Deacons: Their Origins and Purpose
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Deacons: Their Origins and Purpose
Deacons: Their Origins and Purpose
We come to a special time in our church’s life this morning with the ordination of Dr. Rod Elledge to the deacon ministry. This will be the second deacon ordination service of which I have been privileged to be a part of, the first being Jason Parsons.
As we approach this solemn time, I thought it good to discuss the origins and purposes of the deacons.
All churches have deacons, but all deacons do not have the same roles or functions. Some deacons function like elders, others function more as a board of directors, and others oversee different ministries in the church.
Where did deacons come from? And what is their purpose? We see in our two passages this morning that deacons have the origin in the early period of the church, and their purposes are clearly presented in Scripture, leaving enough room to tailor their service in the church to specific churches and no room for misunderstand their purpose.
Deacons are called by God, gifted by the Holy Spirit, elected by and for the service of the church.
I. The Origins of Deacons- Acts 6:1–7, 1 Timothy 3:8–13
I. The Origins of Deacons- Acts 6:1–7, 1 Timothy 3:8–13
One of the first problems faced by the early church (and one that would continue to plague the church) is the ethnic division between Hebrew widows and Hellenistic widows.
The Hebrew members of the church at Jerusalem were neglecting the Hellenistic widows (Greek widows). Because there was no real social welfare program available on a wide-scale, many people in need would receive aid from religious institutions (e.g., synagogues).
However, the members from Greek-speaking areas were not receiving help. As a result, Luke records “a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews” (Acts 6:1).
This problem cannot be ignored. It must be addressed, and so the apostles (“the twelve”) summon the “full number of the disciples” (i.e., church members) and present the problem.
The apostles (and future pastors/elders of the church) are to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. They could not do this, however, because of this problem of the neglected widows. This brings us to the purpose of deacons.
II. The Purpose of Deacons- Acts 6:2, 7
II. The Purpose of Deacons- Acts 6:2, 7
The purpose of deacons is “to serve tables.” They are servants, ministers to the needs of the church. They focus on the physical whereas pastors/elders focus on the spiritual.
In our church, deacons help prepare and serve the Lord’s Supper, help prepare for baptisms, count money, and handle other needs involving our church life.
Other churches may be set up differently. One church in which we served had deacons in charge of various ministries (set up and tear down, sound, snacks, book table, etc.).
Rod serves. One of the first things Rod and Christa said to me when they came here was, “Where can we serve? What does the church need?” Whether it was the Fall Festival, or VBS set-up, tear-down, or actual VBS, or even serving in the nursery, Rod is a servant. And just this morning Rod started teaching a Sunday School class.
This is their purpose. It seems simple enough, but it is a high calling, as we see in their qualifications.
III. The Qualifications for Deacons- Acts 6:3–5; 1 Tim. 3:8–13
III. The Qualifications for Deacons- Acts 6:3–5; 1 Tim. 3:8–13
In Acts we see three requirements: good reputations, full of the Spirit (cf. Gal. 5:22–23), and wise. Paul elaborates on these in 1 Tim. 3:8–13 “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.”
The only difference between the deacon and the pastor/elder is that the pastor/elder should be “able to teach.” The calling of the deacon, character-wise, is no different than that of the pastor/elder.
The church picked seven individuals after this instruction from the apostles. They knew these men were qualified immediately. As a church, we should keep our eyes open to individuals to know if they are qualified.
Rod meets these qualifications. You ask Christa, or his previous pastors, they will all attest that he, through the grace of Jesus Christ, meets the qualifications. Which brings us to the next consideration and main focus this morning: the ordination of deacons.
IV. The Ordination of Deacons- Acts 6:6
IV. The Ordination of Deacons- Acts 6:6
As the church is presented with the problem, the church picks seven men, and then they place them before the apostles who lay their hands on the seven men. They commission them for the diaconate ministry. The is what ordination is, a setting apart, if you will, for a special purpose.
V. The Blessing of Deacons- Acts 6:7
V. The Blessing of Deacons- Acts 6:7
What happens as a result of the election, ordination, and service of deacons?
“The word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jersualem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”
There is one qualification I must offer before we dive into the specifics. We must always keep 1 Corinthians 3:5–7 in mind. “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
God is the one Who gives growth! We can certainly attract people, and we are learning from 2 Timothy that people want to hear certain things and will flock to teachers to hear them. But true growth comes from God alone. We can use the right words, the right passion, but if God is absent, then growth will not take place.
However, we see growth take place here, in the spreading of the Word of God and the conversion of many people, astoundingly including the priests.
Deacons are called by God, gifted by the Holy Spirit, elected by and for the service of the church—and when this happens the church is blessed, the gospel spreads, and our Triune God is glorified.