God’s Good and Faithful Servants
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The prototypical example of deacons is found in Acts chapter 6
1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
We see here that the apostles face an obstacle that threatens to hinder their ministry.
The need to distribute food to the widows in the church.
We note here that neither obligation trumps the other.
Neither the Word nor the widow should ever be neglected in the church.
There are two offices in the church: Elder and Deacon.
These represent a practical division of labor.
Elders are to be devoted to the minister of the Word and prayer (to proclamation and intercession).
Deacons are devoted to take care of the material needs of the church in a spiritual way.
Martin Luther:
for distributing the Church’s bounty to the poor, in order that the priests might be relieved of the burden of temporal concerns.
They are two sides of one mission.
Deacons are tasked with service rather than teaching.
But that is not to say that what they do is less important.
What deacons do in the church is open to a great deal of variety based on the need of the local church, but it is focused on charitability and compassion.
It may include:
Feeding the poor
Caring for the sick
Benevolence
Transportation
Visitation
Collecting Offerings
Managing finances
Security
Deacon literally means servant (Diakonos); as with Overseer, the role is descriptive of function; those who serve.
Good and Faithful Character | A Dignified Life
Good and Faithful Character | A Dignified Life
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
The qualifications for a deacon are similar to those of an elder, but not identical, because their roles are different.
Again, we see that it is not about talent or ability, but moral character.
God is more concerned with who deacons are than what they do.
Dignified: a deacon should be worthy of respect and honor in the eyes of others.
His character should evoke admiration in others.
Inside and outside of the church.
Not double-tongued: A deacon must be true.
Not insincere in his speech; talking out of both sides of his mouth.
Not a hypocrite.
He must mean what he says and not be a people pleaser (telling people what they want to hear).
His yes had better mean yes.
Not addicted to much wine: A deacon must be temperate.
22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,
A deacon is entrusted with caring for others’ needs.
His devotion must be to the service of the church and its members and not to pleasing himself.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
A deacon must be self-controlled and Spirit-mastered.
Not greedy for dishonest gain: A deacon must be trustworthy.
Deacons are often entrusted with the church’s resources and they must steward them well.
A man obsessed with money can’t faithfully serve the church.
A deacon is not responsible for the teaching of others in the church (though deacons may be engaged in teaching others in the church), but that doesn’t mean that there is no doctrinal qualifications.
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
The mystery of faith is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It was concealed in redemptive history (the Old Testament) but revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
A deacon has to be orthodox in their theology. Holding the fundamental doctrines of the gospel.
They should be in broad agreement with their church’s statement of faith/confession.
Why is this the case if they are not teachers? Because of the great influence they carry.
The way they carry out their duties will teach others naturally.
As they care for the tangible needs of others, they may offer biblical encouragement or counsel.
They will also teach others how to serve.
Good conscience: They must carry in themselves an understanding that they are not an authority in themselves, but affirm what the elders have established.
And what he understands about the gospel must transform and shape his life.
This is the goal of Timothy’s work in Ephesus:
5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Consciences are not infallible, they need to be guided and enlightened by regular engagement with God’s Word.
A deacon must be a Christian through and through. The willingness and ability to serve is not enough because a deacon’s service is before the face of God on behalf of the gospel.
His service is gospel service.
10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.
Because they must be Christians, it is necessary that their fittingness and maturity be measured ina manner similar to overseers.
Don’t make someone a deacon for superficial reasons.
Let them first demonstrate proven faithfulness and good character. (Above reproach/blameless).
This is true from the first deacons.
3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
Good and Faithful Home | A Stable Family
Good and Faithful Home | A Stable Family
11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
This is one of those verses that always seems to cause problems for pastors and churches.
The ESV uses “Their wives,” but this is one of those places where the ESV just doesn’t cut the mustard.
The word used here is gynaikas, which can be translated as either women or wives.
“Their” is not even present.
So the translation must either be “the women” or “the wives.”
So, the question is, can women be qualified as deacons?
The qualifications here are mostly the same.
Women in the bible have been described as diakonos.
Likewise: Seems to indicated a that these qualifications are related to but distinct from deacons and overseers. (Note the earlier use in verse 8 for deacons as related to overseers.)
Therefore, the character of these women is, in some way, linked to the qualifications of deacons.
