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I. Introduction: The Gallipoli Campaign of World War I was a horrible failure. There is a saying, “Victory has many fathers, but defeat only one.” The father or thinker behind the Gallipoi Campaign was Winston Churchill. It was his idea. It became his defeat. Oh yes, those who planned the details blundered. Those who carried out the plans blundered even more. But it was Churchill who took the blame for the defeat.
At that time, he was Lord of the Admiralty. That is, head over the British navy. After the defeat, he resigned. But he did not sit out the war. He volunteered for the infantry—at age 40. He went to France and served in the field army for the rest of the war.
He was truly a public servant. That word, public servant, is a term, a synonym for politician or government official. It sounds like an oxymoron, a joke, a high irony.
Those who lead us in government may call themselves public servants, but they rule and live more as masters than servants.
Being a servant is not always seen as something noteworthy. Servants are lowly, often without authority, often demeaned and despised.
Christianity has taken this lowly position and turned it completely around.
Christianity has made servant-hood something exalted.
The word for servant that we often find in our Bibles is the Greek word diakonos. From diakonos we get the word deacon.
Deacon refers to servants in both official and unofficial church capacities.
How important is this office? How exalted is this title?
Jesus said, in Mark 10:43-45, “Whoever would be great among you must be your deacon, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to receive diaconal care, but to serve as a deacon, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Two amazing things about Christ’s incarnation: He became Man. He came to serve.
He fed people who were hungry. He healed people who were sick.
Along with giving people words of life, Jesus attended to their physical needs.
And then to make His church an image of the Incarnation, to make the church Christ-centered and Christ-like, the office of deacon was introduced.
The usual passage is Acts 6. Two factions in the church. The serving of meals to widows had become a point of contention.
There was a need for a division of labor.
The Apostles, who were the session of the Jerusalem church, said, There are only so many hours in the day. If we are spending our time serving tables, then we have less time for the preaching, teaching, and prayer duties of the ministry.
They listed 3 qualities needed for these assistants: good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit, and wisdom.
II. 1 Timothy 3
After describing the qualifications for the office of bishop or elder, Paul speaks of the office of deacon with the words, “Likewise deacons.”
He could have, for the most part, left the description with those words. He is not giving a list of duties or skills, but character traits.
But he does speak on some of the particulars of the deacons.
Just as I emphasized last week that the traits given for elders are to describe all Christian men (and women), so the traits given for deacons are to be characteristic of all. And all Christians are to have a servant-like, Christ-like manner. Out of the group, leaders arise.
Leaders rise from among people seeking the same ends or goals.
A. Let me jump ahead in the text and address one issue in particular: Verse 11.
The topic of women deacons or deaconesses.
While there is no doubt that women have served in the church at all times, there are questions about women deacons. That is, women who have the official ordination and office of deacons.
First, there is a translation issue here. Likewise , their wives. Likewise, women.
Second, there is an interpretive issue here. What does it mean?
Good and solid Bible-believing men on both sides of this issue.
Most of the men writing on 1 Timothy that I read oppose women deacons.
Benjamin Warfield, among others, favored women deacons.
I don’t have a strong opinion on either side. I favor the idea of verse 11 referring to the wives of male deacons. I am conservative and cautious by nature. We live in an age where gender and equality issues are so political and volatile that it is hard to venture in such an area.
But if the leaders of a church studied the issue and came out in favor of women serving as deacons, I would not find the discussion or outcome worth having a red-in-the-face, finger-waving, shouting match over.
B. The qualifications
1. Elder-like: Likewise, the deacon. Like the elder, the deacon. Reverent. Dignified. All the same qualities apply. (We will be dealing with teaching gifts later.) All the same ‘nots’ apply.
Like two ladies who borrow eggs and sugar from each other, elders and deacons freely borrow from each others’ lists.
Not double-tongued. As Will Rogers said, he would not be afraid to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. His word is good. His word is stable.
Not greedy for wine. Self-controlled in lifestyle and personal habits.
Not greedy for money.
The observable behaviors, the character qualities, the Christian maturity has to all be there. Visible, experienced.
2. Informed Belief: Holding the Mystery of the Faith in Good Conscience
Two Pauline terms: Mystery and Conscience
Mystery does not mean something hidden or unknown, as in a mystery story.
It does not mean mysterious. “Who knows what lurks behind the hidden door?”
It means that which was hidden which is now revealed: He sees Christ in the Old Testament concealed, in the New Testament revealed.
In other words, this person is not just a walking encyclopedia of Bible facts. Instead, he sees Christ in the Word of God.
Paul’s other word is Conscience. When Paul uses the word Conscience, he has reference to a conscience in line with the Word of God.
An unbeliever may have a good conscience. An unbeliever may correct behavior due to a guilty conscience.
In the Christian man, it refers to a person being oriented to living what he professes.
3. Men who pass the test.
“Let these also first be tested”: Probably a reference to the testing of elder candidates.
What kinds of tests?
First, Studies in doctrine and belief.
Second, Testing according to living up to the standards: Observations by the congregation and leaders.
Third, Specific tasking.
4. The marriage and team ministry.
You should not and truly cannot serve in a ministry if there is division in the home over the matter, or if there is indifference from the wife.
What we learned about ‘team ministry’:
The case of a man who was interested in the eldership whose wife was thinking about leaving him!
Leadership costs.
The hospitality, conduct, time, life style, public nature, and stresses of leadership will impact the home.
The wife will have to compensate for her husband’s labors.
The husband will need to delegate certain tasks to the wife.
Verse 12: Same home and family requirements as the elder: Husband of one wife, children and home ruled well.
The man who aspires to lead has a full time job: Right there in the home.
III. The Rewards
There is a reward for being a good deacon: Those who have served well as deacons, obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
There are not many “famous deacons.” Quite a few famous theologians and preachers.
IV. What is to be done?
1. Look around at all the things that need to be done in this congregation and in these facilities. Things the deacons are not taking care of. Then go to the deacons and ask to take on one of those tasks.
2. Thanks the deacons—present and past.
3. Prayer for and support the upcoming Deacon Training.
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