Originally posted by Deacon:
Bibleboy wrote:
Being a Deacon in no way implies or imputes any authority to the person selected. If we are going to talk about being biblical, let be biblical! The first deacons were chosen to be servants of the church. They waited tables.
[QB]
There seems to be some latitude in defining the role of deacon. In Acts 6:2-5 the role was primarily to serve tables, but the purpose was to relieve the Apostles of the burden of the various tasks (responsibilities or businesses) that would take them away from “prayer and the ministry of the Word”.
Hello Deacon,
I am not trying to start a fight here, but I am going to say some things that will challenge you to go back to the Scripture and make sure that your ideas in this area line up with what God's Word really says on the subject. With that said lets engage in a polite and openminded discussion.
There may well be a bit of latitude in defining the role of a deacon. However, the Greek word translated as "deacon" simply means servant. It does not carry a sense of one in "authority." I wholeheartedly disagree with your explanation of the
purpose of the deacons in Acts 6 when you say, "was to relieve the Apostles of the burden of the
various tasks (responsibilities or businesses) that would take them away from “prayer and the ministry of the Word”." Yes, the purpose was to relieve the Apostles so they could focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word. However, you have stated that the deacons took on "
various tasks (responsibilities and business)." The biblical text does not bear these added responsibilities out. The first deacons served the church by serving food equally between the Hebrew and Gentile widows. That is all the text says. I know that Acts 6:3 concludes with the words "whom we may appoint over this business," but this is referring specifically to the feeding of the widows and nothing more.
The word “deacon” (Gr. diakonos) as mentioned above, means servant, helper, and assistant. In its simplest meaning it does mean to wait tables but generally the meaning is expanded to mean service in general. Now we are all called serve. But the role of deacon is a role of honor and although not out rightly expressed, is a role of leadership (Phil 1:1, 1Timothy 3:1-13).
Yes, there is a certain degree of "honor" that comes along with being a deacon. That is because they take an active role in serving needy members of the church. The problem with the rest of your response is that as you say, "
although not out rightly expressed, is a role of leadership (Phil 1:1, 1Timothy 3:1-13)." "
Not out rightly expressed" means that you are adding something to the definition that is not found in the biblical text. The biblical text does not support the idea that a deacon is to have authority over the affairs of the church. They simply were/are servants. A servant has someone in authority above him. A servant does what he is told to do. The use of Phil 1:1 does not lend weight to the position that you are trying to support. It simply says that the church at Philippi had bishops (litterally
Overseers ) and deacons (litterally servants) in place.
The authority within the church rests squarely with the bishops (Overseers)/Elders/Pastors (all these words are used interchangeably throughout the N.T. to refer to the same leadership office). Likewise, 1 Tim. 3:1-7 lists requirements for Overseers. These first seven verses do not apply to deacons. The requirements for deacons are given in 1 tim. 3:8-13.
The “Deacon Board” where I serve, acts in subservience to our pastors and serves to coordinate public functions, maintain facilities, organize the various aspects of the ministry including such thing as finance, personnel, baptisms, missions etc.
Again, I would really challenge you to study all the passages of Scripture that refer to deacons and see if you can find a single instance where the deacons are tasked or given authority in the areas such as "various aspects of ministry, church finance, and personnel (does this mean deacons have some kind authority over the pastor?), etc. It sounds to me as if what you have in place is a Deacon Board that is functioning as a body of Church Elders. Some of those deacons may well qualify to be elders. However, like I said if we are going to talk about being biblical then let's be biblical. As such deacons should not hold authority over the affairs of the church. That is solely the elder's/pastor's responsibility.
There is some ambiguity, regarding the phrase, “husband of one wife”, even among my churches pastors. We have chosen to only allow only once married men who are married to a wife that has been once married. We are beginning to bend on the issue of children.
Again, how can you use the biblical text to support such marriage requirements for the wives of deacons? The Bible does not speak to this issue. The passage in 1 Tim. 3:11 in the Greek literally says, "Likewise, the women," not "their wives." So by adding such marriage requriements for the wives of proposed deacons what you have, at best, is a man-made hedge of protection instituted to ensure an idea of "Holyness" in their lives. That is how the Pharisees ended up with all the legalism for which Jesus condemned them. Just a few things to think about.
[ November 09, 2002, 06:09 AM: Message edited by: BibleboyII ]