Deaconess and Other Qualifications

Open your bibles to 1 Timothy 3…. This morning we will finish the definitions of Deacon by looking at verse 11 and 12…

Now, we come to verse 11 where the ESV starts to deal with “wives”. It has been my position from my beginning in ministry that there is such an office as Deacon male, and deaconess female. And I still hold to that. Which causes me to struggle with the translation here .in the ESV. I do not think that my beloved ESV does a great job at translating this because they translate gynekas, as “their wives”… which has caused some to believe that the office of deacon is contingent upon the state of one’s wife…

That is a legitimate view. I am sure many of us know pastors who were or should have been disqualified from their office because of their wife. But the word is gyne, which is both used as woman or wife about the same amount of time in the scriptures, with it being used just slightly more as woman…

But this brings up a great point about translations. There are a number of types of translations out there. My favorite is word for word. There are thought for thought. And even paraphrases. In America we have done a great job at staring a war over which translation is best to use… some grumble as in the classic debate between King James and the NIV stating that the NIV leaves out words. Whereas there are example of the King James adding words. Some fuss with other Christian’s over the readability of the New American Standard verses the ESV, claiming the word for word of the NASB is not easy enough to read. So which one is best? I tend to fall into the mindset of my dear friend and fellow pastor Jay foley who is fond of saying, if you have a mainstream English translation of the Bible you are blessed!

I use all of them for study because they all have their strengths and weaknesses. They are all helpful. Not one of them is perfect because they are all translations. The only true copy of Gods word is in the original language, the Hebrew, Aramaic, and in the New Testament, Greek. But you have cases like this where it proves helpful to read multiple translations. The KJV and NKJV translates gynekas “their wives”. The ESV says “their wives” with a heavy footnote explaining that it can mean wives or women. NIV says “the women” with a similar footnote. The CSB says “wives” and drops the their and adds a footnote. Whereas the NASB translates the word “women”. Which, looking at Greek scholars commentary, is the word for word and in my opinion, the best translation.

The first reason is, in the Greek there is no pronoun which would necessitate the translation of “their wives”. No pronoun, and we are left with the honest rendering of women or wives… So, I am convinced with the language. Suppose you are not. Well reason number two I am comfortable with this translation is because again we see the word, “likewise”, which has been attached to each office. Thus, we would interpret this to be another, distinct, office… Third, Elders would be held to a lesser standard than deacons if this was to be interpreted as a deacon to be fitted for office based on his wife. There is no qualification for Elders wives. And Fourth we must consider that there was not formal Greek word for a woman who served in this role. We have the english word deaconess, which comes from the latin. But greek did not have a separate word. She was merely a deacon as the men were . One instance is with Paul’s friend and fellow deacon, phoebe.

In Romans 16 he describes Phoebe as a deacon. Romans 16:1-2

Romans 16:1–2 ESV

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

He says she is a diakonos, deacon in the church at chenchrae. She was in a formal role at that church… but then you go to verse three where he describes Priscilla and Aquila, husband and wife, and he uses a more general term for “fellow workers”. Romans 16:3-4

Romans 16:3–4 ESV

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

And then gives them just as many accolades as Phoebe… in Phillipans 4 Paul describe two women, Eudora and syntache, not as deacons but in a likewise manner… as fellow laborers who worked side by side with him and Clement in the gospel.

All this to say, I see the best interpretation of all of these translations and Greek work and other scriptures to make the case that women should be included in the official office of Deacon. And we may call them deaconess. This means, she is more than a woman who fills communion cups… as stated in previous sermons deacons. deaconess included, has more grave responsibilities… which is why Paul comes to the qualifications of these women…

He says, they MUST. That is clear in every translation. They must be…

Dignified… same as verse 8. They are serious in their faith. They have matured and can be found tried and tested in the understanding of the doctrines of the apostles teaching. This is Someone who is not following a fad or a feeling to be a Christian. They have proved themselves as faithful Children of God and heirs with Christ.

Not slanderers … the word used here is a word often used to describe the devil. The very nature of slander is to throw someone’s name into the grave. To kill their image by distorting in or bringing about a bad repetition through false claims. This is what the devil does. He slanders God. He lies and defames. He makes a mockery of God through false claims.

