The office of a deacon

The office of a deacon (I Timothy 3:10; Acts 6:1-6)

The New Testament mentions the noun deacon five times, in Philippians 1:1 and I Timothy 3:8-12. There is a distinct correlation between the office and the function of the seven in Acts 6.

“The office of deacon originated in a state of things referred to in the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.”[i]

“Let deacons be chosen for an indefinite period and then let them be solemnly ordained according to the example given in Acts vi.6.”[ii]

The church today has two offices.[iii] In the beginning, the church had neither elders nor deacons. Jesus their head, the Chief Shepherd, called disciples from among John’s disciples to follow him. He afterward set apostles in the church. After Jesus ascended back into heaven, the apostles functioned as the elders and deacons. The increasing overload of administrative duties necessitated help. The church selected seven helpers to “serve tables.”

The work of deacons in Acts 6 is:

• to solve a problem that arose in the church fellowship (6:1)
• to help preserve the harmony of the church (6:1-3)
• to free the apostles from administrative duties in order to give full attention to prayer and the ministry of the word (6:2,4)
• to serve tables, take care of business (6:2-3)

The position of deacons in Acts 6 is:

• a congregational position – from among you (6:3)
• an elected position – i.e. one appointed by the church, not a position to which one appoints himself (6:3,5; the apostles and church body take the initiative, not the seven individuals)
• a qualified position – men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (6:3; Cf. 1 Timothy 3:8-13, which has spiritual, moral, and familial qualifications)
• an ordained position – i.e. one initiated by prayer and laying-on-of-hands (6:6)

Notes:

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[i] Church Manual Designed for the Use in Baptist Churches, J. M. Pendleton, 1867, p. 30.
[ii] Ibid., p. 36.
[iii] Acts 11:30 first mentions elders in the sense of church leaders. The disciples in Antioch-Syria sent relief in time of famine to the elders of the churches in Judaea. We find both apostles and elders in the church in Jerusalem Acts 15:2-6, 22-23.

How Old Must a Pastor or Deacon Be?

Q. At what age may a person become a pastor or deacon?

A. The Bible mentions qualifications for the office of bishop/elder (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) and deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13; cf. Acts 6:1-7). There is no age-specific qualification – that is, no age (in terms of years) is given to which a person must obtain to be qualified. Some of the qualifications, however, indicate a man who has been around long enough to have some life experience. In general, the candidate for office has been around long enough that the qualities could be seen and judged. Paul mentions both wife & children. While that may not mean that every pastor and deacon explicitly must be married with children, surely Paul expected that would be the norm.

Paul told Timothy “Let no man despise thy youth” (1 Timothy 4:12). According to 1 Timothy 3:6 the bishop (pastor, elder) is to be “not a novice,” which likely refers to either lack of experience, or being a recent convert – as opposed to referring to a person’s age. Paul also advises in 1 Timothy 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man…” The person appointed to office should be qualified to hold the office. The person should be known by the church to be qualified to hold the office.

The biblical qualifications for the offices of pastors and deacons should be taken seriously. Often they are not taken seriously, and even different qualifications required in their place. The other extreme should be avoided as well. This other extreme is a mentality of “don’t go in the water until you learn how to swim.” Fact is, pastoring and deaconing is a learning experience. No one will know what he needs to know when he begins. There is a certain amount of “on the job training.” Much of this could be alleviated, though, if we followed the biblical example of plurality of elders and deacons.

The Two Church Offices

The Two Church Offices by W. S. Crawford, Wellington, Texas

The New Testament church is a local, divine organic body. It is composed of disciples of Christ who have been baptized voluntarily to carry on for Christ. Christ is its Founder, its Foundation, its Head and its law Giver. The Holy Spirit is its Superintendent and it is to do what Christ Himself commanded and authourized it to do. It is thus to be perpetuated until Christ comes again. Its permanent officers are pastor and deacons.

The New Testament names the pastor and deacons as offices in the church. In I Tim. 3:1, Paul says “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” According to the New Testament, a bishop was the pastor of a church. I Tim. 3:10 tells us, “And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.” These are the only offices spoken of in the New Testament that are permanent.

Both of these offices are to be filled by men, not by women. Paul instructed Titus, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly... For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God;” (Titus 1:5—7). A woman cannot be the husband of one wife, therefore cannot be ordained as pastor. Any man who has two living wives is disqualified to be pastor of a church. The deacon is also to be the husband of one wife (I Tim. 3:12). Therefore, the deacon’s office is to be filled by men.

In both of these offices men are to be ordained, and that by the authourity of the church. Paul said that he was ordained a preacher and an apostle (I Tim. 2:7). And Paul told Timothy to “neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery” (I Tim. 4:14). In Acts 6, we see the church selected seven men who were qualified for deacons, and the church placed them before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands upon them thus designating or ordaining them as deacons. We see from these scriptures that pastors and deacons are to be ordained to fill these offices, and are to be ordained by the authourity of the church.

The pastor and deacon are to be servants of the church. Not bosses, nor dictators, but servants. The pastor is to serve in spiritual things. He is to preach the word (Acts 6:4; II Tim. 4:2). He is to feed the church (John 21:15—17; Acts 20:28; I Peter 5:1,2). He is to be the teacher of the church (I Tim. 3:2; II Tim. 2:24). Paul called these things spiritual things (I Cor. 9:11). The deacons are to serve the church in temporal things. They were to see after the financial things of the church (Acts 6:3). The pastor, deacons, and all the membership of the church are instructed to work together, directed by the Holy Spirit to do the will of Christ.

The pastor is to have a divine call and the deacon is to have spiritual qualifications. The pastor is to be divinely called to preach (Acts 20:24; I Cor. 9:16). He is to have a divine call to be pastor (Eph. 4:11). He is to have a divine call to a church (Acts 20:28). The deacons are to be men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom (Acts 6:3). The pastor is promised a crown of glory that fadeth not away when the Chief Shepherd shall appear (I Peter 5:4). And they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus (I Tim. 3:13).

So then our labour is not in vain in the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. Neither is the labour and service of any member of the church lost when it is done according to the will of Christ and from a heart of love. Paul said there was a crown of righteousness for him, and not for him only but for all of them that love His appearing (II Tim. 4:8).

From The Baptist Defender, January 28, 1941 (as found in The Baptist Waymark, Vol II, No. 8  May—June 1992)