What Does The Bible Say About Deacons?

By Zach Chronley

 1 Timothy 3:8-16

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

Deacons

While mentioned less in the pages of Scripture and in our popular culture, deacons are a vital part of a healthy church. Our English word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos, literally, “servant.” The office or role of deacon first dates back to Acts 6 with the commissioning of Stephen and six others for the care of feeding widows in the church. While not explicitly mentioned by name, we see Peter and the other disciples needing to appoint leaders because of a need within their community in Acts 6:1-7—

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenistsarose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 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. 3 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. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 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. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them 7 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.

A healthy church requires all its members to use their gifts to serve the church body, and many needs exist beyond the vital teaching of Scripture and the corporate gathering for worship. To meet these needs and not neglect the necessary work of preaching the gospel, the early church leaders instituted a group of servants, or ministers, to oversee the work of providing for a vulnerable group in the church body.

A deacon is not a lesser or secondary position for those not qualified towards eldership. Indeed, two of the first-named deacons, Stephen and Philip, are shown preaching (Acts 7:1) and baptizing (Acts 8:26) in the pages of Scripture. Instead, deacons are a mature group of men and women in the church who work to support and allow the preaching of the gospel to be unhindered and critically serve the most vulnerable members of a church body.

Character Matters

When Paul wrote to Timothy on the character of a diakonos, he explicitly uses a connecting phrase in verse 8, “likewise,” to show that deacons, like overseers in the previous section of 1 Timothy 3, also are to be held to a high standard. The point is God’s people are meant to act in a way that glorifies God. This extends to all members of the community but is exemplified in its servant leaders at every level. Organizations tend to take on the characteristics of their leaders, and indeed the writer of Hebrews encourages believers to “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Heb 13:7). Deacons need to be humble servants not only because they have been entrusted to essential work for the church but also as a means of helping lead others in the church to be humble servants.

Character matters deeply because these men and women deal with some of the most vulnerable members of the church. In many ways, deacons are responsible for reflecting God to the community. Like in Acts 6, deacons are often tasked to handle church resources and distribute them with wisdom. These are not minor roles to be taken lightly, which is reflected in the characteristics listed in 1 Timothy. Paul’s words should remind us what genuine godliness looks like. There are many modern examples that reveal what happens when you prioritize ability and personality over character. We are left with wounds that distort the image of God to many.

Fellow Servants

Multiple times in Scripture, Paul counts himself among fellow diakonos as a way of emphasizing a posture of humility. As Jesus taught in Matthew 20:25-26, in God’s kingdom the greatest must be a servant. Jesus continued in verse 28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” Our entire faith rests on an upside-down pyramid of leadership. Jesus is the servant who allows us to come to faith with God and empowers us all to follow him. Pastors serve their congregation and empower their deacons to serve their church families.

But Paul also associates himself with deacons to emphasize that while we see diakonos or servants appointed in a church gathering, the qualifications for being a deacon are truthfully just the qualities of a Christian. As verses 14 and 15 tell us, there are deacons in the formal sense, but also all Christians of any maturity can fulfill some of the roles of serving the church body. A church should be completely full of servants ready both to serve one another and serve the city. A church filled with genuine lovers of God and people who seek the welfare of others is, as Paul writes in verse 15, an incredible “pillar and buttress of truth.” The outside world will see that church and will recognize the truth within. As Acts 6 shows, when Elders are committed to prayer and the preaching of the word and deacons are committed to serving, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly” (Acts 6:7). May it be true for us today.