A problem for interpretation is the fact that diakonos has such a broad semantic range (number of possible meanings and uses)
For wives of deacons it would seem that the character and behavior of a deacon’s wife must be as exemplary as her husband’s.
[She] would sustain an active relation to his office, and by her ministries would increase his efficiency, and by frivolity, slander, or intemperance, would bring him and his office into disrepute.
What about deaconesses?
The fact is, this one passage is insufficient to prove or disprove whether there should be deaconesses as officers in the church.
Donald Guthrie:
The reference is too general to postulate with certainty a distinct order of deaconesses, but some feminine ministration was necessary in visitation….For such work certain moral qualities would be essentials whether for deacons’ wives or for deaconesses in their own right.
There is significant evidence of diaconal ministry of women in the New Testament.
Dorcas: Acts 9:36
36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.
Lydia: Acts 16:11-15
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis,
12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days.
13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.
15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Tryphena & Tryphosa: Romans 16:12
12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.
Phoebe: Romans 16:1-2
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.
Women in the New Testament are deeply involved in ministry in the church.
Further, Deaconesses have a long history in the church, attested by many of the church fathers.
Women are certainly meant to be serving in some kind of diaconal ministry in the church.
B.B. Warfield:
A living church cannot do without Deaconesses as its organs for doing good. Deaconesses cannot do without the church as the appointed organization for doing good in the world.
Because whether they are officers or not, they hold some responsibility for serving others.
That’s the thing about the church, every officer is simply and example of the servanthood that all believers are to hold.
This is Christlike-
42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In this act, Jesus conveyed to us the Christian ideal of human relationships.
Mutual service and self-sacrifice.
Dignified: A woman is to be worthy of honor and respect.
Not slanderers: she must not be a malicious gossip because she is so involved in the lives of others in the church.
The privacy needed in a deacons’ work necessitates that she be a trustworthy and discreet person.
Sober-minded: she must exhibit good judgment (clear-minded).
Faithful in all things: she must be trustworthy, faithful, and dependable for the sake of those she cares for.
The inclusion of qualifications for women underscores the biblical pattern of God’s household.
Overseers: Male headship.
Deacons/Deaconesses: Male-female partnership.
12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
Returning to the men, Paul lays out familiar family qualifications to the Overseers.
And as with elders, the home is the proving ground for ministry.
Husband of one wife: A man’s faithfulness is demonstrated most fully in his relationship to his wife.
Managing their children and their own households well: As stewards of the resources of the church, deacons must demonstrate good management skills.
The Reward for Good and Faithful Service
The Reward for Good and Faithful Service
Faithful deacons are promised two rewards for their faithful service.
13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
A deacon’s work is not unnoticed even though it is often done in private.
It can be discouraging to pour yourself out in service that doesn’t take place in the limelight.
God sees it and He commends it.
Good standing for themselves: Deacons may or may not go on to be elders…their roles are different, but they have an influence all their own.
Their faithfulness in serving the needs of the church will naturally gain the recognition and appreciation of the church.
Service is the only pathway to true and lasting Christian influence.
It opens the door for more opportunities to serve and lead in the church.
A deacon doesn’t earn respect and influence in the church through his preaching.
He earns it through the demonstration of his respectability.
He gains it through the showing forth of his deep faith in his life and work.
Great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus:
As deacons faithfully serve the needs of the church, Jesus will give them assurance that develops boldness.
We never feel more in step with Jesus then when we follow after him in serving the needs of others.
Stepping out in faith provides an assurance all its own that no amount of introspection ever will.
This assurance grants boldness to speak.
As Stephen did before the Sanhedrin in Acts 6
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.
10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,
13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law,
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”
15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Faithful service leads to greater standing and confidence to speak about Christ and his gospel, for greater service reflects and increasing “faith” in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Deacon qualifications are a guide for the church because deacons are another of God’s gifts to His Church for her good.
The criteria are a divine standard that protects the church.
The world’s kind of community service lacks the kind of selfless compassion that comes from a heart drawn after Jesus Christ.
They serve out of the abundance of God’s grace poured out and in deep trust.
They are also a helpful guide to all of us about the kind of character that Jesus desires all of us to pursue.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.”
12 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
