Essentials Of The Faith / Adult Sunday School Class / Christian Leadership
Deacons
The Role and Function of: The Deacons
Essentials Of The Faith / Adult Sunday School Class / Christian Leadership
Deacons
The Role and Function of: The Deacons
Traditional View of the Deacon
Question: Who are Deacons and what do they do in the church?
Traditionally, deacons have been seen two ways.
First: they have been often assigned many of the more mundane tasks.
This distinguishes them from the elders, who give themselves to the
spiritual work of the congregation. The deacons, it is often asserted, help
take the burden of lesser work from the elders so they can minister more
effectively. Jay Adams, in his book Shepherding God's Flock, presents the
generally accepted concept of the deacon's office: "The basic principle
behind the diaconate...is to give to the pastor-teacher and to the elders
whatever help they need to carry on their calling without diversion or
distraction" (p. 351).
Secondly: In churches and denominations where there is a single elder (the pastor) Deacons serve as elders. Although called Deacons, they function as the spiritual authority in the church. This pattern is found in most Baptist churches today.
This office is almost universally regarded as having its origin in Acts 6, when the disciples chose seven men full of the Spirit to oversee the affairs of the tables in Jerusalem. The appointment of these men freed the apostles for the preaching of the word. So, it is said, the deacon's office was born.
Question: Is this Scriptural?
Is there a special office of deacon in the church, having
its origin in the seven at Jerusalem?
Biblical View of the 'Deacon'
A careful look at Scripture will reveal that no formal office of
"deacon," especially the one said to be concerned with mundane matters,
exists in the Christian church.
Strong's Greek Numbers
1247 diakoneo { dee-ak-on-eh'-o}
TDNT - 2:81,152; v. minister unto 15, serve 10, minister 7, misc 5; 37
GK{ diakonevw }
1) to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon
1a) to minister to one, render ministering offices to
1a1) to be served, ministered unto
1b) to wait at a table and offer food and drink to the guests,
1b1) of women preparing food
1c) to minister i.e. supply food and necessities of life
1c1) to relieve one's necessities (e.g. by collecting alms), to
provide take care of, distribute, the things necessary to
sustain life
1c2) to take care of the poor and the sick, who administer the
office of a deacon
1c3) in Christian churches to serve as deacons
1d) to minister
1d1) to attend to anything, that may serve another's interests
1d2) to minister a thing to one, to serve one or by supplying any
thing
1248 diakonia { dee-ak-on-ee'-ah}
TDNT - 2:87,152 v. - ministry 16, ministration 6, ministering 3, misc 9;
34
GK { diakoniva }
1) service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others
2) of those who by the command of God proclaim and promote religion among
men
2a) of the office of Moses
2b) of the office of the apostles and its administration
2c) of the office of prophets, evangelists, elders etc.
3) the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian
affection esp. those who help meet need by either
collecting or distributing of charities
4) the office of the deacon in the church
5) the service of those who prepare and present food
1249 diakonos { dee-ak'-on-os} probably from an obsolete diako
(to run on errands); TDNT - 2:88,152
n. - minister 20, servant 8, deacon 3; 31
GK -{ diavkono" }
1) one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant,
attendant, minister
1a) the servant of a king
1b) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the
church, cares for the poor and has charge of and
distributes the money collected for their use
1c) a waiter, one who serves food and drink
Use of the words DIAKONEO, DIAKONIA, DIAKONOS in the N.T.
TEXT KJV NASB NIV
Matt. 20:26 Minister
Servant Servant
22:13 Servants
Servants Attendants
23:11 Servant
Servant Servant
Mark 9:35 Servant
Servant Servant
10:43 Minister
Servant Servant
Luke 10:40 Serving
Preparations Preparations
17:8 Serve
Serve Wait on
John 2:5 Servants
Servants Servants
2:9 Servants
Servants Servants
12:2 Served
Serving Served
12:26 Servants
Servants Servants
Acts 6:1 Ministrations
Serving Distribution
6:4 Ministry
Ministry Ministry
Romans 12:7 Ministry/Ministering
Service/Serving Serving/Service
13:4 Minister
Minister Servant
15:8 Minister
Servant Servant
16:1 Servant
Servant Servant
1 Cor. 3:5 Ministers
Servants Servants
16:15 Ministry
Ministry Service
2 Cor. 3:6 Ministers
Servants Minister
6:4
Ministers
Servants Servants
11:15 Ministers
Servants Servants
11:23 Ministers
Servants Servants
Gal. 2:17 Minister
Minister Promotes
Eph. 3:7 Minister
Minister Servant
6:21 Minister
Minister Servant
Phil. 1:1 Deacons
Deacons Deacons
Col. 1:7 Minister
Servant Minister
1:23 Minister
Minister Servant
1:25 Minister
Minister Servant
4:7
Minister
Servant Minister
1 Thess. 3:2 Minister Fellow
Worker Fellow Worker
1 Tim. 3:8 Deacons
Deacons Deacons
* 3:13 Office of Deacon* Served
well as Deacon Serve well
4:6
Minister
Servant Minister
Heb. 6:10 Ministered/Minister
Ministered/Ministering Help/Help
* Only use or mention of OFFICE of a Deacon in NT. Interesting enough the words 'office of' are not found in the Greek Text.
