Within the New Testament Church, there are only two offices for which we receive a list of qualifications.
First, is the office of the Elder.
There are multiple Greek words which are used for this office including presbuteros and episcopas, but they are all speaking of the same office.
The Elder is the overseer of the church, charged with the responsibility of governing the church by the standards of the Word of God.
It is important to note that the elder is not a priest.
The New Testament does not give us the office of priest for the church because the church has only one High Priest, who is Christ, and through Him all believers share in a “royal priesthood” according to 1 Peter 2:9.
Elders are not priests, but rather under-shepherds of the Great Shepherd and Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.
So the first office of the church, the governing and teaching office, is the office of elder.
The second office which is given a list of qualifications in the New Testament is that of a Deacon.
Today, we are installing a new deacon here at SGFC, and as this is not a common occasion, I want to address the role of the deacon as it is laid out for us in Scripture and deal with what it means for a man to be appointed to such an important role within the body of Christ.
We are going to begin by going to the passage which many agree to be the place where we see the establishment of deacons in the church.
Exegesis:
In our passage this morning, we see the portion of the New Testament wherein many scholars believe the office of the Deacon was born.
This passage demonstrates a “division of labor” within the apostolic church which would eventually lead to the establishment of the offices of Elder and Deacon.
The men are not called deacons, but they are established to be officially recognized servants within the body, thus becoming the prototypes for the office of deacons.
We see this established in two ways:
(1) They were commended by the congregation (v.3a)
The apostles said, “Pick out from among you…”
This is similar to how we, today, ask the congregation to recommend to the elders those who you believe would rightly fulfill the office of deacon.
The congregation is tasked with the responsibility to look within itself and see who are the men whom God has given to this work.
(2) They were scrutinized in regard to their character (v.3b)
It says, “men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”
These were not to be just any men, but men who were known to be godly in their behavior and genuine in their pursuit of Christ.
NOTE: It is also notable that this issue which had arisen was among the “hellenists” which were the Greek speaking Jews who had converted to Christ.
There was a language barrier between them and those who would have spoken Aramaic.
All of the seven men chosen were Greek, demonstrating that there was also care in choosing men who would be able fulfill the needed task at hand.
As noted, these men are not called “deacons”.
But it is easy to see how they are prototypes of the ministry of deacons.
Likewise, the root word for deacon is used in this passage for the work which needs to be done.
ESV: Distribution (v.1) = Gr. diakoni÷aˆ
ESV: Serve (v.2) = Gr. diakonei√n
Note: Diaconos means to serve or servant, and our english word Deacon is a transliteration of that Greek word.
In the Bible the term is rarely translated deacon, and more translated as “serve” or “minister”.
These men were not titled “deacons” but they were certainly called to the task of “deaconing”.
They show the need for a division of labor within the church.
The division of labor which is created in this passage is between those tasked with “Teaching” and “Ministering” within the body.
The apostles were the original teachers of the New Testament church, but after the first generation this office ceased to be functional.
There are no apostles today, though some have claimed this title.
An apostle is one who followed Christ during His ministry or had a special revelation from Christ as did the Apostle Paul.
The Apostles were given to the first century church for its establishment, and the elders would take up the teaching responsibilities after their deaths.
Even Peter, who we know was an Apostle, calls himself also an elder in the church, demonstrating a link between the two offices (1 Peter 5:1).
Elders are not apostles, but they do carry on the apostolic role as the teachers within the church.
While the elders are the teachers of the church, the ministers of the church are the deacons.
It is they who are tasked with the job of seeing to the needs of the congregation.
They do this for two very practical reasons:
(1) There are always needs which arise within the body (Acts 6:1)
This situation in Acts 6 is not unique.
There will always be situations which arise within the church that require specific, organized attention.
(2) The teachers need time to commit to prayer and study (Acts 6:2).
It is important to realize that this passage is not saying that teachers and men who are “too good” to serve the tables of the congregation.
The job of the elders is to study and teach the word of God, and such a duty is primary within the church and mustn’t be overcome by the needs which arise within the church.
Its not that the men are “too good”, but rather their duty is “too great” to be interrupted.
NOTE: This is a good reminder about the primacy of the teaching of the Word of God in the church.
From its very inception, there was an understanding that the Word of God must take the center of importance when it came to the church.
Those tasked with teaching it dared not give up that task for the pursuit of anything else.
Teaching the Word is of primary importance.
Those who serve in the role of deacon are there to ensure that the teachers have the appropriate time and freedom to devote themselves fully to the ministry of the Word of God.
When it comes to the office of deacon, there are a few points I would like for us to consider together:
I. The Bible says very Little about the Official Office of Deacon, But a Lot About the Duty of “Deaconing” within the Church
As for the office, it is only mentioned in an official capacity in a few verses.
The most notable are the qualification verses in 1 Timothy 3.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 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.”
But outside of this list, the office is not mentioned in much detail.
Yet, the idea of “Deaconing” is found throughout the New Testament.
The Greek word for “Deacon” as we have already seen means “Servant”.
