“Healthy Deacons”
1 Timothy 3:8-13
Jim Dalrymple | Ozark Christian College
Deacons are called to lead and look like Jesus. This is no small thing!
● They are disciples who lead by serving.
● They are disciples who respond to the physical needs of others.
● They are disciples who are examples of Christ-likeness and transformation.
Deacon: One who serves or meets the needs of others.
● Deacon Greek: diakonos
● Minister Latin: ministrae (similar is “ad-minister”)
● Servant
? What are the weaknesses of transliterating this term?
Notice: We often transliterate the word deacon (from diakonos) in places such as Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3 rather than translating it to a meaning such as servant or minister. Can this translation decision lead to inherent confusion with how the average person understands the role?
? Do we use these terms as honorific titles or functions of responsibility?
They are meant to function more like the title “mechanic” than a title such as “President.”
Checklist OR Character Portrait
? Question: Should deacons spend more time in meetings or in meeting needs?
Three Views:
(1) Deaconesses, not different from the role of the male deacons.
(2) Deaconesses, distinguished from, but parallel to the male deacons.
(3) These women are the wives of the deacons.
Evidence for Wives
● Context: “Woman/Wife” is used in 3:2 and 3:12 seems to refer to “wife.”
● Why does Paul not include a reference to the fidelity issue “one-men women” as is true of overseers in 3:2 and male deacons in 3:12?
● Why did Paul not use the masculine term to clarify as he does in Romans 16:1?
● Why did Paul not merely craft a feminine ending that suited his purpose?
● Why is this inserted here and then a return to a masculine sense in 3:12?
Evidence for Deaconesses/Ministers
● Grammatical parallel between 3:8 & 3:11
3:8 Deacons likewise dignified
3:11 Women likewise dignified
● Why include qualities of deacons’ wives but not elders’ wives?
● There is no evidence of a feminine Greek term for “deaconess” until the fourth century (Pliny uses the Latin feminine term ministrae in 112 AD). Paul does use the masculine term in reference to a female in Romans 16:1 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae...”
● No strong argument for translating Romans 16:1 differently than 1 Timothy 3.
● Pliny in his letter to Trajan refers to the interrogation of two female slaves who are called “deaconesses/ministers” (c. 112 AD).
● The term functions more as an active responsibility than it does an office.
● The boardroom functionality of deacons is our cultural issue and should not be imposed upon the text.
● Deaconesses were common early in the Restoration Movement (prior to the popularization of the board model).
● This is what we often observe in the functional life of the early and modern church. Women are often given responsibilities to lead over ministries of service (even if they are not given the title).
Acts 6 Paradigm: What do you observe?
“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” –Acts 6:1-7
