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Lesson 12

Scriptural Qualifications and
Appointment of Deacons

Introduction

1. Text: Ac. 6:1-6; 1 Tim. 3:8-13.

2. Meaning "servant," the word diakonos in the NT can refer to all Christians - e.g. Jn. 12:26.

3. But the word is also used to describe men in a local congregation who possess particular qualifications and have been appointed as "servants" in a special sense within the congregation - e.g. Phil. 1:1.

4. In this lesson, we will consider the scriptural qualifications of deacons.

I. THE APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL SERVANTS
IN THE JERUSALEM CHURCH

1. To fill an early need in the congregation at Jerusalem, men were appointed to a status as servants that corresponds to what would later be known as the work of deacons - Ac. 6:1-6.

2. Those to be selected and appointed to this work of service were to have certain characteristics.

   1. "Men" (Ac. 6:3 NKJV, KJV, ASV, RSV, ESV).

      1. There is no evidence that the office of deacon was ever filled in the NT period by anyone other than a male member of the congregation.

      2. The question is not one of ability, but eligibility.

   2. "Of good reputation" (Ac. 6:3 NKJV). "Honest report" (KJV), "good report" (ASV), "good repute"
      (RSV, ESV).

      1. Marturoumenous = lit., those having been borne witness to.

      2. Deacons must be men about whom others bear good witness.

      3. Some translators take this expression to be related to the matter of being full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Cf. "known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom" (NIV).

   3. "Full of the Holy Spirit" (Ac. 6:3 NKJV). "Holy Ghost" (KJV), "the Spirit" (ASV, RSV, ESV).

      1. Plereis pneumatos hagiou = full of (the) Holy Spirit.

      2. Cf. "spiritually-minded" (Phillips).

      3. All Christians are to be "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18).

      4. To be filled with the Spirit means to be guided by the Spirit's truth and to exemplify the fruit borne when one is so led. Cf. Gal. 5:16-26.

   4. "Full of . . . wisdom" (Ac. 6:3 NKJV, KJV, ASV, RSV, ESV).

      1. Plereis . . . sophias = full of wisdom. Wisdom is the skill of applying knowledge, "a right application of . . . knowledge" (Bullinger).

      2. Cf. "practical" (Phillips).

3. To these qualities of godly character are added the qualifications Paul lists in 1 Tim. 3:8-13.

II. THE DEACON'S CHARACTER

1. Negative qualifications.

   1. "Not double-tongued" (1 Tim. 3:8 NKJV, KJV, ASV, RSV, ESV).

      1. Me dilogous = double-tongued, insincere. This is the only occurrence of this term in the NT.

      2. Cf. "Men of . . . sincere conviction" (Phillips).

      3. The deacon must be a man of integrity, not unstable, duplicitous, or apt to tell different versions of the "truth" depending on the situation.

   2. "Not given to much wine" (1 Tim. 3:8 NKJV, KJV, ASV). "Not addicted to much wine" (RSV, ESV).

      1. Me oino pollo prosechontas = not given to much wine.

      2. The argument that elders must not drink wine at all (1 Tim. 3:3; Tit. 1:7), but that deacons are permitted to be moderate drinkers is not supported by the text.

         1. James Bales comments: "To argue that by forbidding 'much wine' St. Paul approves some use of wine of any and every sort, is to adopt a mode of interpretation exceedingly dangerous, and wholly inconsistent with usage."

            1. Dangerous. The reasoning which says that the forbidding of "much wine" allows indulgence in a lesser quantity is just as weak as that which says the forbidding of "murder" permits any lesser mistreatment of another person. "Once lay it down that what is not forbidden is approved, and the Bible becomes a book of the wildest licence" (Bales).

            2. Inconsistent with NT usage. When Peter said that "they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation (excess of riot - KJV)"
               (1 Pt. 4:4), he did not mean to imply that Christians might acceptably engage in such things to a lesser extreme.

         2. In our culture, at least, the man who is a drinker at all would run afoul of the qualification "reverent," if not the qualification "not given to much wine."

         3. The blamelessness of the deacon's life in general as a Christian would eliminate the very possibility of his being a "social drinker."

