For far too many churches, the deacons appear to be group that runs and directs the activities of a church, whereas last week we discussed how deacons were set up to be the servants of the church. In fact that is what the title of deacon means, a servant, not a ruler, taskmaster, or overseer. The title of “overseer” and bishop, elder, shepherd, and pastor is used interchangeably in the NT for the office we call pastor.
Those that we recognize to give the title of deacon, servants of the church, have special qualifications. These qualifications parallel the qualifications listed for those who fill the office of pastor. We find these qualification list in 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Last week we looked at the calling of the first servants of the church. The basic qualifications are listed there:
Acts 6:3 (NKJV) Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
We need men to serve that have a good reputation in the church and outside of the church. We need men who are known for their faith, not only at church, but in their place of business as well.
We need men who are full of the Holy Spirit, and sensitive to the things of the Spirit. Knowing the things of God and living the life where the fruit of the Spirit is evident.
And we need men who have wisdom, and what I would call common sense (which is uncommon in today’s climate). Men who know how to get things done and they do it.
Paul, in writing to young Timothy, who was the pastor of the church in Ephesus, further expounds on what to look for in a deacon:
1 Timothy 3:8–13 (NKJV)
Ill: The story of John Egglen, a deacon in small country church in England in the 1800’s. On Sunday January 6, 1850, John Egglen of Colchester awoke to a town buried in snow. Why bother going to church, he thought. But being the good deacon that he was, he walked the 6 miles to the Methodist church. Even the pastor couldn’t make it that snowy morning. Indeed, only 13 people showed up: 12 members and one visitor, a 13-year-old boy, who had ducked in to escape the cold and snow. Some suggested going home. But Egglen refused – after all, they did have a visitor. But who would preach? Egglen was the man, even though he never preached before. And it showed – his sermon was only ten minutes long and was far from elegant. The text was Isaiah 45:22: “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” Gathering a bit of courage, Egglen looked straight at the visitor and said, “Young man, look to Jesus. Look. Look. Look.” The boy did look, and was instantly and gloriously saved.
It’s a good thing Egglen didn’t stay in bed that day. That young boy was Charles Spurgeon. When he told his mother he wanted to be baptized, she replied, “Ah, Charles, I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I never asked that you might become a Baptist.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the young man who accepted Christ that snowy Sunday morning, the man who has often been called, the "prince of preachers."
God blessed his preaching and when he was still less than 30 years old he became the pastor of London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle. His sermons were so powerful that although the building could hold 5000 people, the crowds who came to hear him were so thick that they would line up outside trying to hear his sermons. [1]
That one faithful deacon, doing what needed to be done. Never once saying, “not my job” or “God didn’t gift me to do this.” There was a need and the deacon John Egglen filled that need. That is what we need in servant of the church, a willingness to do whatever it is that needs to be done. John Egglen could have sent everyone home and no one would have thought the lessor of him. But a soul was save that day and world in England was changed.
This message today is not just for deacons or potential deacons. These qualities that we are looking for in a deacon aught to be the goals we each should be seeking in our own lives.
1 Timothy 3:8 (NKJV) Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
“Likewise” is a transition to a new subject. We’ll see that word again in a minute (in verse 11). Likewise – Paul had just finished telling Timothy about what to look for in a pastor/overseer/bishop. The deacons likewise – or in the same way as the bishop – needs to be similarly qualified. Listen carefully – Likewise means that deacons are just as important as the pastors. – It is crucial they do their duties so the pastor(s) can do theirs.
Why so high a standard? Paul’s motivation for writing about these qualification we find down in verse 15
1 Timothy 3:15 (NKJV) but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Why so high a standard? Leaders and those who serve the church have the greater weight of responsibility therefore a greater weight of accountability. Because of their position, they have great influence on others. Being a deacon or pastor for that matter is not a status symbol, It is a position of humbleness – God is going to hold to account those who have charge over God’s people. When selecting our deacons, we as a body of Christ, will be recognizing God’s call on one to serve in His name. So let’s examine the what it takes to be a deacon.
“Reverent” NASB says men of dignity. NIV- Worthy of respect. Not jokesters, takes seriously the duties of his office.
“not double-tongued” HCSB – Not hypocritical. Plain speaking, not saying something to one group and something else to others.
“not given to much wine” NASB has addicted to much wine. Wine drinking was done by all in that day. They could not control the fermentation process. But wine was usually cut 1 part wine to 5-7 parts water. Strong drink was drinking wine straight. Deacons are not to be addicted to the things of this world, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, etc.
“not greedy for money” NIV has pursuing dishonest gain. What did Paul say about the love of money? (1 Timothy 6:10) “For the ove of money is the root of a kinds of evil.”
