1 Timothy 3.11-Paul Presents Four More Qualifications That Must Be Met By The Wives Of Those Men Who Aspire To Be Deacons
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday May 5, 2011
1 Timothy: 1 Timothy 3:11-Paul Presents Four Qualifications That Must Be Met By The Wives Of Those Men Who Aspire To Be Deacons
Lesson # 63
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 3:8.
In 1 Timothy 3:11, the apostle Paul presents four more qualifications that must be met by the wives of those men who aspire to the office of deacon.
1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. (NASU)
“Women must likewise be dignified” is composed of the accusative feminine plural form of the noun gune (γυνή) (yee-nee), “women” which is followed by the adverb of manner hosautos (ὡσαύτως) (oce-owf-toce), “likewise” and the accusative feminine plural form of the adjective semnos (σεμνός) (sem-noce), “dignified.”
1 Timothy 3:11 is a problem to interpret since it revolves around whether or not the women in this verse are referring to the wives of the deacons, or referring to women who aspire to be deacons or women helpers.
If the latter, the passage is awkward to say the least.
If he is addressing the qualifications for women deaconesses, or women helpers then why would he present a list of four qualifications for these women in the middle of the qualifications for those men who desire to be deacons?
Surely, if women could be deacons, or if Paul was referring to women helpers, he would have devoted a separate paragraph for the ladies after or before the instruction on male deacons.
Further indicating that gune is referring to the wives of deacons is that the word appears in verse 12 for the wife of a deacon.
Mounce makes an excellent point, he writes, “Paul shows a readiness, both in the PE and elsewhere, to create words to meet his needs. It would have been very easy for him to have written τὰς διακόνους or perhaps διακονίσσας and prevent what would be otherwise confusing if in fact he had changed topics. Although it is an argument from silence, it may be significant that there are no clear references to the deaconess in the NT.” (Mounce, William D., The Word Biblical Commentary, volume 46, Pastoral Epistles, page 203; Thomas Nelson, 2000)
Knight writes, “Another consideration that favors the understanding ‘wives’ in verse 11 is the omission of any reference to their marital status and fidelity (i.e., ‘the wife of one husband’), as is found with reference to the bishops and deacons (verses 2, 12) and in the qualifications for enrollment for older widows (5:9). This omission is significant because this qualification is always mentioned in the PE where positions of ministry or service are in view and because it stands out as such a striking difference between the otherwise nearly parallel qualifications of the diakonoi and the gunaikes. The omission can, however, be explained if the requirement is inherent in their position as wives of the diakonoi. Furthermore, this understanding of gunaikes as ‘wives’ also provides the solution for the reference to gunaikes at this place in the pericope. If it is wives that are in view, then the verse fits here as another qualification necessary for one who would be a deacon and who would conduct his ministry with his wife’s assistance. Thus, the wife’s qualifications are part and parcel of his qualifications for the office of διάκονος. And after giving the qualifications for the deacon’s wife, Paul then goes on to the deacon’s fidelity to his wife and his children and thereby completes the picture of his family life (verse 12).” (Knight, George W. III, The Pastoral Epistles: A Commentary on the Greek Text; page 171; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K., The Paternoster Press; Bletchley)
Many argue that diakonos in 1 Timothy 3:11 should be translated “deaconess.”
However, the word is in the masculine gender.
Some like Mounce state that 1 Timothy 3:11 is not related to the issue of women in leadership “since the deacon (ess) does not provide authoritative leadership” (Ibid., page 202).
However, Paul singles out both the overseers and deacons in Philippians 1:1 from the rest of the Philippian congregation strongly suggesting that Paul viewed these two offices as authoritative.
In fact, Acts 6 makes clear that the institution of the office of deacon was a delegation of authority by the apostles who communicated the Word of God indicating that they were indeed leaders who were to serve the congregation with regards to matters that did not pertain to the ministry of the Word and prayer.
Some argue that Phoebe in Romans 16:1 was a deaconess.
However, this passage cannot be used to support such teaching for it contradicts other passages of Scripture that explicitly teach that only men can be deacons and have authority over men in the local assembly and we know the Scriptures do not contradict themselves.
In 1 Timothy 3:11, the adverb of manner hosautos also functions as a marker of similarity meaning that it marks a similarity between the qualifications that must be met if a man seeks to be a deacon with the qualifications that must be met by their wives.
It indicates that the qualifications for the deacon’s wives are similar but not identical to that of the qualifications for the deacons.
Therefore, hosautos means “similarly” or “likewise” and compares the qualifications for deacons in verses 8-10 with that of the qualifications that the deacon’s wives must meet here in verse 11.
However, it also distinguishes the two, thus indicating that the deacons are distinguished from their wives.
Just as the deacons were distinguished from the overseers with this word in verse 8 so they are distinguished from their wives with this word here in verse 11.
In verse 8, Paul teaches that deacons must be “dignified” (semnos) and now in verse 11, he uses this qualification for the wives of the deacons and hosautos marks the similarity in that both the deacons and their wives must be dignified.
The adjective semnos appeared in verse 8 where it was used as a qualification for a deacon and means “dignified.”
It describes someone who is worthy of respect and honorable.
It describes an individual who is serious and not a clown, yet not devoid of a sense of humor.
This is exactly how it is used here in verse 11 where it is in the feminine form and is used as a qualification for a deacon’s wife.
It denotes that a deacon’s wife must be someone who is worthy of respect in the Christian community and outside of it like her husband.
1 Timothy 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. (NASU)
“Not malicious gossips” is composed of the negative particle me (μή) (me), “not” and the accusative feminine plural form of the adjective diabolos (διάβολος) (thee-ahvah-loce), “malicious gossips.”
This is the third time that the noun diabolos has appeared in this first epistle to Timothy.
Its first two occurrences were in 1 Timothy 3:6-7 where in both instances, the word was used in the singular articular form for “the devil.”
However, here in 1 Timothy 3:11, the noun is in the anarthrous plural form and means “slanderers, one who engages in slander.”
The word’s meaning is negated by the negative particle me, “not,” which denies any idea that a deacon’s wife be a slanderer or who engages in slander.
Thus, this expression implies in a positive sense that a deacon’s wife should have a reputation of telling the truth and not being two-faced or in other words, deceitful.
It means that a wife of a deacon must not be known as spreading lies about people.
There was a problem in Ephesus with the women getting involved in slandering others and being malicious gossips, which is indicated in 1 Timothy 5:13.
1 Timothy 3:11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. (NASU)
“Temperate” is the accusative feminine plural form of the adjective nephalios (νηφάλιος) (nee-fahleeoce), which appeared in verse 2 as a qualification for an overseer and means “level-headed.”
Here in verse 11, it has the same meaning indicating that like her husband, a deacon’s wife must be someone who is “sober and rational in their thinking, level-headed and temperate” because they are influenced by the Spirit.
“Faithful in all things” is composed of the accusative feminine plural form of the adjective pistos (πιστός) (pee-stoce), “faithful” and the preposition en (ἐν), “in” and its object is the dative neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “all things.”
In 1 Timothy 3:11, the adjective pistos means “faithful, trustworthy” indicating that the wives of deacons should have a reputation inside the Christian community and outside of it as being “loyal, reliable, trustworthy” and “faithful.”
It indicates that when she is assigned to a particular task that she completes it and that you can count on her.
The adjective pas is used as a substantive in the plural and means “all things” referring to the various responsibilities of a wife of a deacon whether in her home or in the church.
It emphasizes the extent to which a deacon’s wife is faithful or trustworthy.