1 Timothy 3:8-13 "Qualifications of Deacons"

Last time we looked at the 16 or so Qualifications of a Bishop, the overseer of a church. Church leadership. Today, we will be in 1 Tim 3: 8-13, and we will look at the Qualifications of the Deacon. And, these lists are good and were highly practical for Timothy in his day, and have been practical for every generation in Church History all the way to today. God has given us guidance on church conduct and how to measure who should be serving in ministry. Let's pray. Read 1 Tim 3:8-13 1. Deacons diakonos (dē-ä'-ko-nos)- def "a servant, minister." 2. There is likely some connection to the Greek word dioko "to hasten after, pursue" which may have been said of a runner. 3. This word diakonos appears some 30x in the New Testament usually as "servant" or "minister", but only 5x as a "deacon." 4. Greek is a wonderful descriptive language. For example, there are 7 Greek words for love; and in the NT there are 11 words for a servant. 5. Many of you are familiar with the Greek word "doulous"- a slave or bondservant. This was the lowest position of servitude in the Roman kingdom. Paul often referred to himself or Christians as "bondservants of Christ." 6. The word deacon, diakonos can be defined "servant," but it's not the same as a doulous. 7. A diakonos or Deacon should be thought of as a servant in relationship to their work, whereas a doulous or slave is viewed in relation to their master. 8. From Paul's perspective, he was happily assigned to be designated as Jesus' slave, because Jesus is the best Master. For a common Roman doulous, this may have been a terrible position as many masters were cruel. 9. There were not many expectations to be a doulous. Most common slaves would be assigned physical labor, and thus needed a strong physique and needed to be healthy (good teeth, not sickly). There could be other roles, like Joseph as he served in managerial roles with Potiphar, where intellect was required. And, there were other more degrading roles, as you can imagine. 10. The role of the Deacon is quite different. From a church perspective, this is a virtuous office assigned to a person of character. This is not just a laborer like that of a doulous. We are not looking for just a warm body to fill a role. To serve in the church, there are qualifications. 11. Before we get into these qualifications, let's look at very likely the origin in the New Testament of the role of the Deacon...Turn to Acts 6. In Acts 6, we do not see the term "Deacon" specifically, but Luke, the author of Acts, shares an interesting account with us: 12. Seven Chosen to Serve 6:1 "Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, [Jewish Christians & Greek Christians] because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve [12 apostles...good support verse if you think Matthias is the 12th Apostle over Paul; Saul is not even mentioned until the end of Chapter 7] summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. [not an issue of pride or willingness; but an issue of priority and there must be those in the church who are apt to teach, who will handle the scriptures, and make sure the flock of God is fed spiritually; Deacons would care for the flock in another way and an important way as well] 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, [3 good qualifications for deacons: Pro 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction." ] whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith." 13. Apostles/Overseers- given continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word; Spiritual needs met. 14. Deacons- Serve tables in daily distribution of food; Material needs of the people met. 15. Similar to last weeks' teaching, Paul, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, provided us with a list of 15-16 Qualifications of the Bishop. The list for Deacons is shorter (9 Qualifications) and there is a list for Deaconesses (4 Qualifications). 16. Overlapping Qualifications for: 17. Bishop/Deacon/Deaconess (3): Reverence (respectful conduct); Cautious with speech: Sober-minded (exercising discretion on when to joke/ be appropriate)/not double-tongued/not a slanderer; Character (good testimony/ holding the mystery of faith with a pure conscience/ faithful in all things). 18. Bishop/Deacon (6): Blameless; Husbands of one wife; Not addicted to alcohol; Not greedy for money; Ruling their house and children well; Not a novice/Tested. 19. Bishop/Deaconess (1): Temperate (being self-controlled or well-balanced; not impulsive; not given to extremes). 20. Bishop Only (7): Good behavior; hospitable; able to teach; not quarrelsome/violent; Gentle; not covetous. 21. Notice...Paul begins this segment with "likewise." In like manner to the Bishop, there are character expectations for the people serving as deacons. 22. Before we get into this list, can I just say, that many churches today are making the mistake of ignoring this list. 23. The church is an open door, come as you are, but leaders, before you plug people in to serve, make sure they match up with this list. 24. There are churches today hiring people to lead worship who are not even saved, or people blatantly living in sin serving, to "meet them where they are." 25. I don't understand the justification of ignoring this list in Timothy or in Acts. Pastors and leaders are hoping people will, by serving, stick around long enough to get saved and sanctified and on the right track. This blatantly disregards what is stated in these verses. 