1 Timothy Series - Part 6

“Serving By Leading, Leading By Serving”

1 Timothy 3:8-13 (Message #6 in 1 Timothy Series)

INTRODUCTION:

            The Bible says that Jesus is the Head of the Church. He is called the Chief Shepherd, the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, and He is the one we call “Master.” Jesus is the Senior Pastor of the church. We must never forget that! It is not “our” church but His. He designed it, He bought it with His own blood, He is building it, and He runs it.

He has chosen to do that, however, at least in part, through human intermediaries. We looked at this in depth last Sunday in our study of 1 Timothy 3:1-7. According to the New Testament, Elders comprise the senior leadership of the Church. They are referred to in the Scriptures by several terms: they are called “pastors,” “shepherds,” “elders,” “overseers,” and “bishops.” These terms merely focus on the various different aspects of their work, but they all describe the one-and-the-same role of the Elder. Moreover, we believe the Bible teaches a plurality of male elders who act primarily as spiritual fathers to lead and protect the covenant community, which is the local church. The churches of the N.T. were always led by a team of elders/pastors rather than by one single pastor. Elders serve the local church by leading it, feeding it, and protecting it.

Elder qualifications are listed in three main passages—1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-4. From these three texts we learn that the duties of elders include prayer, Bible study, leading, ruling, caring for the members, being good examples, teaching, preaching, praying for the sick, working hard, using money and authority rightly, protecting the congregation from heresy, and church discipline.

TRANSITION:

            But there is another local church leadership role taught in the Scriptures; namely, that of “Deacon.” In the NT the noun appears both in the masculine and feminine forms. We conclude therefore, that “Deacons” are male and female pastoral assistants. The Greek word diakonos itself simply means, “servant.” Deacons and Deaconesses are servant-leaders who are to care primarily for the physical needs of the church body. We all know that when practical needs are ignored or unmet, the ministry of the Word is less effective. The ministry of Deacons and Deaconesses focuses on service to others, carrying out the tasks necessary for the proper functioning of the body, especially in assisting the Elders in caring for the physical needs of the members.

While the Word of God does not specify all the duties of Deacons or Deaconesses, the usage of the word diakonos is usually focused upon the ministry of service. The historic roots of the office are found in Acts 6, where the initial task was clear—namely, to serve food to the widows of the church, and administrate physical needs of the members so that the church’s Elders could concentrate their time and efforts on the ministry of the Word and on prayer. Those first 7 men chosen as Deacons were recognized for their servant leadership and serving gifts.

            Acts 6:3 outlines the initial list of requirements but let me read the whole context, starting at verse 1: Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.  ² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables.  ³ Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.  ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” Did you catch those 5 requirements in verse 3?

1.       “Select from among you” The deacons were to be people chosen from within the congregation, not brought in from outside.

2.      “…of good reputation” They were to be men who were well spoken of both inside and outside the church.

3.      “…full of the Spirit” They were to be men who walked with God in faith and obedience, listening to His voice.

4.      “…and [full] of wisdom” They were to be wise men, who would consistently make good decisions about what needed to be done.

5.      “…whom we may put in charge of this task.” The ones chosen needed to be people who possessed both leadership and administrative abilities, who could actually get the job done instead of just jawboning it to death. They had to be doers, not just talkers!

The focus of deacons and deaconesses should be on maintaining unity and cooperation in the church. They are to work on behalf of the whole congregation, to serve in their particular assigned duties but with a sense that their ministry contributes to the health of the whole body. Deacons and deaconesses are builders of the church by being servants who help to bind us together with kindness and loving service. Deacons are servants to the body, and are to perform the tasks that are given to them by the Elders, which allow them a wide-range of functions at the discretion of the Elders.

Specific qualifications for Deacons are listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13, and are essentially the same as for the Elders, with the notable exception of, "able to teach," which is an absolute requirement for Elders, although many Deacons have this skill as well.

Like elders, Deacons are chosen by God, self-nominated by the inward call of the Holy Spirit, and then according to the requirements given by Paul, Deacons are first to be tested and then appointed by the Elders, and affirmed by the congregation.

