By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 . 3:12, as Paul uses The practical nature of the Diaconate is also emphasized in church Tradition. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Therefore, preaching among regions and cities, they appointed their first fruits, testing them by the Spirit to be bishops and deacons of the future believers. Qualifications for Deacons | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at )(L) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited(M) and fall under the same judgment(N) as the devil. Scripture Guide, The Plutarch (Symposiacs III, ix), for instance, states, We call a mixture wine, although the larger of the component part is water. The ratio of water might vary, but only barbarians drank it unmixed, and a mixture of wine and water of equal parts was seen as strong drink and was frowned was upon. After their selection, the apostles would put them in charge of the task of ensuring the widows were fed. About Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. Some say that this cannot refer to deaconesses since there is no discussion about deaconesses in any other part of the New Testament. NIV 11 In the same way, the women [gun; i.e., female deacons or deaconesses] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. Notice the priority of the apostles. Strongs helpfully defines. (, Like Polycarp, who wrote that Christians should be subject to the presbyters and deacons as to God and Christ (, 5), Ignatius is best known for his emphasis on order and submission in the church: All of you follow the bishop as Jesus Christ follows the Father, and follow the council of elders as the apostles. Puzzles, Bible Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife. 2. The same two offices that Paul described to Timothy, pastor of the church at Ephesus, were established at the church in Philippi: 1:1 To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: This confirms that the office of Deacon is ordinary and perpetual in the church. is the first and primary office of government in the church. And furthermore, it is his office to search for the sick, poor, and Impotent, that they may be visited and relieved. No software to install. (Vol. "In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. Although 1 Tim 3:11 could possibly be interpreted to mean deaconess, rather than wife. John Wesley comments, A servant The Greek word is a deaconness. In some contexts, Deacons have a reputation of being more of a nuisance than a help; this violates the servant character of their office and Scriptures expectation that Deacons will be in submission to the Elders. The advantage of discussing each one is that we discover what it means to be a godly person. Lk 16:14; 1Ti 6:10; 2Ti 3:2; Heb 13:5; 1Pe 5:2, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Galatians, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, The Woman's Study Bible, Full-Color, Red Letter: Receiving God's Truth for Balance, Hope, and Transformation, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process. Nevertheless, teaching is not their primary ministry. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 8. Qualities of Deacons and DeaconessesFaithful Servants Since Paul uses the plural this way, he's not specific They have confidence in the reward the Lord will households. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. There are no other qualifications recorded in Scripture for a deacon. There must be no exceptions. Are you seeking to meet this need? Specific Bible verses are often used as metrics when evaluating which candidate is best to appoint to leadership roles such as pastor, deacon and elder. The way we test them is to see whether they meet the qualifications in the Bible ( 1 Tim. 3:12; 23:13,14; 29:17), Resolves problems with children in responsible and caring ways. Paul loves to use the word mystery in his letters. which enable her to help her husband rather than hinder In his. Second, the wine that was consumed in the time of Jesus and the apostles was more like flavored water. That means this qualification prohibits a person who is actively drinking wine from being a deacon. When they got detoured from a ministry of prayer and the word, the diaconate was created. Therefore the Christ is from God and the apostles from Christ. (VI: The Church). People who are fearful of what others think do this too! 4. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000, the doctrinal statement for the Southern Baptist Convention, affirms, Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. A primary word; a man. Every Elder/Pastor and Deacon in the local church is ordained when they are set apart by the church to their office. 9:00 and 10:45 a.m. 2. The third qualification for a deaconess is that she is temperate. Besides being lawfully married to a faithful wife The Presbyterian tradition, with which Methodism finds much affinity (Wesley revised the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the early Methodists drew freely from the Westminster Standards), provides some of the most robust teaching on the Diaconate. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. The qualifications for the seven (of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom) are consistent with the description of Deacons in Timothy 3 and reinforce the gravity of the office. The term deacon comes from the Greek word dikonos meaning "servant" or "minister." The word, which appears at least 29 times in the New Testament, designates an appointed member of the local church who assists by serving other members and meeting material needs. She must be in control of her tongue and in control of what she says about people. The Presbyterian tradition, with which Methodism finds much affinity (Wesley revised the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the early Methodists drew freely from the Westminster Standards), provides some of the most robust teaching on the Diaconate. of children can be qualified. 1) Deacons do not "oversee" the church, but specific areas of work within the church. congregation, and asked the people to select men who When a believer disobeys God, the Holy Spirit will convict them of disobedience. The primary difference is that the elders need to be "able to teach" (v. 3). Only elders must have that spiritual gift. - Sort By Book Order. In Acts 6:3, the apostles appoint seven male deacons: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus. The Qualifications and Responsibilities of Deacons, Pt.1 It is essential that we understand the qualifications and work of a deacon, so that we may properly fill this position with godly men who will assist the church. The Greek word for dignity is semnos. Deacons are ordained. In the Catechism, we find a concise summary of the ministry of a deacon: is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as a. bishops and priests in the proclamation of the Gospel and the administration of the sacraments. 8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the [ a]mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. That is, the deacon must not be greedy for money. It can mean women or wives. Consequently, some think this verse refers to the wives of the deacons, and others think this refers to female deacons. 24). The office of deacon, which continued into the late patristic and medieval church, was also upheld by the Protestant Reformers. Like elders, men must be tested before serving as These seven men were the first deacons. (9-1), The practical nature of the office is emphasized. The result is that he does not have a clear conscience. Deacons minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress; they collect and distribute the financial gifts of the people; they have the care of the property of the congregation. They are even charged with keeping in proper repair the church edifice and other buildings belonging to the congregation.. From the earliest times, the churchs Traditionthat is, its consensus of faith and practiceconfirms that Scripture intends for the Diaconate to be a perpetual office in the church. They're faithful to the gospel of Christ, The so-called ordination that is practiced by some denominations, in which a person may be required to hold an office for several years before qualifying for ordination, lacks biblical and historical foundation. Those with the spiritual gifts of service, helps, or administration (Rom. BibleStudyGuide.org That was good news. A Deacon's Reward That is what this study is about. Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . "Sober." i.e., female deacons or deaconesses] are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. And especially when he ministereth the holy communion, to help him in the distribution thereof, and to read and expound the Holy Scriptures; to instruct the youth, and in the absence of the elder to baptize. Romans 16:1-2 refers to a female deacon, and her name is Phoebe. The first spiritual qualification, which is a measure of spiritual maturity, is that a deacon must have dignity. child. In the Protestant tradition, church members are usually nominated by a church member, the current group of deacons reviews their qualifications as listed in the Bible, and then the candidates are recommended.