26. It smells like cheap labor and cheap grace. 27. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his 1937 book "The Cost of Discipleship", defined "cheap grace" as "the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline. Communion without confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ." 28. I want people to serve, but not at the cost of compromise and ignoring biblical standards. The Deacon List: Verses 8-10 "Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless." 1. Reverent: this is one of the three qualifications we see for all three roles: bishop/deacon/and deaconess. 2. Often we think of reverent as how a person has respect towards God, and a deacon certainly should be reverent toward God, but reverent here by def is "venerable or reverend" and Vines cites "the word points to seriousness of purpose and to self-respect in conduct." So, the deacon should be a person venerated or respected for their character...they should be an honorable person. 3. In some denominations, the Pastor is title Reverend so and so. 4. Jesus actual warns against distinctive titles in Matt 23, especially titles that should be reserved for God, 5. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Matt 23:9-12 6. This verse is a great reminder not to think of the Bishop as superior to the Deacon. 7. The idea with this verse is titles have a tendency to separate the body of Christ, titles tend to be pompous or create prideful arrogance. Just call me Marc...no need for a title. It is an equal brotherhood or family with people serving in different roles, but all are important roles. 8. Not Double-Tongued: this is the 2nd of three qualifications for all three positions. It is important to be wise about our speech, because we will hurt people if we are not careful. 9. Remember in James 3? James has a lot to say about the tongue... 10. The tongue is a small part of our body, but boasts great things...and he compares it to how a small rudder steers a massive ship. 11. The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity; and even a little fire can spread and burn down a whole forest; just like how a rumor out of the mouth or a hurtful word can be so destructive and cut so deep. 12. Jam 3:8-9 "No man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men..." ...this is the double tongue. 13. dilogos (di "twice" or "double" logos "word" or "speech")- double speech: 14. We may call a person like this "two-faced." def "given to repetition" with the idea of saying one thing and meaning another with the intent to deceive, and representing one topic differently to multiple people. 15. A double tongued person may say sweet things to a person, and then talk bad about them behind their back. They may tell a story differently to various people to be a man-pleaser, or to create controversy. 16. The deacon should let their yes be yes and their no no. They should say what they mean and mean what they say. And, their speech should not contradict lest the peace and order in the church be disrupted. Again, James said the tongue had the power like a little spark in the forest to create a lot of damage. 17. Not given to much wine: Last week when we spoke about alcohol- the word "given" was a different Greek word. For the Bishop, the idea was he should not be given to wine or addicted to wine or drunken. For the deacon, given by def "to turn one's mind to, attend to"; "to devote thought and effort to"; To "attach to"; to be "addicted to." 18. Don't let alcohol occupy too much of your head space. When you find yourself either often under the influence or sober but still mentally consumed by the desire to drink or use other drugs, there is an issue. 19. So much time is wasted when you become addicted. You waste time thinking about using, you waste time trying to get substances, wasted time recovering from substances...not to mention wasted money. 20. I'm not going to go as in depth as I did last week about alcohol, but again... 21. Permissible- Yes 22. Wise- No 23. Potential to cause harm, offend, make weak, or stumble others- Absolutely 24. Not greedy for money- We talked about this idea last week... this is also a qualification for the Bishop or overseer. def "eager for base gain." 25. Today, we think of the Bishop as the Pastor or other paid leadership on staff. They must be ministry motivated and not money motivated or they will deceive people or pressure people into giving money, or treat people who give more with greater affection and won't hold them accountable. I like the model where the Pastor is not handling tithes and has no idea how much people give. The temptation of partiality in James 2 is much easier avoided this way. 26. For the Deacon, today, these positions could be staff positions, but are often volunteer. Still, the deacon must be honest and not steal money like Judas did. Or, in someway use ministry resources for selfish gain. They also must not gain wealth in a questionable way such as a corrupt career. Don't cheat people out of money and then serve in the church. It's hypocrisy. 27. Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience- Sound in doctrine and life. 28. This this is the 3rd of three qualifications that appears on all the lists for all three positions. Bishops are to have a good testimony, Deaconesses are to be faithful in all things, and... 29. the deacon has a good grasp on the deep truths of the Christian faith, and they are living it out as evidenced by their clear conscience before God and man as mentioned in 1 Tim 1:5, but also pure in the sense of consistency; the deacons walk and talk must be aligned in holiness. 30. In verse 16, it also uses this word mystery or mustērion which has the idea of a hidden truth. 31. For anyone in the Old Testament time, the coming Savior was a mystery, we can now look back as Jesus Messiah was revealed. We can also relate to the mystery, as we look forward to His second coming. 32. The scholar Vincent defined mystery as, "truth which was kept hidden from the world until revealed at the appointed time, and which is a secret to ordinary eyes, but is made known by divine revelation." 33. Divine revelation as revealed by the Holy Spirit. 34. Have you ever encountered the power of the Holy Spirit revealing the mysteries of the scriptures to you? Maybe you read a certain scripture and didn't understand it, but later in life not only did you understand the word, but also it was life giving to you? 35. I've definitely had experiences like this. 36. My testimony can be summed up in Pro 1:23 "Turn you at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you." Revelation by the Holy Spirit. 37. Verse 16 is an example of a revealed mystery... Jesus' 1st coming and the gospel of salvation. 38. The Deacon must be able to grasp this mystery and to live it out. 39. It's important to note that this is not merely an intellectual exercise. You may understand the mysteries of the scripture, but are you holding them with purity? There is an emphasis in this verse on the mystery being held with purity. 40. The scholar Weiss stated, "It is as if the pure conscience were the vessel in which the mystery of the faith is preserved." 41. An impure or a compromised vessel will not hold and preserve the mystery of faith. 42. I picture 4 day old soda in a McDonald's paper cup that your kids left in the cup-holder in your car. The paper is swollen and the soda has penetrated through the cup right into your cup holder...you know what I'm talking about...it's definitely not ok to consume and it's made a mess. 43. Don't let that be a picture of your life and how you handle the truth of scripture. continue to verse 10 Verse 10 "But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless." 1. Let these also first be tested- 2. "Let these also" indicates the Bishop as well as the Deacon must be proven. Paul said the Bishop should not be a novice, and here the idea continues that the Bishop should not only have a season of maturity in the faith, but also be proven or tested...and the Deacon should be tested. 3. This is not a test in the formal sense, like a multiple choice test or true false, but it is a test of observation where other Christians and God Himself has witnessed this servant meeting the specifications found here in 1 Tim 3. 4. Let them be tested...let them serve as deacons...Not only must the Deacon display the qualities found in verses 8-9, but they also must put feet to their faith and serve. They must be a doer of the word. Let them serve... 5. "...being found blameless." 6. The Greek Scholar Wuest renders the word "being" as conditional, and blameless as "unaccused" which is a judicial term. 7. Wuest translates verse 10 as "And these moreover are to be first put to the test and then approved if they meet the specifications; then let them serve as deacons, provided they are unaccused." continue to Verse 11 Verse 11 "Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things." 1. Likewise, their wives... 2. It's difficult to know if this verse if truly talking about the Deacons Wives or Women in General. 3. Most bible translations, (KJV, NKJV, ESV, HCSB, NLT, etc.) translate this to refer to the wife of the deacon, and some scholars lean this direction. 4. I haven't read great arguments to support this translation except for verse 12 where it says "Let the deacon be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well." So, contextually, I see logic for this referring to the wife. 5. Calvary Pastor and Scholar, David Guzik stated, "If he is speaking mainly of a male deacon's wife, it is appropriate because a man's leadership in the home can be evaluated, in part, by his wife's conduct." 6. Guzik also said, "The original wording will permit either possibility." He see's it either way. 7. So, here are some reasons to support why the translation as "Likewise, women must be reverent, etc...." 8. "...their wives..." may not be the best translation. Here's why... "their" is italicized which tells us this has been added to attempt to help us have better understanding. Sometimes this works, but not here. 9. The word "wives" is gunē , the word for "a woman." If this word is referring to a marital situation the translation is "wife", otherwise "woman" or "women" is preferred. 