Deacons

THE TWO BIBLICAL OFFICES: ELDERS AND DEACONS

Elder: The Greek word episkopos is translated as Bishop, Overseer, and Pastor in the New Testament. If you study 1 Timothy 3 you learn very quickly that there are some stringent qualifications to hold the office of Pastor. Most of these qualifications will relate to the CHARACTER of the man.

1 Timothy 3:1–7 CSB

This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.” An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

Titus 1:6–9 CSB

An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.

I say it repeatedly: If God repeats it, it must be IMPORTANT! God holds His Overseers, His PASTORS to the HIGHEST Standard! He must reflect God in a proper way and not be counter to the Lord, and he must be a man who is able to reach and manage the church well.

Deacon

The primary spiritual leaders of a congregation are the elders, who are also called overseers or pastors in the New Testament. Elders teach or preach the Word and shepherd the souls of those under their care (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17; Titus 1:9; Heb. 13:17).

Deacons, too, have a crucial role in the life and the health of the local church, but their role is different from the elders’. The biblical role of deacons is to take care of the physical and logistical needs of the church so that the elders can concentrate on their primary calling: spiritual needs.

Acts 6:1–6 CSB

In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

This distinction is based on the pattern found in Acts 6:1–6. The apostles were devoted “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (v. 4). Since this was their primary calling, seven men were chosen to handle more practical matters in order to allow the apostles the freedom to continue with their work.

This division of labor is similar to what we see with the offices of elders and deacon. Like the apostles, the elders’ primary role is one of preaching the Word of God. Like the seven, deacons serve the congregation in whatever practical needs may arise.

When I served in the US Army, I was a Combat Medic. My role was to be a FORCE MULTIPLIER. What that means is that my job was to support the mission! To put it in simplest terms: the deacon is to address the physical needs, while the Elders/Overseers is to address the spiritual needs.

Acts 6 goes on to say  that after these first deacons were chosen and put to work, the Word of God spread and the disciples grew in number. This means that the Lord blessed their faithfulness!

Qualifications of a Deacon

They need to be good church members!

Acts of the Apostles tells us that those who joined the church:

Acts 2:42 CSB

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

Every  Christian, every follower of Christ, should have these specific characteristics.

Devoted to the apostles teaching

Devoted to fellowship with fellow believers

Devoted to the breaking of bread - that means unity, taking care of each other

Devoted to prayer

That is the minimum that we should see. Those things are actually quite easy, and every Christian is able to do these things. It is literally how we learn!

Specifics qualifications to deacons

1 Timothy 3:8–13 CSB

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

I want to point out here that the qualifications given to be a deacon are all about their Character!

Dignified (v. 8):

This term normally refers to something that is honorable, respectable, esteemed, or worthy, and is closely related to “respectable,” which is given as a qualification for elders (1 Tim. 3:2).

Not double-tongued (v. 8):

Those who are double-tongued say one thing to certain people but then say something else to others, or say one thing but mean another. They are two-faced and insincere. Their words cannot be trusted, so they lack credibility.

Not addicted to much wine (v. 8):

A man is disqualified for the office of deacon if he is addicted to wine or other strong drink. Such a person lacks self-control and is undisciplined.

Not greedy for dishonest gain (v. 8):

If a person is a lover of money, he is not qualified to be a deacon, especially since deacons often handle financial matters for the church.

Sound in faith and life (v. 9):

Paul also indicates that a deacon must “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” The phrase “the mystery of the faith” is simply one way Paul speaks of the gospel (cf. 1 Tim. 3:16). Consequently, this statement refers to the need for deacons to hold firm to the true gospel without wavering. Yet this qualification does not merely involve one’s beliefs, for he must also hold these beliefs “with a clear conscience.” That is, the behavior of a deacon must be consistent with his beliefs.

Tested First:

We have a process. First off, be a 25 years or older. Second, be a member for X years. Third, interview process. Questions on both ends.

.Although Paul does not specify what type of testing is to take place, at a minimum, the candidate’s personal background, reputation, and theological positions should be examined. Moreover, the congregation should not only examine a potential deacon’s moral, spiritual, and doctrinal maturity, but should also consider the person’s track record of service in the church.

Blameless (v. 10):

Paul writes that deacons must “be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (v. 10). “Blameless” is a general term referring to a person’s overall character.

Godly wife (v. 11):

It is debated whether verse 11 refers to a deacon’s wife or to a deaconess.

For the sake of this discussion, we will assume the verse is speaking about the qualifications of a deacon’s wife.

Why? Because “and they become 1 flesh” Gen 2:24

There should be UNIT cohesion!

