Continuing my thoughts on deacons:
Examining the Scriptures
Introduction
As mentioned above, the biblical material concerning New Testament deacons is limited. Two New Testament passages directly refer to an official body of deacons, namely, Philippians 1:1[1] and 1 Timothy 3:8-13. I will later propose that even though Acts 6:1-6 does not mention the Seven as an official body of deacons or assert that the ministry of deacons began with the Seven, there is ample evidence to conclude that Luke’s discussion of the Seven and their ministry relationship to the Twelve was that upon which the church eventually derived and modeled later deacon ministry. Thus, the following discussion over the next few days of the biblical content concerning deacons will begin with a brief overview of the term translated “deacon” in the New Testament, followed by specific examinations of Acts 6:1-6; Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
The Term Translated as “Deacon” in the New Testament
“Deacon” is a word that is derived from a transliteration of the Greek term diakonos, meaning “servant.” Only in two passages in the New Testament is diakonos actually translated (in most versions) as “deacon;”[2] and in each instance, the word is plural, referring to a group, rather than an individual. Among the verb, noun and adjective forms, diakonos is used over one hundred times in the New Testament. The following is a sample of what the term may refer to in the pages of the New Testament:
· A Literal Servant (Matthew 20:26; 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43; John 2:5; 12:26)
· A Metaphorical Servant
Government – Romans 13:4
Christ is not a servant of sin – Galatians 2:17
Paul, a servant of the gospel – Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 1:23
Tychicus, a faithful servant of the Lord – Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7
Epaphrus, a fellow bond-servant and faithful servant of Christ – Colossians 1:7
Paul, a servant of the church – Colossians 1:25
Timothy, a good servant of Christ Jesus – 1 Timothy 4:6
Phoebe, a servant of the church – Romans 16:1
As demonstrated in the list above, the term can refer to preachers, a woman, apostolic helpers, government, Christ and a literal servant, just to name a few of the references. The term diakonos generally refers to one who gives himself/herself to serving another person or group of people. Obviously the term is a very broad one, and as can be seen, none of the above references refer in any manner to the position within the church commonly understood to be that of the “deacon.”[3] Therefore, merely examining the meaning of the Greek term translated as “deacon,” does not sufficiently address much more than a general understanding that the office of deacons is an office of service.
This, however, must not be overlooked. Church history confirms that many have misunderstood even this most basic element of deacon ministry. Deacons, in Scripture, have never been marked as rulers or managers, but servants.[4] Overseers[5] are marked as those who are to “take care of the church of God” (1 Timothy 3:5), “direct the affairs of the church” (1 Timothy 5:17), “shepherd the flock of God. . . exercising oversight. . .” (1 Peter 5:2). Thus, Scripture is explicit concerning the role of pastors/overseers/elders, and makes a significant demarcation between the function of pastors and the function of deacons. Scripture does not indicate that deacons held or functioned in the same manner as pastors; their purpose and consequently, function was different and distinct.
[1] MacArthur disagrees that Philippians 1:1 is a reference to an official body of deacons. He notes, “To say that Philippians 1:1 refers to the office of deacon might be correct, but it is an arbitrary choice. There is not enough evidence to be dogmatic about what Paul is saying.” The Master’s Plan for the Church, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 206. It is agreed that the context is limited, however, contrary to MacArthur’s assertion, the term “overseer” is a common word to identify elders (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Timothy 3:1ff; Titus 1:5-9), thus, ample reason to assume that two distinct and official leadership groups are spoken of in this verse. More concerning this will be mentioned later in the specific discussion of Philippians 1:1.
[4] Deweese’s chapter on “Modern Baptist Deacons,” notes how the literature and practice concerning deacon ministry in the 1800s and up through the mid 1900s revolved around viewing deacons as the business managers of the church (41-53, 59). Deweese says, “Deacon bodies were described as boards as early as the 1840s” (41).
