Sermon Tone Analysis

Welcome

RECORD AUDIO

Where we’re going:

Week 1: When a woman shouldn’t be a deacon.

When it threatens our doctrine and unity

Last week: Why a woman shouldn’t be a deacon

Biblical arguments against woman deacons

Tonight: Why a woman could be a deacon

Biblical arguments for woman deacons

Next week: Why a woman should be a deacon

Explain some potential benefits of female deacons

Brag on the elders

Opening prayer

I told you last week I was going to sound schizophrenic over the next two weeks, not because I’m conflicted myself but because I want you to see as clearly as I can show you the best arguments for both positions.

Why should a church have female deacons?

This isn’t about who is liberal or progressive, or who is bigoted and chauvinistic

This is an honest, in-house debate between Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Gospel-preaching, Orthodox Christians on both sides

My goal tonight is to present the case for women deacons.

Essentially it’s going to be a point-by-point response to the four reasons not to have female deacons I shared last week

With one additional reason at the end

Five Reasons to Have Female Deacons:

A church could have female deacons because...

1) The office of deacon DEVELOPED over time

Last week we observed from Acts 6 that the first “deacons” were all men.

Given that their job was to serve widows, wouldn’t it make sense to recruit women to this office?

Perhaps, but what we’re seeing in Acts 6 is not the fully developed office of deacon

They aren’t called “deacons” (the verb form is used, but not the noun)

There are no elders, only Apostles

Paul’s qualifications aren’t given...

Acts 6:3—“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.”

At least two of these “deacons” (Stephen and Philip) are later seen doing more elder-like activities, preaching God’s Word

Nobody would argue that churches don’t need deacons because Jesus never talked about them.

Why?

Because we understand the NT develops over time.

The same is true with the office of deacon.

If Acts 6 is the inception of the office, it’s not yet fully formed.

Therefore, we should not exclude women from the diaconate simply because they’re absent at the inception of the office.

A church could have female deacons because...

2) There is a female deacon in SCRIPTURE

Last week we said there wasn’t any female deacons in Scripture

Sam asked about Phoebe in Romans 16:1

Last week I explained why some interpret this passage as simply highlighting Phoebe’s service.

Tonight, let’s examine another possible interpretation: that Phoebe actually was a deacon

Romans 16:1-2—“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 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.”

Does anybody remember what the Greek word for servant is? Diakonos.

This is the same word used at various places throughout the NT to refer to the office of deacon

But the word doesn’t have to mean deacon.

It almost always doesn’t mean deacon.

Most of the time it is translated “servant” or "minister”

Last week: We only translate it deacon if there’s strong contextual clues to do so

Strong Contextual Clues:

Presbyterian theologian Edmund Clowney— “If diakonos were being used in the general sense of ‘servant’ we might have expected ‘servant of Christ.’”

[1]

But the passage doesn’t list her as a generic servant of Jesus, but a servant of a specific church.

This is a clue that Paul is referring to her office.

SBTS professor and NT scholar Tom Schreiner— “the designation ‘deacon of the church in Cenchrae’ suggests that Phoebe served in this special capacity, for this is the only occasion in which the term ‘diakonos’ is linked with a particular church.”

[2]

NT scholar Douglas Moo agrees: “the qualification of ‘diakonos’ by ‘of the church’ suggests . . .

that Phoebe held at Cenchrae the ‘office’ of ‘deacon’ as Paul describes it in 1 Tim 3:8-12.”

[3]

A church could have female deacons because...

3) Paul refers to FEMALE deacons

Turn to 1 Timothy 3

Two clues in these qualifications why a woman shouldn’t be a deacon:

Verse 12—Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

Does this mean a deacon has to be married and have children?

Why not?

Paul is saying “if he’s married he must be faithful his wife”

If we agree with that, could we not also agree that Paul may be saying that “if it’s a married male deacon he must be faithful to his wife”

This really hinges on what we believe about verse 11...

Verse 11—“Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.”

On face value Paul is giving requirements for wives of deacons

But the term gynaikas (translated here as “wives”) can also mean “women”

Someone read 1 Timothy 3:11 in NASB or NIV

NIV—In the same way, the women

NASB—Women must likewise be

How do you decide on the proper meaning when more than one option is available?

NOT WHICHEVER ONE YOU LIKE BEST!!!

Four Major Interpretations:

1) Wives of deacons

Problem: Why qualifications for deacons’ wives and not elders’ wives?

Some say that the nature of deacon work would require a deacon’s wife to be involved in ministry in a way an elder’s wife would not

I’ve never been a deacon, but after over 15 years of pastoral ministry, Holly and I both would tell you that an elder’s wife is often involved in nitty-gritty ministry

2) Wives of deacons and elders

This solves the above problem, but it creates another

Almost impossible to argue from the context

If Paul is talking about deacons in verses 8-10 and verses 12-13, it seems implausible that he would implicitly switch his argument to deacons and elders in verse 11.

3) Women who assist deacons

This sidesteps the problems with interpretations 1 and 2, but it essentially creates a third office that is mentioned nowhere else in the NT

Sherlock Holmes—“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

4) Women deacons

Five Reasons:

1) Missing Pronoun

The possessive pronoun "their" isn't in the original language but has been supplied by the English translators.

So literally the ESV should say"wives likewise..." not “their wives likewise.”

The word “their” isn’t there.

2) Transition Statement

The word "likewise" is a transition word for a new section in Paul’s logical flow.

He begins with elders (v. 1)

In v. 8 “deacons likewise must be dignified ...” (followed by three qualifications)

v. 11 — “women likewise must be dignified...” (followed by three qualifications)

3) Qualification Placement

The placement of the qualification "husband of one wife" in the section on deacons is a subtle clue that suggests the likelihood for female deacons.