According to Paul, deacons’ wives must “be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things” (v. 11). Like her husband, the wife must be dignified or respectable. Secondly, she must not be a slanderer or a person who goes around spreading gossip. A deacon’s wife must also be sober-minded or temperate. That is, she must be able to make good judgments and must not be involved in things that might hinder such judgment. Finally, she must be “faithful in all things” (cf. 1 Tim. 5:10). This is a general requirement which functions similarly to the requirement for elders to be “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6) and for deacons to be “blameless” (1 Tim. 3:10).

Husband of one wife (v. 12):

The best interpretation of this difficult phrase is to understand it as referring to the faithfulness of a husband toward his wife. This is because the culture of the time often had a man taking more than one wife. He must be a “one-woman man.” That is, there must be no other woman in his life to whom he relates in an intimate way either emotionally or physically.

It means that he does not have inappropriate relationships with others!

Manage children and household well (v. 12):

A deacon must be the spiritual leader of his wife and children.

Remember what Ephesians says regarding Husbands and Wives, and Fathers and children? That most assuredly applies here! It doesn’t mean the family is perfect, remember: take that perfection mentality and throw it out the window!

Instead this means that the family is working to always be in proper order! The husband/father is striving to do things God’s Way!

All these qualifications describe the Deacon’s Character. Friends, everyone should strive to grow and develop Deacon Character!

Deacon Character is mature Christian Character!

Role of a Deacon

The office of deacon is often misunderstood.

Based on the New Testament, the role of the deacon is to be a servant.

The word translated “wait on'' is the Greek word diakonein, which comes from a word meaning “attendant, waiter, or one who ministers to another.” To “deacon” is to serve.

The first deacons were a group of seven men in the Jerusalem church who were appointed to work in the daily food distribution. A deacon, therefore, is one who serves others in an official capacity in the church.The church needs deacons to provide logistical and material support so that the elders can focus on the Word of God and prayer.

Perhaps the most noticeable distinction between elders and deacons is that deacons do not need to be “able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2). A deacon MAY be able to teach, if that is a gift he has been given; but a deacon is not required to be a teacher!  Deacons are called to “hold” to the faith with a clear conscience, but they are not called to “teach” that faith (1 Tim. 3:9). Deacons do not have a mandated teaching role in the church. SO, Gentlemen, if you are nervous about that, rest easy!

Like elders, deacons must manage their house and children well (1 Tim. 3:4, 12). But when referring to deacons, Paul omits the section where he compares managing one’s household to taking care of God’s church (1 Tim. 3:5). The reason for this omission is due to the fact that deacons are not given a ruling or leading position in the church—that function belongs to the Pastor, Elder, Overseer.

A Deacon is the exemplar of servant Character!

Let’s look at what our deacons do:

Serving somewhere:

The deacons could be responsible for managing the church property. This would include making sure the place of worship is prepared for the worship service, cleaning up, or running the sound system. DEACONS SERVE!

Benevolence:

Similar to what took place in Acts 6:1–6 with the daily distribution to the widows, the deacons may be involved in administering funds or other assistance to the needy.

Keeping eyes open for those who have unmet needs.

Handicap ramps!

Knowing that someone has missed work due to an illness, and says “hey we can help with this”

Finances:

While the elders should probably oversee the financial business of the church (Acts 11:30), it may be best left to the deacons to handle the day-to-day matters. This would include collecting and counting the offering, keeping records, and so on. Helping to ensure that we are being good stewards.

Ushers:

The deacons could be responsible for distributing bulletins, seating the congregation, or preparing the elements for communion.

Logistics:

Our Deacons are  available to help in a variety of ways so that the church is well cared for and I am able to concentrate on teaching and shepherding the church.

Maintanence:

Brothers and Sisters, we have some outstanding Deacons! (AMEN)

These men are a joy to work with, and together we are growing as followers of Christ.

They are NOT perfect - praise GOD we all know this! They do not pretend to be perfect.

They are great examples of what it means to be a deacon.

MEN - ALL MEN - you may find your name on a nomination form soon. If you do, it means that SOMEONE thinks you meet the Character qualifications.

PRAY.

The Word of God says that we are to examine ourselves. MEN - start examining yourself. These Deacon Characteristics are a list of growth areas in your life. They are not spiritual gifts - they are areas where we can all grow- continually.

If you have been nominated before, get nominated now - don’t just automatically jump to a decision. Take some time and pray. EVERYONE is called to have these characteristics. It is a humbling honor to be nominated. It is even more humbling to be a servant.

Deacon - diakonos - servant!