In the New Testament, we see that deacons are lead servants who model the words of Christ from Mark 10:42-43:
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. In this spirit, Deacons function on behalf of the congregation to assist the elders in at least three primary ways.
When we think about the deacon ministry, we often think solely concerning that first area: identifying and meeting tangible needs. While that is a crucial part of their role, deacon ministry extends beyond just mercy ministry. In his book "Deacons" Matt Smethurst emphasizes that deacons are model servants who rise up to meet tangible needs within the congregation. But beyond this, they play a crucial role in maintaining church unity. Consider the seven individuals we read of in Acts 6 appointed to address the issue of the Hellenistic widows being overlooked in the daily food distribution. Yes, they met a dire practical need in the Church, but this was not just about food; this was about a threat to church unity—a unity for which Jesus prayed and died. Good deacons are vigilant, identifying areas of brewing conflict and acting as a buffer to diffuse these tensions before they escalate. As Smethurst writes, “A good deacon is where gossip and conflict go to die in the Church.” Additionally, Acts 6 illustrates that deacons served tables to allow the elders—or apostles—to focus on the ministry of the Word. Deacons ensure that elders are not distracted from their primary mission of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. Deacons, therefore, assist elders, serving under their direction as the elders serve under the direction of King Jesus. Anything that threatens to distract or derail the elders from their ministry or cause division within the body is where deacons are needed to intervene. Without deacons, pastors get distracted from their call, members are overlooked, division rises, and the church strays from its mission. So, who are Deacons? Please start by reading 1 Timothy 3:8-13. After you’ve read that text, let’s consider Paul's qualifications for Deacons in verses 8–10. Dignified – They are worthy of respect. People respect them and would respect them as a leader. They are worthy of being imitated. Not Double-tongued – This means they are not a gossip or slanderer. More pointedly, they don't talk like Satan does. They aren't two-faced, but they are sincere. They are not looking to cause division; both the members and the Pastors can trust them. Not addicted to much wine – Paul is saying, "They have control with alcohol." Greek literally, "They pay attention to their wine." Not drunkards. They are not greedy for dishonest gain. They aren't always looking for a quick buck. And they aren't involved in get-rich-quick silliness. This is especially important for deacons who serve with the Church's finances and benevolence ministry. They are at peace with their station in life; they are honest and hard-working but not consumed or motivated by money. Hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience – They hold to the pure gospel. They aren't required to be able to teach like the elders (v.2), but they are still doctrinal people and must live lives that reflect the gospel by which they were saved. Tested – Observed, assessed, and trained by the elders—and then approved for installation. These are trustworthy people. These qualifications seem to speak directly to two of the most impactful sicknesses in a church:
Deacons need to be trustworthy for the church to be healthy. Why does Rooted have Women Deacons? There are a variety of perspectives amongst churches regarding gender and leadership in the Church. For that reason, we are regularly asked this specific question and want to address it here. Let's take a look at 1 Timothy 3:11: Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. If you quickly read this passage and compare the elder and deacon qualifications without examining the original language, two differences will emerge. First, Deacons don't have to be able to teach as Elders do. Second, It looks like Paul is giving qualifications for Deacon's wives despite not having given the same for Elder's wives. While this seems odd, it becomes less so when we thoroughly examine the text beginning with the term "their wives." "Their Wives" The phrase "their wives" may not be the most helpful interpretation of the Greek word. If you have an ESV Bible, footnote four shows that this phrase could (and perhaps should) be rendered, "Women likewise." The Greek word translated as "wives" in the text is simply "women." The word "their" is not in the original text. "likewise" The term "likewise" suggests that Paul continues to speak of deacons. After speaking of qualifications for deacons, he says, "women likewise," as we believe, he transitions to describing qualifications for women deacons. He says that the women also must be: dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Notice that the qualifications listed are remarkably similar to what is required for male deacons; they parallel each other. Paul summarizes to the women deacons what he just charged to the men, reiterating the importance of these principles. This passage then breaks down like this:
It is the conviction of the Rooted Church Elders that verse 11 is not intended to refer to the wives of deacons, but instead female Deacons. It seems unlikely that Paul would be addressing the wives of deacons and saying nothing about the wives of elders, because elders have a greater responsibility than deacons do. Thus, we believe women can and should be installed as Deacons in the local Church. Now, in an age where "progressiveness" has been given more weight than proper doctrine and where culture has caused the Church to change its stance on many clear positions of scripture (including gender roles), it is easy to see where one could be weary of a church taking such a stance. However, the concept of women deacons is an orthodox, historic practice in the history of the Church. It is evident not only that there were female deacons from an early period in church history but also in scripture. Women Deacons are Biblical "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." - (Romans 16:1–2 ESV) Paul calls Phoebe a "servant" using the same word for Deacon in 1 Timothy 3. Some will say that Paul could just be calling her a servant, but the context does seem to say she is a deacon. Paul mentions a specific church, "of the church at Cenchreae." That structure notes a particular person in an official office when used in the rest of the New Testament. Dr. Svigel, at Dallas Theological Seminary, says: "First, Paul describes Phoebe as a 'diakonos of the church at Cenchreae,' specifying her function as diakonos to that specific Church. This may seem insignificant until we realize that whenever the Greek phrase "________ of the church" is used in the New Testament and the earliest Christian literature, the personal designation refers to an office, not just a generic function (Acts 20:17; Eph. 5:23; Jas. 5:14; Rev. 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14;)” If Phoebe is merely a "helpful assistant" of the Church at Cenchreae in Romans 16:1, then this is the only time in scripture that this word construction is used this way. We don’t believe that is the case, it seems Phoebe was in fact a Deacon serving the church at Cenchreae. There is no question that today many churches disagree on this matter. When we are uncertain about the specific intent of scripture, it is helpful to consider a couple of things. Church History's View Church History does not trump scripture and is not equal to it, but it does show us how those who came before us dealt with the issues we face. This practice may not always lead us in the right direction, but it can help us see more clearly. In A.D. 111, Pliny, Governor of Bithynia, reported questioning under torture two women who called themselves deaconesses concerning Christian rites. He arrested them as Christians; they said they were deaconesses, and he tortured them. So, at the end of the Apostolic Period, there are deaconesses in the Church. Apostles planted and discipled these churches, and we know from the historical records that they had women deacons. We also find evidence of the deaconess in the second, third, and fourth centuries. Here is a quote from the third century from the Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, a guidebook written for church plants based on the apostles' teaching. "Let the deacons be in all things unspotted, as the bishop himself is to be, only more active; in number according to the largeness of the Church, that they may minister to the infirm as workmen that are not ashamed. And let the deaconess be diligent in taking care of the women; but both of them ready to carry messages, to travel about, to minister, and to serve…Let every one therefore know his proper place, and discharge it diligently with one consent, with one mind, as knowing the reward of their ministry." And again: "Ordain also a deaconess who is faithful and holy, for the ministry towards women. For sometimes he cannot send a deacon, who is a man, to the women, on account of unbelievers. Thou shalt therefore send a woman, a deaconess, on account of the imaginations of the bad. For we stand in need of a woman, a deaconess, for many necessities; and first in the baptism of women…" It is clear that from the beginning of the Church, women deacons served the local body. Secondly, let us consider this practice amongst those whose commentary has long aided the local Church. The View of Respected Leaders (Past and Present) Again, the opinion of man is not equal to scripture. However, the views of Godly believers can be helpful for us in areas where we seek clarity. Let's begin with some Theologians of old: The Baptist Pastor known as the "Prince of Preachers," Charles Spurgeon once wrote this: "Deaconesses, is an office that most certainly was recognized in the apostolic churches." Long before Spurgeon, Jon Calvin wrote: "It would be a great mercy if God gave us the privilege of having many sons who all preached the gospel, and many daughters who were all eminent in the church as teachers, deaconesses, missionaries, and the like." For deaconesses were appointed, not to soothe God by chantings or unintelligible murmurs, and spend the rest of their time in idleness; but to perform a public ministry of the Church toward the poor, and to labour with all zeal, assiduity, and diligence, in offices of charity." And this belief is not only one that was held to by leaders of old but is still held to today by faithful leaders of the Church, including: John Piper, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, and the late Tim Keller. Conclusion At Rooted Church, we hold scripture in the highest regard and desire to be faithful to its tenets. We believe that over the past century, the Church has suffered from a great deal of confusion regarding the role of a Deacon in many ways because we have neglected the role of the Elder. Somewhere along the way, in recent church history, Deacons began operating as Elders in some local churches, and simply as Board Members in others. In both cases, the Deacon became the office of "overseer," a responsibility intended for Elders/Pastors. Amid that, we missed out on the beauty of the Diaconate ministry. A ministry of service and humility that reflects the character and care of Christ Himself. Conservative Orthodox churches have long recognized women as servant leaders. Based on our conviction, we bestow the appropriate title of deaconess on those women serving the local body. |
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