   3. "Not greedy for money" (1 Tim. 3:8 NKJV). "Filthy lucre" (KJV, ASV), "gain" (RSV), "dishonest
      gain" (ESV).

      1. Me aischrokerdeis = not "eager even for dishonourable gain" (Bullinger).

      2. Cf. "not sordidly greedy for profit" (Phillips), "with no squalid greed for money" (Jer).

2. Positive qualifications.

   1. "Reverent" (1 Tim. 3:8 NKJV). "Grave" (KJV, ASV), "serious" (RSV), "dignified" (ESV).

      1. Semnous = venerable, honorable, dignified.

      2. Cf. "men of serious outlook" (Phillips), "men of high principle" (NEB), "respectable" (Jer), "worthy of respect" (NIV).

      3. The frivolous man who does not take the faith seriously can hardly be expected to take the work of the deacon seriously.

   2. "Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience" (1 Tim. 3:9 NKJV). Cf. "in a pure conscience" (KJV, ASV), "with a clear conscience" (RSV, ESV).

      1. The deacon must have demonstrated a stability with regard to the faith that was "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jd. 3).

      2. Cf. "they should hold to the revealed truth of the faith with a clear conscience" (TEV).

      3. The deacon must be a man who maintains the revealed faith steadfastly and does not violate his conscience by doing that which conflicts with that faith.

III. THE DEACON'S FAMILY

1. "Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things" (1 Tim. 3:11 NKJV).

   1. Specific qualities of deacons' wives are required.

      1. "Reverent" (1 Tim. 3:11 NKJV). "Grave" (KJV, ASV), "serious" (RSV), "dignified" (ESV).

         1. Semnas = venerable, honorable, dignified.

         2. Cf. "Their wives should share their serious outlook" (Phillips).

      2. "Not slanderers" (1 Tim. 3:11 NKJV, KJV, ASV, RSV, ESV).

         1. Me diabolous = not a slanderer, accuser.

         2. Cf. "women . . . who will not talk scandal" (NEB), "not gossips" (Jer), "not malicious
            talkers" (NIV).

      3. "Temperate" (1 Tim. 3:11 NKJV, ASV, RSV)."Sober" (KJV), "sober-minded" (ESV).

         1. Nephaleous = sober, temperate, abstinent.

         2. Cf. "women of . . . self-control" (Phillips).

      4. "Faithful in all things" (1 Tim. 3:11 NKJV, KJV, ASV, RSV, ESV).

         1. Pistas en pasin = faithful in all things. The idea is that of worthiness of trust, confidence.

         2. Cf. "trustworthy in every way" (NEB), "quite reliable" (Jer).

   2. The character and conduct of deacons' wives greatly affects the work their husbands do in the Lord.

2. "Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well" (1 Tim. 3:12 NKJV). "Manage their children and their households well" (RSV, ESV).

   1. As with the same requirement for elders, this condition means just what it says: a deacon must have one wife, i.e. he must have less that two and more than none.

   2. Deacons must be good heads of their families. Cf. "Able to control their children and manage their own households properly" (Phillips).

IV. THE APPOINTMENT AND SERVICE OF DEACONS

1. "But let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless" (1 Tim. 3:10 NKJV). Cf. "tested" (RSV, ESV), "let them use the office of a deacon" (KJV).

   1. "They are to be examined first, and only admitted to serve as deacons if there is nothing against them" (Jer).

   2. Blameless.

      1. Anegkletoi ontes = being unimpeachable, with nothing justifiably laid to one's charge.

      2. Like elders, deacons must have a character that cannot be honorably called into question.

2. "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" (1 Tim. 3:13 NKJV). Cf. "confidence in the faith" (RSV, ESV).

   1. "Those of them who carry out their duties well as deacons will earn a high standing for themselves and be rewarded with great assurance in their work for the faith in Christ Jesus" (Jer).

   2. "Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus" (NIV).

Conclusion

1. The office of deacon is an important part of that which makes up the local congregation of saints - Phil. 1:1.

2. The qualifications that God requires of the men who do this work are needed for the work to be done well.

3. Just as with the qualifications for elders, we need to take the qualifications for deacons seriously.

Gary Henry
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