10. And since there is no possessive pronoun, in relation to the deacon, this is better rendered "women," not "wives." 11. Feel free to have your own opinion here, I prefer the idea here to be women in general...Deaconesses...like Phoebe in Romans 16:1. 12. NASB95 "Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things." 13. However, you interpret this...women or wives...there are Four Qualifications for the Deaconess: 14. Reverent- We already talked about this...a form of reverence appears for the Bishop, Deacon, and Deaconess...so this is important. 15. Again, this points to "seriousness of purpose and to self-respect in conduct." 16. Not Slanderers- Another idea that is important for all 3 positions of serving...watch your tongue. 17. diabolos-def "slanderer or an accuser" used 34x as a title for Satan, who is the chief slanderer, the accuser of the brethren. 18. The deaconess does not want to follow his example. 19. NASB translates this as "malicious gossips." One who talks about others, shares false rumors, and hurts the repetition of others. 20. Again, James spoke about the tongue...a small member of our body that can cause great harm. 21. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Yes they will. Don't be that person slinging verbal mud. 22. Temperate- We also saw this qualification for the Bishop. 23. This has the idea of having a sound mind; being self-controlled or well-balanced; not impulsive; not given to extremes; exhibiting restraint. 24. And, "abstaining from wine, either entirely or at least from its immoderate use." 25. Faithful in all things- Isn't that a great description? Such a great compliment to have someone say you are faithful in all things. 26. Faithful in your relationship with God. 27. Being known to others for your dependability, reliability, attention to detail. 28. Your a friend people can confide in, and they know the conversation will stay with you...you won't gossip and betray the friendship. You are faithful...you're trustworthy. continue to verse 12 Verse 12 "Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well." 1. Back to the deacon... 2. This is the same qualification we read about in Chapter 3 verses 4-5 3. Paul explained the reasoning in verse 5... "if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?..." 4. Your first ministry is a reflection of who you are. 5. "...husbands of one wife..." 6. "One-woman man"- we spoke about a lot of scenarios last week... 7. married, single, widowed, divorced..all of which could be acceptable, but maybe not...depending on the situation...sometimes it would be better for an individual to step away from ministry for the cause of Christ. Be above reproach. 8. Faithfulness is very important to God. It is thematic in all the Scriptures, and especially in the Old Testament. We see the word "faithful" or some variant, 367x in the Bible. 9. 68x in the OT; 299x in the NT. 10. Most often in the NT we see the idea of faith in relation to believing in Jesus, but sometimes in the sense of relational faithfulness of a servant to their master. 11. But, The Old Testament is dominated by the relational sense...words like "faithful," "faithfulness," "faithfully," with many of these verses focusing on the relationship between the Israelites and God. 12. Ex. Isa 1:21 "How the faithful city has become a harlot!..." 13. unfaithfulness is also noted 14. "harlot" appears 88x in the Bible...76x in OT 15. "unfaithful" or a variant 28x...all OT 16. "adulterer/adultery/adulterous"- 18x (11 OT) 17. The book of Hosea very much deals with Israel's unfaithfulness to God. This is not what God wants from a church leader. 18. God wants a faithful leader, and that faithfulness should start in the home. An unfaithful husband will not represent the church as God desires, and will give cause to unbelievers to mock the church and God because of his poor witness and hypocrisy. 19. "...ruling their children and their own houses well." 20. A good ruler...is orderly, oversees, protects, aids... 21. I like how for the Bishop this idea references the children being "in submission with all reverence." 22. Your character as a parent is reflected in your children. 23. There is truth in the saying "the apple does not fall far from the tree." The apple is the fruit, the children are the fruit...they are a product of your parenting and your walk with Christ. 24. Be a spiritual leader in the home Dads. And, if there is no Dad, then Mom's step up. conclude in verse 13 Verse 13 "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. A Promise for deacons: 2. "For those who have served well as deacons..." 3. Deacons have been entrusted in daily labor, they are the oil that keeps the wheels turning. 4. And, God honors Deacons with this promise. 5. Promise 1 of 2: "Deacons...obtain for themselves a good standing..." 6. Obtain- def "to get possession of" a "good" or "high" standing. 7. I see a near and far fulfillment of this promise. 