In my last post I started going through Chapter 3 of 1 Timothy. My intention was to go through the whole of chapter three, but I was getting rather lengthy, so here is the rest of the 3rd chapter:
1 Timothy 3:8-16 (ESV translation of the bible)
Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 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.
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
"He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory."
In my last post we discussed the role of a bishop or overseer, and what qualifications we should look at when selecting people for this role. (Or what qualifications I should have if I so wish to become an overseer.) This week we will discuss deacons:
In the early church, deacons where men and women (in all likelihood, there is some evidence to suggest that women also were selected as deacons, eg. Tabitha in the book of Acts), who were chosen to help in the service ministries of the church. They came about first in the Jerusalem church, which we see in the Book of Act Chapter 6; the church was growing rapidly, and the Apostles where in charge of many aspects. They were finding that they could not handle the practical ministry of the church and effective teach at the same time, somethings were being neglected. So out of the body of believers there were appointed seven men "of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom" to be appointed to the ministry (Acts 6:3 paraphrased from ESV) Stephen, who was stoned to death while Saul watched, was one of the first deacons. As the church continued to grow the responsibilities of the deacons would have grown too, from "feeding the widows" as they did in Acts, to overseeing many of the practical ministries of the church, and even some teaching.
In modern churches the role of Deacon varies a bit from denomination to denomination. In some church organizations a deacon is a church volunteer placed in charge of a ministry such as ushering, or outreach, or children's ministry. Whereas in other organizations a Deacon is a member of the church who serves on the church board as a lay person, sort of an elected representative of the congregation to help guide the church leadership. There are many variations as well, and to list all the different roles of a deacon dependent on church organization would take more time then I am willing to spend. (If you are interested thought a great place to start is the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deacon)
One thing to note is that the Greek word we derive "Deacon" from: diakonos was spoke of servants, waiters, ministers, and messengers at the time of Paul's writing. So to Paul and the early church a deacon would be someone who served the church and the believers. But let us move on to the qualifications of deacons:
The qualifactions of the Deacon is very similar to the requirements of an Overseer. In the English Standard Version (ESV) the first thing Paul states is that the person must be dignified, in other translations it says "must be well respected" (New Living), or "Worthy of Respect" (NIV). The second thing is "not double tongued" (ESV) or "SIncere" (NIV). So the Deacon must conduct himself in a manner that garners respect and his word must be reliable. And like an overseer, a deacon must be in control of his drinking, and not be driven by dishonest gain, the deacon must not be lured by money and greed.
Let us take a moment to discuss alcohol, now I do not want to spend a lot of time for this can spark a debate that could go on forever, but I did want to share some thoughts I have in regards to Alcohol. First, I do not see a place in the bible that says: "Do Not Drink", but I do see many places where it says "Do not be drunk.." (Or a drunkard, or given to much wine, etc.) For me that means, it may be OK to enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, but I must not be controlled by those things. Secondly, because there is little instruction for or against drinking, I believe it is a personal choice if you are going to drink, that is if you have taken into account all other aspects. Third, whether it is OK to drink or not is largely dependent on circumstances and you: If alcohol is a problem for you (the drinking controls you), do not drink. If Alcohol is a problem for the culture you are in (that is it would hinder the preaching of the gospel), do not drink. If you drinking a glass of wine causes others to stumble and falter, it is probably best to not drink. If the church or the organization you are a part of requires you to abstain from alcohol, do not drink. If you are unable to bring glory to God by having your beer or wine, do not drink. Perhaps that sounds too legalistic to you...perhaps it is, but the bible does say to "Do all things for the glory of God" and if there is something I am doing and I cannot bring glory to God in it, then I need to remove it from my life.
OK end of bunny trail.
..."They must hold the mystery of the faith with clear conscience." A deacon must be firm in their faith, and unwavering. As they represent Christ through works of service to both them in the church and those outside, they must also be of sound doctrine when they share their faith through words and teachings. A deacon is going to be viewed as a key member of the church, a representative, people are going to ask what he believes, he better teach the same as the church believes.
"And let them be tested..." Do not simply appoint someone to the role of deacon because they want it. Often we are so desperate for volunteers that we place people in positions with out first considering their character. People seeking to be in a leadership position should be proven first: do they have the character required, do they have a servants heart? Are they a person of integrity?
The deacons wives also receive a requirement: "Wives must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things." A deacons wife should be an example to the other woman, and not a gossip, but behaving well and with maturity.
The remainder of the qualifications of a deacon are similar to the qualifications of the overseer. "...husband of one wife...""...managing their own children and their own households well..."
Finally Paul states that it is a good thing to be a deacon, "For those serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus." Serving as a deacon is serving the body of Christ and those we bring our message to.
In the remainder of Chapter three Paul tells us that he is writing these instructions to Timothy in case he is unable to come see Timothy as soon as he would like. Paul was hoping to come and visit Timothy, but was also busy with his work planting churches and was not sure when he could come, so felt it was necessary to send a letter.
Finally, Paul once again tells the mystery of godliness (and the gospel):
"He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." Jesus: Came as flesh to the earth, to pay the price for man. God's spirit declared that HE was perfect, with out sin. That the angels have seen his work, and marvelled at the wonders of God's love. Christ has been preached among the gentiles, that they might become part of God's family. Thus people from all over the world have believed upon Him. Finally, He has been given the place off Glory and Honour in heaven.
To God Be all Glory, and Honour, and Praise forever.
Blessings,
Tyler
A Boy Wonder
Labels: 1 Timothy, Bible Teaching, VABC