What is this page?
The ministries in the Gospel.com Community create 'bookmarks' to help you find what you're looking for. Learn more
The ministries in the Gospel.com Community create 'bookmarks' to help you find what you're looking for. Learn more
"Deacon" in the Bible: 1 Timothy 3:8-10
Paul sets high standards for those who serve in leadership roles in the church. Here, he lays out the moral requirements for the position of deacon in the church. Deacons must be righteous and blameless in their everyday lives.
http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%203:8-10&version=NIV
Topics:
Leadership, Deacon
All Topics
reason i ask is because my cousin was to be ordained as a deacon but our church said he has to be married first. is this true?
@oliviaallen each church has it’s own standards for leadership. I’m a bit surprised to hear that a church would require marriage before someone becomes a deacon, but my guess is that the leadership of the church might be able to shed some more light onto why they require it.
My church says a deacon is to be in charge of flock care and service only and not a part of the decision making process, they use the verse in Acts where the term “Waiting Tables”is used.I have a concordance that says the Greek words used means “working at a bankers table”. Which is correct?
@oliviaallen: The question as to whether a deacon must be married before being ordained hinges on the scripture at I Timothy 3:8-13. A church which uses a strictly literal translation theology would require not only a marriage, but time in that marriage to prove that your cousin can “manage” the family.
@Glenn: The question as to whether or not a deacon is to be part of the decision marking process hinges on the definition of the word “deacon” which comes from the greek “diakonos” which most books translate as “servant”. Although I see no reason that a Deacon could not serve on the administrative arm of the church, their primary mission would tend to be teaching, assisting in the worship service, and working directly in ministry to the marginalized inside and outside the church: the poor, the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned. Our church charter actually states that a deacon is permitted to be on the council (administrative leadership), but that is not their primary focus.
where does it say, re deacons visiting the sick etc?
Our church is going through this exact thing right now. From what I can tell biblically, deacons are first and foremost servants. You don’t see them in decision making rolls, such as on a board, etc. That’s not to say it’s inherrantly wrong, as you could argue that is a form of service, but the primary function is to “roll up the sleeves” and serve.
As far as teaching, I Timothy 3 says being “able to teach” is a requirement for an overseer / elder. Requirements for deacons is a seperate list, which doesn’t include “able to teach”. They are fundamentally different roles.
Our church is considering making elder positions, which would free up the deacons to focus completely on service. Any body have this arrangement at their church?
My wife and I are not able to have childern and I wish to become a deacon. The pastor of my church say I can not because I am not a father. It was in simple terms an “act of God” that stop us from having childern. Because of that, would I still be allowed to become a deacon. If not, why?
It is important to notice that the qualification for children is not to “have” children but that your children must not be ill behaved. The same is with the “not given to much wine” . The qualification is not that he must drink a little wine… but he must not be a drunk. The same is for the “husband of one wife”… He must not have multiple wives.
In conclusion, the list indicates that he must already be leading a life of service dedicated to the Lord with nothin that can be pointed at for evil or failure.