A deacon is not in authority over anyone

[Jerome]

The Pastor . . . is put in place by the authority of God and will be removed the same way.

Please elaborate.

 

[Deacon]

What do you mean by ill-defined? I would think that God defined the role, just maybe we miss it.

What do I mean?
Scripture provides the qualifications for the role of deacon (1 Tim. 3) but doesn't clearly define exactly what deacons do.

Rob

 

[Jim1999]

I've yet in my lifetime seen God hire or fire a pastor!!!!!

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Dr. Bob]

The model of the NT church is 99% based on the synagogue. The officers in charge of the synagogue, overseeing its spiritual function were called elders, just as the NT church.

But the synagogue needed servants who were moral, upright in character but could do the more mundane day-to-day chores associated. They were called "sha-Mahsh". They could be male or female.

They took care of the building. Got out the needed materials for a service (torah scrolls, oil in lamps, chairs, heat, etc). They served the elders - taking care of finances, purchases, food distribution, etc at the command of the elders. True servants.

The greek word for "shamash" is "deacon". These people fulfilled the same role in the NT church. Not leaders, but servants of the elders and of the needs of the congregation.

So . . in your local church if needed you should have the congregation/elders appoint "shamash". Elders should give them duties to care for the need of the elders, the body, even the outreach to the world. They are there to make the body's meetings/activities (biblical, not the man-made crazy programs we inundate the church with) run smoothly and efficiently.

 

[Jerome]

The 1689 London Baptist Confession, "held to" by several here, summarizes the Bible's teaching:

A particular church, gathered and completely organised according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered), for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty, which he intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons.

The way appointed by Christ for the calling of any person, fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit, unto the office of bishop or elder in a church, is, that he be chosen thereunto by the common suffrage of the church itself; and solemnly set apart by fasting and prayer, with imposition of hands of the eldership of the church, if there be any before constituted therein; and of a deacon that he be chosen by the like suffrage, and set apart by prayer, and the like imposition of hands.

 

[Tom Butler]

Deacons tend to acquire power and influence because the church gives it to them. Because deacons should the the most spiritual and wisest men in the church, the congregation tends to look to them for guidance in church matters, and defer to the deacons collective judgment.

If the deacons in the church I serve wanted to, they could basically run the church. Fortunately, they have a servant mentality, and in no way to they consider themselves as rulers. They look to our one elder (the pastor) for leadership in spiritual and other matters.

In the early days of my experience as a young deacon, our guys actually did consider them a "board." In fact, they could make a pastor's life miserable enough to leave.

For us, not any more.

 

[Aaron]

So, does the Deacon have authority on how to do this? Or does he have 'no authority"?

The Scriptures say that they are "over this business." Where elders oversee spiritual matters, deacons oversee the business side of things.

 

[glfredrick]

The Scriptures say that they are "over this business." Where elders oversee spiritual matters, deacons oversee the business side of things.

Could you please post the entire verse?

I'm not sure that the text actually means "business" the same way you are describing it, as there was no "business" of the church corresponding to our church business in this age when the text was written. Just want to see the word "business" in context.

 

[Aaron]

You have the Scriptures, and you have commentaries. Research it for yourself. What did it mean to serve tables? Where did the church get its resources. What were the resources for? Who was appointed over this business?

But don't think the deacons were the people who actually ladled the soup into the bowls and visited the widows. Their primary responsibility was to oversee this ministry, not perform it themselves.

 

[glfredrick]

You have the Scriptures, and you have commentaries. Research it for yourself. What did it mean to serve tables? Where did the church get its resources. What were the resources for? Who was appointed over this business?

But don't think the deacons were the people who actually ladled the soup into the bowls and visited the widows. Their primary responsibility was to oversee this ministry, not perform it themselves.

I'm just asking you to post the verse you used with the word business in it.

 

[RAdam]

The model of the NT church is 99% based on the synagogue. The officers in charge of the synagogue, overseeing its spiritual function were called elders, just as the NT church.

But the synagogue needed servants who were moral, upright in character but could do the more mundane day-to-day chores associated. They were called "sha-Mahsh". They could be male or female.

They took care of the building. Got out the needed materials for a service (torah scrolls, oil in lamps, chairs, heat, etc). They served the elders - taking care of finances, purchases, food distribution, etc at the command of the elders. True servants.

The greek word for "shamash" is "deacon". These people fulfilled the same role in the NT church. Not leaders, but servants of the elders and of the needs of the congregation.

So . . in your local church if needed you should have the congregation/elders appoint "shamash". Elders should give them duties to care for the need of the elders, the body, even the outreach to the world. They are there to make the body's meetings/activities (biblical, not the man-made crazy programs we inundate the church with) run smoothly and efficiently.

Could you please show me one verse of scripture that proves that the church is based 99% on the synagogue.

 

[gb93433]

Could you please show me one verse of scripture that proves that the church is based 99% on the synagogue.

It makes about as much sense as asking someone to show you one verse that air conditioners exist. How much would be needed to show everything Jesus did.

John 21:25, "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.

Not everything that is historical and real is written in the Bible.