To “Deacon” is to “Serve”; “Deaconing” is “Serving”
There are several instances wherein we see the idea of what “deaconing” entails in the New Testament.
When Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, the angels came and ministered to Him; literally they “deaconed” him.
Matthew 4:11 “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”
When Paul sent Onisimus back to Philemon to seek his release, he said that he would have been glad to have him “serve” (lit. deacon) him during his imprisonment.
Philemon 13 “I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel”
When we see the word serve or minister, it is often translating the word Diaconos or words which are similar (Doulos which is sometimes slave, and latria which is used typically for service in worship).
The Bible may say little about the office of Deacon, but the responsibility of deaconing is very well described - deaconing is ministering to and serving the needs of others in the church.
2. Deaconing is Both a Duty and an Office in the Church
Because deacon means servant, it is the duty of all believers to “deacon” or “minister” to one another; all Christians are called to be “deacons” in an informal sense.
1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Note that this passage references that we are all to “serve one another” with our gifts.
It also contrasts “whoever serves” with “whoever speaks” which is again pointing out the dual offices of the church.
So we are all supposed to serve according to the gifts God has given us.
And there are some whom God has specifically gifted to service; those are the ones uniquely qualified for the office of Deacon.
There is an obvious listing of certain qualifications for a “deacon”, which demonstrates that there is also to be ORGANIZED, OFFICIAL service happening within the body.
All of us are called to deacon one another, but not all are called to the office of the deacon.
…which leads to the next point…
3. The Official Position of “Deacon” is Not an Office of Authority, But is an Office of Example
The only true authority within the church is the Word of God, and the ones tasked with interpreting and governing with the Word are the elders.
NOTE: As such, those churches which establish a “deacon board” which rules over the church have gone outside the bounds of what the Scripture teaches regarding deacons.
However, there is a type of leadership which is held within the diaconate, and that is the leadership of example.
The reason why there are requirements for this office is that these men are called to be the examples of service within the body.
The church members should be following the lead of the deacons as they strike out in pursuit of godly ministry.
If you examine the qualifications for Deacons, you will notice that these qualifications only differ substantially from those of Elders in one point: Teaching.
Deacons are not required to teach, nor must they have this gift.
But they must have the same moral requirements of the Elders.
Why?—> Because the Deacons are the hands of the church body.
They are to do the work.
They are to implement the teaching that the Elders give and minister to the needs of the body.
In this way, they are called to be exemplary.
3. Deaconing is a Work Christ Fulfilled, and a Man Who Deacons is a Man Seeking to Emulate Christ.
Matthew 20:25-28 “But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When Jesus said he came not to be served, but to serve, the word that the Bible writer uses here is the word for Deacon.
He is saying He came here as a deacon - a servant - in His role.
We see this also expressed beautifully in the Carmen Christi…
Philippians 2:5-11 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In this passage, the term Diaconos is not used, but the similar word Doulos is used, which carries the idea of submission in service (if anything it is the stronger form of servant, sometimes translated “slave”).
Christ submitted Himself as a Servant when He entered into His creation to be the incarnate Savior.
It demonstrates the humility of Christ - who would step down from His exalted position and submit Himself to the position of a servant.
There is NO BETTER EXAMPLE in Scripture for HUMBLE SERVICE that the Deacon can look to than the example of Jesus Himself.
A Very Practical Concluding Application:
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church has established a manual for the work of elders and deacons within the body, and in it they have established a list of possible needs of which the deacons should be aware.
According to this list, which I believe to be very accurate, the deacon should be aware when:
Someone is a member of the congregation - in that he makes the effort to mean something to them, visit them, and establish a relationship with them.
Someone is elderly - in that he concerns himself with those who may no longer be able to physically do for themselves.
Someone is house-bound - are they being visited enough and offered transportation?
Someone who is hospitalized or institutionalized - are they being visited and do their family members need assistance?
A mother who is ill - does the housekeeping need to be assisted, or does her children need to be cared for?
Someone with a sensory handicap - can someone with a hearing or sight impairment follow the worship service, or do they need assistance?
Someone who is a widow with children - can she manage financially, does she have certain jobs that need to be done?
A family threatened with bankruptcy - is it needful that we give temporary assistance and does the person need instruction in sound financial management?
Someone is out of work - can the family be helped by aiding the person in finding a job and offering temporary financial assistance?
Someone is a new church member - are they welcomed by the church body and are they made to feel like a part of the community?
Someone might say, “that’s a lot to expect of only a few men serving as deacons”.
Well, my response to that is that there is nothing on this list that you wouldn’t expect of me as your pastor, and I am only one man.
The pastor is not the only person who can visit the sick.
The pastor is not the only person who can comfort the hurting.
The pastor is not the only person who can visit the lonely.
We all should be doing these things, and the example for this type of behavior must come from the office of the deacon, for they are the servants of the church.
May God give us all a deacon’s heart.
And may He especially grant our deacons - including the one we appoint today - the grace to be the examples to the congregation in this indispensable work.
