The work of the deacon, evidenced both by the term “deacon,” which means “servant,” as well as by the prototype of the deacon in Acts 6 shows us that they are servants. And there are a lot of areas of service in the Lord’s church. Jesus shows us in Matthew 20:28 that the path to greatness is the path of servanthood and the deacons live that idea out in their lives and service to their fellow Christians.
Those men in Acts 6 were to oversee the Jerusalem church’s benevolent program! According to 4:4, the church of Christ in Jerusalem had five thousand men. No wonder they needed seven deacons – just for the benevolent program! In that passage, we see that the church selected the men, based on the qualifications the inspired apostles gave them (vs 3; cf. 1 Cor. 16:3), and then the elders appointed them to that work (vs 6). By the same token, today, the church selects men to serve as deacons, based on the qualifications we have in 1 Timothy 3, and the elders, who are over the church, appoint them to that work.
So, we pick up in 1 Timothy at verse 8 with the qualifications of deacons.
QUALITIES OF DEACONS – 3:8-9:
When Paul writes “likewise” (hosautos), he means “a deacon must be…” Compare your various translations to get a good idea of the meaning of these words.
According to R. Laird Harris in the article on “wine” from the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (1:376), concentrated alcohol was only known since the Middle Ages. It was then that the Arabs invented the process of distillation. Consequently, the “wine” of Bible times is decidedly not “wine” as it is used today. In fact, even their wine (which was “lightly” fermented) was watered down when it was drank. There is no biblical support for the modern conception of “social” drinking in the New Testament.
TESTED DEACONS – 3:10:
Before these men are appointed as deacons, they should “first be tested.” That suggests that elders should give them some smaller, more minor responsibilities, before they make them deacons and give them greater responsibilities. If they serve in those lesser capacities “without reproach,” then they can be given higher responsibilities.
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Verse 11 begins with the word “women” (gyne) which may be translated as “women” or “wives.” There are several contextual reasons to believe that Paul is not talking about “deaconesses,” but rather the wives of the deacons and/or the wives of both deacons and elders. My conviction is that he is talking about the deacons’ wives.
There is no Greek word for “deaconess.” The first reference to “deaconesses” is in a document called the Apostolic Constitutions dated around 390 A. D.
Again, a comparison of translations will help us understand the connotations of these requirements. Then, in verse 12, Paul says that deacons are to be married and good managers of their children and their own households. They are to be exemplary family-men. As it was explicitly stated in the qualifications for the elders (vs 5), if a man cannot be a leader in his home, how can he be effective in leading a ministry of the church?
REWARDED DEACONS – 3:13:
Deacons will be rewarded by their Lord whom they serve. They obtain a high standing and great confidence – no doubt in the church, among their fellow Christians – but especially before Jesus Christ.
Thank God for godly deacons. Give them your support and encouragement.
–Paul Holland
