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/women-deacons/.
[5]
John MacArthur, “Answering Key Questions About Deacons.” Available online: http://www.gty.org/resources/positions/P12/answering-the-key-questions-about-deacons.
