1 Timothy 3:8-13
The role of deacons in the Bible and in churches is very interesting. In many churches deacons are part of the legal structure of the church and the accountability of the ministry. They are often very resourceful men of God, leaders of faith.
But what is a deacon according to the Bible? And what does the Bible say about what kind of men should be deacons?
What is a Deacon?
A Servant
The word deacon is translated here from a word meaning “servant”. The idea is strange. The “deacons” (plural) were to be a group of men with very specific and very high qualifications. Their purpose was to serve the church.
The first group of deacons (Acts 6:1-7) were among the most overqualified group of servants ever.
The First Deacons
The Apostles saw that the needs of the widows in the church’s care were too great for them to meet and to continue to be faithful in prayer and active in the ministry of the word. So they asked for men to be nominated for this ministry…
“Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” Acts 6:3
A Bold Example
These men didn’t just serve tables, their faithfulness led them to testify of Christ with boldness. Stephen, one of these men, was martyred for his faith at the end of Acts 7 after giving irrefutable testimony of Christ. Philip, another of the deacons from Acts 6, was instrumental in seeing the gospel spread to Samaria and then, through an Ethiopian official, into North Africa (Acts 8:4-13, 26-40). Philip is later referred to as “Philip the evangelist” in Acts 8:8.
Like these great men of the faith, our deacons today must be chosen carefully, they must be men of humility and service, but they must also be men who are bold in the faith.
In 1 Timothy 3 Paul gives the qualifications of this office with some guidance about their families, and how they can use the office of a deacon.
Qualifications of a Deacon
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 1 Timothy 3:8–10
Paul lists these qualifications for a servant of the church. He must be:
Grave: A man who is honorable. He isn’t flippant about important things.
Not double-tongued: He speaks the truth to whoever he is talking with. Gossip and lies are not the way of a deacon.
Not given to much wine: as with the pastor, he isn’t given to the use alcohol.
Not greedy of filthy lucre: His goal isn’t money, this is key as some of the roles of a deacon will involve the use of money for ministry. He won’t neglect the role of a deacon to pursue personal wealth.
Hold to the gospel with a pure conscience: The Mystery of the gospel is the revealed gospel and its implications for all peoples. Deacons need to be grounded in God’s Word.
Proven and found blameless: Time must be given to observe someone being considered for appointment as a Deacon. Great damage could be done by one man who would misuse this office.
Overqualified?
Many of these qualifications overlap with those given earlier in the chapter for Pastors. There is a good reason for this. In the early church Pastors would mostly come from within the church. They would likely be saved, baptized, trained and ordained to minister in the same church.
The deacons would have been instrumental in this process and potentially have been men that would later be called to pastor whether in that church or in another church in the same city.
The rest of this passage (which we’ll look at next week) bear this out even more, talking about the deacons wife, family and the implications of his service.
Your Turn
Serve: Jesus called all of us to serve. You don’t need a special office. You don’t need a vote. Be a person of character, and serve.
Study: Compare the qualifications of a Pastor (1 Tim 3:1-7) with those of a deacon (1 Tim 3:8-13). How are they similar? How are they different?
Are you a deacon? Read and pray through this passage. God has given you a great opportunity in the place you serve. Seek only Him for good standing and boldness.
Are you looking for a deacon? Give time to prove a man before appointing him to be a deacon. We sometimes see potential in people and try to help them reach it. This is good, but appointing someone as a deacon too soon can be very damaging.