Diakonos, a word employed over thirty times in the New Testament, is a person who is any way serving God, when the word is in reference to the Church of God. A careful look at Scripture will reveal that no formal office of "deacon," especially the one said to be concerned with mundane matters, exists in the Christian church.
Deacon in Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:10,13
Read: 1 Tim. 3:10
Question: Does this prove there is an office of Deacon?
The occurrence of the phrase "office of a deacon" in 1 Timothy 3:10 of the KJV is altogether faulty. It has been changed in the NKJV to the same thing in the NIV 'serve as a deacon' . What the KJV and NIV translators did was to take a verb, diakoneo (to serve), and added not only words but the justification for an official office in the church when they translate it "[to] use the office of a deacon." or 'serve as a deacon'.
The words "as deacons" are added and are not found in the Greek. Any interlinear will testify to this. The text should read, "let them serve." At any rate, the phrase "office of a deacon" is nowhere to be found in the original text.
The difference between the two translations is even more dramatic in 1 Timothy 3:13.
Read: 1 Tim. 3:13 KJV/NASB/NIV
The phrase "office of a deacon" in the KJV and 'as deacons' in the NASB are not in the Greek and are totally misleading. The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament never uses "deacon" to translate diakonos.
Read: Phil 1:1
In Philippians 1:1, the interlinear reads, "to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and those who serve."
The Greek word translated "deacon" in 1 Timothy 3 and Philippians 1 is everywhere else translated "servant" or "minister." The word refers to one giving diakonian, or service.
The role refers, therefore, to anyone officially recognized by the church as giving service, whether overtly spiritual or otherwise. The words "servant" and "minister," therefore, would be much better words for the so-called deacon's office. Such terms are more expressive of its function. Anyone rendering service in the sight of the church - prison ministry, evangelism outreach, Sunday School teaching - is a New Testament servant (diakonos).
Question: According to this information is there Biblical justification for haveing a Deacon's Board in the church?
There is no Biblical justification for making it a formal office. However, tradition is strong in this area and I am not ready to rid the church of this position. Although a strong Elder Board, strong Ministry Coordinators and strong Committees may one day replace the 'Deacon Board'.
Timothy was a servant in the church, therefore he was diakonos.
So was Paul (2 Cor. 11:23; Eph. 3:7), Phoebe
(Rom. 16:1), Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:2).
Deacons and Waiting on Tables ACTS 6:1-7
Question: But didn't the deacon's office begin at the table in Jerusalem?
This is an example of how repeating something often enough makes it true in people's minds. There is no Biblical proof that the apostles were creating a permanent office of deacons in Acts 6. Nowhere are these people called deacons. Nowhere does any biblical author refer back to this event as the origin of a church office.
Scripture says the men were chosen "for this necessity" (Acts 6:3). This would indicate the situation was local and specific. When that particular responsibility ceased, so did the work of the seven. To tie this service to a permanent deacon's office is a stretch and unwarranted.
Deacons and Collection and Distribution of Offerings
Question: But wasn't it the deacons who were responsible for the Offerings, especially those to the poor?
It is common to assert that deacons are entrusted with the collection and distribution of offerings within the churches. But no such distinction occurs in the New Testament. In fact, in Acts 11:29,30, we find the elders, not deacons, handling church funds.
Deacons and the Qualifications in 1 Tim. 3:8-13
Question: But if there is no deacon's office, how are we to apply the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3?
The answer is simple: They must be applied to everyone who is serving the church in a recognized capacity. Those who teach, organize evangelism, lead youth groups, etc., should meet the requirements laid down by Paul.
This says much about the question of 'female deacons' and who are the 'women' mentioned in 1 Tim. 3:11.
Question: According to all we have discussed, who are the women mentioned in 1 Tim. 3:11?
They are female servants in the church, men and women alike, Paul was saying must live up to high standards of service in the church.
Conclusion
The time has come for reform in the church's view of its offices. A review and scrutiny of the traditions handed to us from our forefathers is long overdue. God's blessing rests on those churches who do things His way.
Let's push for a return to the proper function of the elders and
servants in the church. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by
following heaven's blueprint, rather than human tradition, for the operation
of the church.