Servants In God’s House (3:8-13)
Neal Pollard
Paul transitions from elders to deacons with the word “likewise” (in the same way)(8). He does this when moving from men’s to women’s role in the public assemblies (2:9) and again when shifting to speak of a specific group of women in verse 11 of this paragraph. “Deacon” is an anglicized form of the word “diákonos,” defined by the Lexham Theological Wordbook as “A leader in the church who is committed to serve God through meeting the needs of the Church, characterized by a disposition of humility and self-sacrifice” (Smith, np). Outside of this passage, the formal office (ministry) of deacons is noted in Philippians 1:1. “The deacons in this sense were helping or serving the bishops or elders, and this is why they were probably called deacons. They did not, though, possess any ruling authority as did the elders” (Zodhiates, np). The arrangement in Acts 6:1-4 almost certainly represents what the work of deacons looked like throughout the first-century church. A special need arose, and men who met spiritual qualifications were selected to discharge the task. The fact that “deacon” is synonymous with “servant” (as it is usually translated in the New Testament) implies that this is a work, not merely a title.
The “likewise” appears to emphasize that deacons must meet specific qualifications, just as elders do. Their qualifications break into multiple categories, too–moral expectations (8), doctrinal expectations (9), practical expectations (10), and domestic expectations (12). In the midst of the qualifications, there is an enigmatic statement about certain women and the qualities they must possess (we will deal with that in a special supplement below).
Moral expectations (8). Paul lists four. Deacons are to be dignified (worthy of respect; this is an even more intensified word than the call for elders to be “respectable” in verse 2). Louw-Nida clarify that dignified is “pertaining to appropriate, befitting behavior and implying dignity and respect—‘honorable, worthy of respect, of good character” (747). Second, they are not to be double-tongued (hypocritical, insincere, two-faced, etc.). Third, they are not to be addicted to much wine. It should be noted here, as with the elders in verse 3, that Paul is not endorsing or making accommodations for what in modern vernacular we often call “social drinking.” “Addicted” means to hold to, turn to, to turn one’s attention or mind to. A man whose thoughts and mind are constantly turned toward drinking alcohol is unsuited to focus on the sober task of serving the Lord and His people. When we grasp the vast disparity between wine in the ancient world and the fortified alcohol of today, we understand that the two are “apples and oranges.” To reduce either verse as an argument in favor of social drinking totally misses Paul’s point (I submit a couple of articles I wrote for your consideration: Dispiriting Truths About “Spirits”/; What’s So Social About It?). Fourth, they are to have a healthy attitude toward financial matters, “not greedy for dishonest gain.” Take note that Paul is not restricting this to those who steal and cheat in their greed. The compound verb translated this way means “shamelessly greedy for money” (BDAG) or “shamelessly greedy for material gain or profit” (L-N). “Fond” or “eager” probably captures the idea of the word better than “shamelessly” (which we can subjectively twist to suit ourselves). Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the mount (Mat. 6:25-34) as well as Paul’s teaching at the end of this letter shed more light on this. In short, deacons are men of moral excellence. Their labors may involve the physical, but they are to be spiritual.
Doctrinal expectations (9). These are not biblical novices or spiritual milk drinkers (cf. Heb. 5:12; 1 Pet. 2:2). Knute Larson says, “This is a warning against allowing into leadership people who are ungrounded in the Christian faith or who adhere to strange or unfounded doctrines” (Holman NT Comm., 187). A man entrusted with service is going to be a man of influence. His knowledge of God’s Word should reflect this.
Practical expectations (10). Who should be entrusted with special work in the church? Those who have already been proven as workers. Have they followed through and been dependable when asked for assistance? Have they been proactive, self-starters? If calls for volunteers go out, do they step forward? Nowhere are deacons shown to be honorary appointments where men who attend well and have nice families are endowed with this as a title. Instead, workers should be identified when works are identified.
Domestic expectations (12). This qualification is much like the familial expectations made of elders. A special servant should be trusted around women who are not his wife, a man who is discreet, honorable, and pure. They are to be present, involved dads who lead the home and love it like Christ loves the church.
Who are the women in verse 11? The word for “women” is the general, gender word for female. Context determines if it should refer to something more specific, like “wives” (see verse 12, where the same word is used). The ESV translates this, “Their wives likewise….” Those translators view the women here as the wives of deacons. Here possibilities (list drawn from Petrillo, 44-45) and why they do or do not have merit:
- Wives of elders. The problem is its distance in the text from the qualifications of elders (1-7). It is not in the flow of the reading.
- Wives of deacons. This makes more sense, since Paul is discussing deacons in the verse before and after. One might wonder why Paul has heightened qualifications for a servant’s wife than an overseer’s wife, the latter being potentially of far greater influence. They seem to be a group all to themselves.
- Special female servants appointed by the church. Women certainly served and were recognized for such (see Rom. 16:3). If this existed, we know with certainty that it was not a leadership position where she exercised such over men (2:11-15). One could be a woman and serve without having an official capacity, and that harmonizes better with the whole of the New Testament’s teaching on her role.
- Widows indeed. Chapter five includes a list of qualifications for widows and this might connect with that, but again we have the problem of text placement. Why mention them here without specifying their status as widows?
- All women. Paul has lauded the important role women play in the church (2:9-10). They influence with their lives, and so Paul lists the same qualities as he does for men who formally serve in official roles of leadership and service. No one excels a godly woman who exerts good Christian character in the church, as she serves and involves herself where God wants her to in His house. I favor this interpretation.
Regarding deacons, their value is clear. They bless their own lives and the house of God by serving well (13). They serve and through such spiritually gain. But this statement can equally apply to all three groups addressed in these verses. That is, it holds true of overseers and Christian women, too. God wants His house to operate smoothly, and role fulfillment is key to that!
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