Thinking about Deacons (Part One)
[Our friend and frequent contributor, Thomas Overmiller, is working through a series of studies on the office of deacon. He is posting these as short studies, we are combining several posts into this post, expecting more to come. We hope it is profitable for you. – Editor.]
Deacons in the Church: A Servant Role
Truths to Discover
The word deacon originates from a Greek word (diakonos) that describes the work of a servant in general and may be translated as a “minister,” “one who serves,” or “a court servant” (as in the servant of a kind). Other possible translations are an “attendant,” “assistant,” or “aide.”
This word describes any person devoted to carrying out the commands, doing the will, or meeting the needs of another person who holds a higher-ranking or superior position over him.
Paul described himself as a “servant of the Lord” (Rom 1:1; Col 1:25). He also described Apollos, Timothy and other believers the same way (1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:4; 1 Thess 3:2).
Matthew used this word broadly to describe servants who carried out the orders of a king (Matt 22:13).
John used it to describe waiters who served food and drink to people at a banquet (John 2:5, 9).
Ultimately, Jesus urged all his followers to adopt this servant mindset throughout life, serving others and taking the lowest position (Matt 20:26, 28; Mark 9:35; Luke 22:26-27).
This full range of meaning describes the essence of a deacon’s role in a church. While all Christians should behave like a servant, deacons must devote themselves expressly and officially to meet the specified needs within their church.
Questions to Discuss
- How does the meaning of deacon correct wrong perceptions of this role?
- Deacons are servants to whom? Church members, pastors, Christ, someone else?
- What makes Christ’s teaching about being a servant so stunning and profound?
- How can deacons provide the rest of a church with an example to follow?
- How do deacons differ from other church member?
Deacons in the Church: A Strategic Role
Truths to Discover
Pastors are responsible to administrate (“oversee”) the affairs and care for (“shepherd”) the needs of a congregation. So, when financial and material needs arose at the start of the church, the pastoral leaders of the church at Jerusalem distributed donations to members in need (Acts 4:32-35).
When similar pressing needs continued to persist, however, the pastoral leaders faced a challenging dilemma. They were forced to choose between meeting the physical and material needs of the church or the spiritual needs of the church. That’s when deacons became necessary (Acts 6:2).
“Spiritual” needs are those needs in a church which are met with prayer and Bible teaching (Acts 6:4). Nonspiritual needs, then, are those which are physical, material, or financial nature. The word business, duty, or task (chreia) in Acts 6:3, for instance, refers to either a pressing need that is lacking or an activity that needs to be fulfilled.
Caring for widows in the church arose as the first such need (Acts 6:1). Similar needs today include visiting shut-ins and hospitals patients, or handling and distributing finances designated for ministry purposes.
By extension, we can conclude that deacons should meet whatever needs – whether physical, material, financial, or operational – are causing unrest in a congregation or inhibiting the pastors from meeting spiritual needs adequately.
Questions to Discuss
- When does a church need deacons?
- What are the primary responsibilities of pastoral leaders in the church?
- How do deacons help pastors fulfill their responsibilities effectively?
- What are some categories or kinds of needs which deacons can meet today?
Deacons in the Church: A Special Role
Truths to Discover
Churches easily misunderstand the role of deacons, elevating them to a place of prestige, power, and political clout. But Scripture paints the opposite picture. Contrary to prevailing opinion, deacons do not form a governing body. Instead, they form a team that carries out delegated instructions and performs necessary routine tasks. As such, they minister quietly and without applause. When men fulfill these duties in a faithful, God-pleasing manner, God provides a remarkable commendation.
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 Timothy 3:13
To “serve well” means to fulfill your responsibility in a way that’s accurate, good, and right. The result of this will be a “good standing” and “great boldness in the faith.”
The first result (“good standing”) does not refer to a formal promotion in rank within the church, like “climbing the corporate ladder” in the business world. Instead, it likely refers to gaining an excellent reputation among people over time, in both the church and community at large, as people see your faithful service and a job well done.
The second result, “great boldness in the faith,” likely refers to increased confidence in sharing the gospel with others. Scripture often uses boldness to describe confidence in proclaiming your faith (Acts 4:13, 29, 31; 9:27, 29; 13:46; 14:3; 18:26; 19:8). Two of the original deacons clearly showed what this is like.
- Stephen (Acts 6:5), suffered martyrdom for his courageous witness (Acts 7:1-60). He also influenced the eventual conversion of Paul the apostle (Acts 7:58, cf. 9:5).
- Philip (Acts 6:5), shared his faith in Samaria and many converted to the faith (Acts 8:5-25). He also witnessed effectively to a foreign government official and evangelized in many other cities (Acts 8:26-40). His gospel witness was so effective that the church came to recognize him not only as a deacon, but as an evangelist (Acts 21:8).
The example of these two deacons helps us understand what Paul taught about other faithful deacons who serve their churches today (1 Tim 3:13).
Questions to Discuss
- What does it mean to “serve well” as a deacon?
- What does it mean to receive “a good standing” as a deacon?
- What does it mean to receive “great boldness in the faith” as a deacon?
- How do Stephen and Philip show us what this means?
Thomas Overmiller is the pastor of Brookdale Baptist Church in Moorhead, MN and blogs at Shepherd Thoughts. These articles first appeared at Shepherd Thoughts, used here with permission.