8. Near: When you are faithfully serving, people will respect you. There are people serving behind the scenes in every church, and they are not out for the lime light. Within the church there is a deep respect for these people who serve well. These are people who can be trusted. 9. A verse comes to mind, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much..." Lk 16:10 10. Today, we say "Be faithful in the little things..." 11. Far Fulfillment: Bema Seat Judgment. 12. Many Pastors agree that faithful service where God has assigned you, reaps greater heavenly rewards then perhaps even the greatest Evangelistic ministries. 13. Many of us will be surprised, once we are in heaven, by the crowns of righteousness awarded to the most anonymous of servants because of their faithful labor. In God's economy, He rewards based on faithfulness and quality, not quantity...and definitely not for selfish motives. 14. If you are not familiar with the Bema Seat Judgment, this is a judgment for believers, where their works are tried. This seems to take place somewhere after the Rapture of the church, probably before the tribulation, and before Jesus' 2nd Coming. 15. It is not a judgment like the Great White Throne judgment which is a judgement of salvation and anyone not found in Christ is cast out. The Bema Seat assumes you are a saved believer, and God will look at the motivation behind your Christian service in this lifetime. Were you serving with a pure motive for God's glory, or were you serving for the praise of man? If you are just looking for an "atta boy," then relish in that moment, because there won't be a heavenly reward. 16. The standard for how we are judged: 17. 2 Cor 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 18. 1 Cor 3:11-15 "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, [good materials- sound doctrine] wood, hay, straw, [poor material- false doctrines] 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 19. What is awarded: 20. 2 Tim 4:8 "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." 21. Now, we can't fully grasp the heavenly award system, but we can trust the source...we know God is good, so much so that in Rev 4, we see a heavenly scene which seems to take place after the rapture, but before the Tribulation and the 24 elders, who many take as the Raptured saints, have crowns...and look what we do with these crowns... 22. Rev 4:10 "...the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne [Jesus] and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne..." 23. All that to be said...I believe anyone who is faithfully serving God as He has led and called, and does it with a pure motivation of loving God, loving others, for God's glory, and not for selfish gain...that person will be a recipient of heavenly rewards. 24. Promise 2 of 2 "Deacons...obtain... great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." 25. Great boldness in the Christian faith which is founded upon Jesus the Messiah. 26. Boldness def. "freedom of speech" or "confidence"- 27. The Deacon who serves well is promised confidence in their faith. 28. For most of us, this boldness comes in the spiritual battle we face knowing that half of America has walked away from the church and great doubt exists in the world. When you have a conversation with a colleague, a random person, a family member, or a neighbor...you will want boldness and confidence in your faith. 29. Unwavering and confident faith paired with a good testimony is hard to deny. In fact Rev 12:11 states martyred saints in the tribulation defeated Satan himself "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word or their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death." 30. Jesus promised in Luke 12 that when the disciples would stand before the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, not to worry "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." 31. Peter, very much filled with the Spirit, stood before the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, and listen to this, verse 13, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus." 32. Peter is a great example of a man touched and changed by the Holy Spirit. Acts records another prophecy of Jesus fulfilled. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach in that very hour what to say, and that same Holy Spirit gave Peter the boldness to stand before the most educated of religious leaders and to silence them. 33. Deacons are promised this same blessing of boldness in faith. So, the Deacons and the Deaconess... 1. In what we call Chapters 2 and 3 of 1 Tim, Paul has shared about expectations from God for when Christians gather. 2. There are roles for the men, roles for the women, roles for the Overseers, roles for the Deacons and Deaconesses. 3. There is a hierarchy for the purpose of order, but not with the intention of assigning superiority to any of these roles. 4. There are expectations that if you are serving in Christian service, you are a person of holy character. 5. If we are going to do anything to honor God with this church plant, I need you to be the person that God described in these chapters, and you need me to be that person also. Let's Pray!