1 Timothy 3:9 (NKJV) holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
The NIV translates this as “hold the deep truths of faith.” They are not a new convert (see verse 6 for pastors/bishops). They have a grasp of godly doctrine as taught by the scriptures. And they know theses things with a clear or pure conscience. This means that they know the word and they live the word. As James puts it, they are doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22)
1 Timothy 3:10 (NKJV) But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
Those that are called to deacons, before ordination by our custom, appear before an ordination board, to insure their life and family the Christian doctrine they hold is right with Scripture. Also, when we select a man for deacon, we tend to select men that are already doing the work. They are living a godly life, they have already been assuming responsibilities for various ministries, and they have already been an example for others to follow. We do not want men as deacons that have shown in the past that they are all talk and no action.
A truly called deacon will change very little once he assumes the title of deacon. He is already doing these things. And what is very important, and what changes is the new deacon is ready for assume greater responsibility, and is trainable.
This next verse has a wide scope of interpretation by many different godly scholars:
1 Timothy 3:11 (NKJV) Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
Notice the word “likewise.” We are dealing with a new group of servants, like the bishops and deacons and now the women or wives?
In the Greek, there is not a word for wives. The word used is “women” and so translates this way in NASB. If you have your NKJV Bible open, notice that the word “their” is in italics. This means that it is an added word for clarity. The Greek does not have “their” nor does it have an article like “the.” The Greek does not say their women, it just says “women likewise . . .” Translators put wives because they believe it is in context with the passage on deacons. But other translators and scholars believe they are referring to women who serve as servants in the church, just we discussed last week in Romans 16:1 as Paul mentioned Phoebe as a servant of the church.
If wives of the deacons is the subject of this verse, I wonder why Paul did not make a similar comment about the wives of the overseers or bishops? I believe Paul here is including women here as the servants of the church. More on this at a later date.
But whether it is wives of the deacons or women servants of the church, their standards are similar to the men’s. They were to be:
Reverent, or dignified, worthy of respect;
not slanderers or gossips – this reflects back to being dignified;
temperate – not drunks, addicted to much wine.
Faithful – reliable and trustworthy.
This next verse is also controversial
1 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV) Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
In the literal Greek, the deacons are a “one woman man.” This has been interpreted on one extreme saying the man must be married and never divorced/remarried. The would also exclude single and widowers. At the other extreme, this phrase disallows for polygamy, multiple wives.
In Paul’s day, polygamy was pretty rare, and there were false teachers who taught that marriage was prohibited. Also divorce was as common in that day as it is in ours. The Greeks were know for serial marriages, one divorce and remarriage after another.
But without getting legalistic, but putting the verse in context with the whole, if the issue is a strong family, godly family, then divorce and re-marriage in the not the critical issue. [2] Questions that need to be asked:
Can a remarried widower qualify?
Can a remarried divorced man qualify?
The qualification speaks to faithfulness in marriage. So the point of the phrase is probably not how often one can be married, but rather how one conducts oneself in one’s marriage. The issue here is moral character and not marital status. Deacons are to be sexually pure, faithful to their wives and to their families. Certainly, remarried divorce men need time to establish a track record, demostrating their faithfulness.
Next is how deacons manage their homes.
“ruling their children and their own houses well” Just how is the deacon’s home ran? I have had problems with my kids, they had their rebellious stages – many families experience this, but do we let them run wild and do as they please like Eli’s boys. Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, conducted themselves so outrageously that they caused deep disgust among the people and rendered the services of the Temple vile in their eyes (1 Sam 2:12-17,22). Of this misconduct Eli was aware but contented himself with mild and ineffectual corrections where his position as father required severe and vigorous action (3:13).
How about the deacon’s home finances – do you want a deacon managing the church’s money who cannot balance his own checkbook? Deacon need to be good managers of all they do, looking first to how the run their homes.
And finally:
1 Timothy 3:13 (NKJV) For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Notice that you generally either hear good things about a deacon or poor things. The deacon that is faithful and serves well, builds a good reputation with the other Christians in the church and with the community outside the church. That deacon can enjoy great boldness in witnessing – it’s easy to witness when you are walking the talk.
Because a deacon is one we can set as an example – we ask the question, how do you measure up? Paul says we should examine ourselves. The fact is no matter how good we are means nothing unless we have a vibrant living relationship with Jesus.
Show me a man with active, ongoing relationship with Jesus, and I’ll show you a man that meets these qualifications.
We are nominating deacons for our church this week, and it is not about who’s turn it is or who is most deserving, but it is about who is God calling.
Like I said, these things we all need to aspire to, not just those we call to serve formally. Are you living and serving Jesus today and every day. Do you know Jesus? We cannot live this Christian life in our own power. We must be leaning of Jesus every day.
[1] billmuehlenberg.com/2010/12/30/notable-christians-c-h-spurgeon/ and www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/humble-church-servants-jason-jones-sermon-on-deacons-234450?ref=SermonSerps
[2] Robert James Utley, Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey: I Timothy, Titus, II Timothy, vol. Volume 9, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 2000), 41.