MAIN BODY:

Verse 8: Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine, or fond of sordid gain, 

• “Likewise” means in the same manner and refers back to the previously mentioned necessary character traits for Elders. The principle here is that there should be the same kind and degree of gifts and qualifications for Deacons as for Elders.
• This flies in the face of the attitude of many; namely, that Deacons are of lesser importance than Elders, that they cannot quite make it up to that level of perfection and spirituality. Phooey!
• “…men of dignity” KJV says “grave” but that word has come to mean severe, stern, lacking a sense of humour. Rather, what Paul has in mind is that Deacons, like Elders, should be honourable, dignified, commanding respect. He uses this same word later in this same context, down in verse 8 when talking about Christian women who serve in the church.
• “…not double-tongued” This just means “truthful.” It reminds me of the old western movies where the Indian chief says, “White man speak with forked-tongue.” It means, “HE LIES!” 
• “…not addicted to much wine” I touched on this last Sunday because it is also included in the requirements for Elders. Paul is not giving us an abstinence lesson or stating a universal ban against any form of alcohol, but rather, giving a warning to not allow alcohol or any other substance or habit gain mastery over us.
• “…or fond of sordid gain.” The KJV uses the well-known and colourful phrase, “filthy lucre.” This same Greek word is used in 1 Tim. 6:9 and Titus 1:7 and the adverb form of it is used in 1 Peter 5:2. It is a compound word and the two components are used separately in Titus 1:11. In any case it means, “not greedy for money, not covetous of other people’s wealth, not motivated by materialism.” We talked about this last week: it is not about money, per se, but about loving money, which is, according to Paul, “…a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim. 6:10). And on this same subject Jesus said in Luke 16:13, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The Lord’s servant always needs to keep in mind that money, like a knife or a hammer, is a tool that can be used for either good or evil. We need to be very careful not to let ourselves fall in love with money, because it will poison our lives. Moreover, I believe that this admonition by Paul is especially relevant to Deacons because of the kind of responsibilities that the Deacons often have in the church.

Verse 9: but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.    

• What does this mean? “…holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” First, we need to look at this word “mystery.” For modern readers, the word means “some kind of secret knowledge known only to the initiated” but that is not what the word means. The Greek word mustérion simply means “something that has been uncovered or revealed and is therefore made visible and obvious.” He is talking here about the Gospel itself, which God has made known to us through His Word and through His Son. The Gospel is not “mysterious” but it has certainly been “revealed.” And by “the faith” Paul is just talking about the doctrinal and practical aspects of Christianity in general. These are the things that we believe and seek to live out daily. And his point is that the lives of Christian leaders should be characterized by obedience to the Word so that they can look God in the eye rather than walk around with a heavy conscience because of their disobedience. Sin always defiles. Sin always robs us of joy. Sin lessens our impact. Sin pollutes everything it touches. Deacons, like Elders, should be able to serve from a clear conscience because they know that they are truly walking with God in obedience.

Verse 10: These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 

• “…must first be tested” Notice the words “first” and “then.” These are both significant. It appears to mean that Deacon candidates are to be approved before taking office; then they are to serve if found to be worthy. They are not to be proved in office, because then it is too late if something goes wrong. But how do you test a Deacon, or anybody else for that matter? Well, Paul is probably not thinking about a formal, written test like you take in a history class. Rather, he is referring to a process of seeing how a person handles himself or herself in a variety of situations. I think maybe he is talking about what we call “mentoring” or “shadowing.” This involves providing controlled experiences with frequent feedback sessions. The Greek word Paul chooses to use here means “to prove, to try, or to test”, but it is always with the expectation of approval, not disqualification. It is not about looking for fault, but rather, looking for success! There is a huge difference!
• “…then let them serve as Deacons if they are beyond reproach.” So the testing, trying, and proving are with the purpose of making sure that the person is “above reproach.” We saw this same word last Sunday up in verse 2 as applied to Elders. So Paul is saying that both Elders and Deacons must live in such a way that they do not leave any handholds for the devil or their enemies to grab onto and bring justified criticism.