It is true that it can be easy for everyone to slander in times of emotional upset. But there is a reason Paul lists this specifically under the qualifications of women and not the men… Women seem to be especially prone to using words to cut people down. I don’t mean this in a demeaning way, but at pointing out differing tendencies between man and woman. Men are prone to fight other people with their fists (going back to chapter 2 verse 8), and women are prone to fight other people with their words. And what we do with our words is important, for the deacon is back in verse 8 not to be double tongued. What we say, how we use our mouths, either brings life or death. Our words can cut down or build up. Our words can bring encouragement and light or pain and sorrow. Our words can bring truth and clarity, or lies and deception. So a woman given to slandering or gossiping is not worthy to be a deacon of Christ representing the church. We must be very careful, and not be too hasty to nominate people to such a role.

The next word Paul uses is

Sober minded… this was used to describe elders back in verse 2. The word means to be serious and temperate. She has control over her emotions and can put them in their rightful place. She is a thinker who can separate fact from feeling and get a proper sense of reality. Not that she is a robot without any feelings. But she knows feelings are good indicators, and terrible friends.

And lastly,

Faithful… they can be depended on. They are reliable to be given a task for the church and they see it through to completion. Which I might add should be part of the testing of a deacon. Give them a task, elders. Maybe a couple tasks. Watch them, see how they respond. Did they handle it faithfully and carry it out?

So we come now to verse 12… and it’s as if Paul says, I have a couple more things to say. After making his distinctions of the moral character of men and women servants in the church, he now comes to the home life as something Important here as it was with the elders. And I don’t know if you know this, but families are a big part of churches. Not that single people are not. But raising children tells on you… Your relationship with your spouse tells on you… So Paul says,

Husband of one wife… similar with the elders. Polygamy, adultery, etc is not permitted and is an immediate disqualification. Are these men faithful in living unto their wife as Christ loved the church? And are the women faithful to submit to their husband as the church submits to Christ?

And lastly,

Managing their children and household well… again, very similar to the elders qualification here. This qualification pushes deeper in the lives of these servants. We often can put on a show in front of people…. But truly loving your spouse can easily be deduced and debunked. Spend enough time with someone and listen to how they talk to each other, how they serve each other, separate them and see how they talk about each other in private… it will become clear what is real there. Managing your home well can be the same way. You might think of a man or woman in light of their family at church, but the light is fake and at home, in private, there is actually something else going on.

So test them. Test elders, test deacons, really care about who you have in the leadership roles at your church.

To close, here is the bottom line that I ask you take away. For there is a principle that applies to us all… How we as a community represent our Lord is crucial. You all have judged someone this way, saying something or thinking something to the effect of “wow, they call themselves Christian’s and go to THAT church, man THAT church must be… or that pastor must be etc”… or in the reverse, “wow that church believes xyz, that person must be a blank type of person”…. while that is harsh, and nota lot of grace or discernment applied, there is at least some legitimacy to it. Jesus in revelation 2-3 grouped whole churches together based on their association. If he were writing to us he’d say something to the effect of “There are some of you at the church of Providence, and others that, but as a whole this is how you need to respond…”… This is something that has confused me, what we believe is pivotal to who we are.. . Do you really know what you believe? Or are you simply here for selfish reasons?

For example, many people have left this church in the last four years, and it is my understadning that quite a few of them ended up in the christian church in bargersville. While I don’t know that pastor, or that congregation as a whole I do know that they are in the denomination of Disciples of Christ. Many of the people who were here when we as a church left the disciples of christ years ago are now going back to a church that is affiliated with them and supporting their mission of ordaining homosexual and transgender men and women into the pastorate. That tells me something. I can’t judge in full, but it tells me something about who those people really are. And if you and I live long enough, we will tell a story with our belief our servant hood as well.

My point is this, how does the community, the world around us, see Christ in us? That will largely depend upon the belief we hold. And as i close this section on leadership in the church I must stress that leaders are a direct reflection the body’s holiness and maturity.

My friends, the world is watching you. Not us as a church only, but who you are as a person. You, a professing Christian, are an ambassador for Christ. How you believe is how you will act, and how you act is how you are representing Christ on the earth… ANd if you don’t know, he is a jealous God who will not allow his name to be smeared for long. He will discipline the ones he loves, and is not afraid to wipe out those who are found fake.

So again I end this morning by asking, how is it you will be found. May you grow by gods grace in a desire to be found as Paul’s says in 1 Corinthians 4:1

1 Corinthians 4:1 ESV

1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

John 12:26 ESV

26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

So let us take this away to ponder…..

Furthermore, and far more terrifying than how does the world see us, how does Christ see us? If Jesus were to turn his head and look behind him, would He see you following him faithfully? Or off on your own doing your own thing?

PRAYER JESUS GIVE US GRACE