Does Title = Position, or ...

[webdog]

Originally posted by SaggyWoman:
There were deaconesses in the Bible.

These were servants, and not the title of deacon as given in 1 Timothy (husband of one wife). The Bible cannot contradict. A PHD and MD are both called doctors but they are entirely different.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Good case in point is Romans 16 where Phoebe (a woman in the church at Cenchrea, neighbor to Corinth) is called by the MASCULINE TITLE "deacon" (not simply as a feminine form of the word, which would be a female servant)

Many of my friends think that the use of this masculine term is the "office" of deacon . . and a woman was one!

Others of my friends teach that she was simply a servant and not anything "official" (not the HUSBAND of one woman!!).

Me? I agree with my friends.

 

[Plain Old Bill]

I agree there were women deaconesses.

 

[bapmom]

doesnt that give us reason to look at what the real role of a deacon was? I know thats been discussed some already, but Im thinking of the times that questions were brought before the church, matters of doctrine. In these times the Bible only mentions the Apostles as being there as decision makers. No deacons are mentioned as having been involved. This is not to say that they are not worthy of an opinion, or even of some influence....but from what I see they had no official kind of decision making authority.

Does that make sense?

 

[Plain Old Bill]

The role of Deacon is different in different local NT churches as well as different denominations as far as actual practice goes.In certain places deacons are given far to much power and in other places they are given far to little responsibility.

 

[Petrel]

Regarding the "husband of one wife" clause, it is also possible that this is descriptive and not prescriptive. It may be that for various reasons almost all deacons were men at that time. Therefore when describing the characteristics necessary, it would make sense to describe them as applying to a man. However, I don't think we can say because of this that it would be unallowable for a woman to be a deacon.

The situation is more clear involving pastors, and I tend to think that women should not be pastors.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob:
I'm the man, the head of the house. My wife? She's the neck, and turns the head wherever she wants it to go . .

Don't you think if the head can be turned that easy there there is no spine on which to turn it?

 

[Plain Old Bill]

Gb93433,
Our wives a generally 3 months ahead of us in planting ideas so when they really want something they plant the seed,then we men all of the sudden have this wonderful idea about three months later for which our wives compliment us and tell us how smart and wonderful we are.Took me a few years to catch on to this.You would be surprized to find out what a common practice this is among the ladies.I guess they use it because it works.

 

[bapmom]

POB,

how long do you think I have before my own DH figures that out? We've already been married going on 12 years........

 

[Dr. Bob]

I've been married 35+ years, and to the SAME WOMAN.

"Divorce" is not in our marital dictionary.

"Murder", however, is . .

 

[SAMPLEWOW]

YOUR a sick man Dr. Bob I think I like the way you think .Does that make ME sick?

 

[Plain Old Bill]

Bapmom,
some never do.

 

[bapmom]

 

[TexasSky]

I think if we are women and we're worrying about our title so much, we aren't really doing our work for the right reasons.

 

[tenor]

If the job (ministry) is being done, officially elected by the church or not, why not use the title.

But then, we would have "Ministers of Maintenance" and not janitors or custodians.

In our culture we can get hung up on titles. At my current church our male deacons view themselves as a "board of directors" while our female deacons view the the deacons as a ministry/sevice body. The Pastor and staff are trying to get the me over to the ministry/service model.

Tim