Verse 11: Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 

• Now this verse is interesting, and it has generated much discussion over the centuries. Paul sets it down right smack dab in the middle of his discussion of the necessary character traits for Deacons. Up until this point it has sounded like he was only talking about men Deacons, but here he turns and makes a comment about women. So who are these women? Three answers have been offered:
1. Some say that Paul is referring to the wives of the Deacons and offering advice about how they should act so as not to bring shame upon their husbands and thus possibly destroy their ministries.
2. Some postulate that Paul is referring to a separate category of Deaconesses, with their own organization, rules, and duties. However, there is no historical evidence for such a thing.
3. Others, like me, believe that he is actually referring to female Deacons, who serve on a par with the male Deacons in caring for the needs of the congregation. This is the view that our church has taken and is the reason why we have both men and women serving equally as Deacons in our church.
• Moving on, Paul says that these female Deacons must be “dignified.”  And notice the word, “likewise.” This is the same Greek word he used to describe male Deacons up in verse 8. Remember, I told you that it means “honourable, dignified, commanding respect.”
• “…not malicious gossips/slanderers” This is a fascinating word. The Greek word is diabolos. In English it is the word for “devil,” one of the names given to Satan in the NT because he is the slanderer par excellence. But lest you think that Paul is taking a cheap shot at the women, he uses the very same word to describe male slanderers in 2 Timothy 3:3 and Titus 2:3.
• “…temperate” It means sober, being serious about serious things, knowing when to crack jokes and when to shut up. It is the same word used in 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 2:2 to describe the required character of Elders.
• “…faithful in all things.” Now that is a huge order! Who among us is faithful in all things 100% of the time? Again, like I said last week about Elders, the Bible sets the bar high, but the standard is not perfection; just the desire to get as close to it as humanly possible. 1 Corinthians 4:2 tells us: “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” That is what Paul is meaning here as well.

Verse 12: Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. 

• “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife” Just like we saw last Sunday up in verses 2 and 4 with regard to Elders, Deacons are to be absolutely faithful to their wives—literally, “one-woman kind of men” and of course, this applies to the Deaconesses as well—“one-man kind of women.” Moreover, Deacons should be “good managers of their children and their own households,” and for the same reason that Paul pointed out in verse 5, “…for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?” A fair question!

Verse 13: 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. 

• “…those who have served well…obtain for themselves a high standing” Here Paul is just saying that Deacons who “deacon” well will be honoured and respected for their good work, which is true for Elders too. People in the church appreciate faithful ministry and they tend to speak well of those servants who do it well.
• “…and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” This is the same thing Paul said up in verse 9. Obedience and faithful service for Christ brings a sense of joy and accomplishment, and a confidence before God. On the other hand, half-hearted, half-obedient service wounds the conscience and brings a sense of separation from the Master.

CONCLUSION:

            In conclusion I want to address my remarks specifically to our Deacons and Deaconesses and to anyone else who might one day find himself or herself serving in this role, which actually includes all of us. However first, before I tell you what the Deacon’s job IS, I need to tell you what your job is NOT.

1. Your job is not to be a customs officer, standing at the border. By that I mean you are not the gatekeepers who decide what new practices, programs, or ministries can come into the church. That is the role of the Elders.  Moreover, your job is not to throw cold water on every new thing the Pastors want to try.
2. Your job is not to be the financial controller. By that I mean your job is not to be tight-fisted penny-pinchers, always trying to save God’s money.  Rather, your job is to invest God’s money and to spend it wisely for the building up of God’s Kingdom.
3. Your job is not to be a critic or a censor. You are not called to be a negative panel of judges who find fault with things going on in the church. You should be the Elders’ cheering section, and their right hand men and women.
4. Your job is not to be a police officer. You are not here to use your influence to bring judgment and discipline to the body. Your job is to live in such a way that you provide a positive role model for others to follow and to go about your service with humility and holiness.

So then what IS your job?

1. To be feeders of sheep. Sheep sometimes need special care and hand feeding. Christians, like sheep, need a personal touch. They do not respond well to cow-herding techniques. Sheep need to be lovingly led.
2. To be nurses. In this life people get wounded in all sorts of ways. Your job is to bind up their wounds and bring health and healing to the Body of Christ.
3. To be servants. You are to demonstrate your leadership through loving, humble service to those whom Christ loves. Jesus came to be a servant and not to be served. He was the original Deacon, and the One you must seek to imitate.
4. To be the eyes and ears of the Pastor and the Elders. They need you to be an extension of their arms, and to be like radar, detecting problems before they get close enough to the Body to do serious damage.
5. To be godly examples. By being given a title and a leadership role other people will take note of whether you live up to the name or not. Like it or not, you will be put on a stage where everyone will watch you. Make sure you provide a good example for others to imitate and follow.

If you succeed in being these things you will be good servants of Jesus Christ and His church and will one day hear those words from His lips, “Well done, good and faithful servant [deaconos]. Enter into the joy of your Master.”