One of our congregation’s greatest gifts and treasures is our most
senior deacon, and African-American brother in his eighties who describes
himself as a “preaching deacon.” Before I came ten years ago, he filled the pulpit
with the Word of God and kept the congregation spiritually fed and alive by the
power of the Holy Spirit. We are all indebted to him, and honor him as one with
“a high standing and great confidence in
the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:13). I have been blessed to
know deacons who were faithful Sunday School teachers to both children and
adults, men I respected not because of their ability to manage the “business”
of the Church, but because they were servant-leaders in the Word. There are
several passages in the Bible that I cannot read to this day without
remembering a phone call from a deacon asking me for input on interpreting or applying
a specific verse. We are a few weeks away from ordaining two men to our congregation's diaconate, and I am deeply thankful for their willingness to preach and teach the Word when asked.
While I know some who are not convinced, it has been generally accepted
that the Seven of Acts 6 were either the first to hold the office “deacon,” or
were predecessors to the office. “Now at
this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a
complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native
Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily
serving [τῇ διακονίᾳ] of
food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, ‘It is
not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve [διακονεῖν]
tables. Therefore, brethren, select from
among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to
prayer and to the ministry [τῇ διακονίᾳ] of the word.’ The statement found approval with the whole congregation;
and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,
and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte
from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying,
they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the
number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great
many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:1-7).
Beyond this narrative, we have very little to tell us what those who hold the
office of deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13) did. What we do know is
that the Seven of Acts 6 didn’t stick to serving tables. Stephen preaches in
Acts 7 and becomes the first martyr of the new covenant people. Philip, the
second of the Seven named, becomes a prominent “missionary” (a word not used in
the N.T.) in Acts 8.[1]
These servant-leaders, “men of good
reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom,” met the physical needs of
those in the congregation who needed assistance, but were also instrumental in
the “spreading” of “the word of God.”
“[The ascended Christ] gave some as apostles, and
some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors
and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service [ἔργον διακονίας]” (Ephesians 4:11,12). Christ gives
pastor-teachers to His Church so that, by their efforts, all members of the
congregation may become servants/ministers/deacons.[2]
Those who hold the office of deacon serve as exemplars of what all the
membership should work to be.
E. Earle Ellis (1926-2010) argues that “the diakonoi appear to be a special class of co-workers, those who are
active in preaching and teaching.”[3]
He gives plenty of examples of διάκονος being used in conjunction with the
proclamation/exclamation of God’s Word:
·
“According to Eph 3,7f. Paul was made a diakonos according to the gift of grace,
i.e. the grace to ‘preach the gospel to the Gentiles…similarly, Col 1,23.”[4]
·
“In contrast to their opponents in Corinth Paul
and his companions, diakonoi of the
new covenant, did not ‘peddle’ or ‘falsify’ the word of God (2Cor 2,17; 4,2)
but rather accepted pay (ὀψώνιον) from other churches ‘for diakonia to you’, i.e. to preach the gospel to them (2Cor 11,8,7).”[5]
·
“In contrast to false ‘teachers,’ Timothy is to
endure suffering, do the work (ἔργον) of an evangelist and (thus) fulfill his diakonia (2Tim 4,3ff.); here the term
appears to include preaching and teaching (διδαχή, 4,2) generally.”[6]
·
“The congregational diakonoi are not to be ‘double-talkers’
(διλόγους) and are to hold to the ‘mystery of the faith’ with a clear
conscience (1 Tim 3,8f; cf. Polyc 5,2) – the latter almost certainly refers to
a teaching function.”[7]
·
“The close association with diakonos = teacher
of the word of God may be inferred from 2Cor 3,6; 4,1,2,5…”[8]
The day is coming, and I believe now is, that the Church needs fewer administrating
“boards” and more servant-leaders speaking the Word of God while they organize
the congregation to meet the physical needs of those with needs in the
membership. The pastor-teachers instruct in the Word, the deacons serve as
exemplars of speaking and living the Word, and all the congregation speak the
Word as they live in obedience to it in the world. After giving the
qualifications for the offices of overseer and deacon, Paul explains that he
wrote this “so that you will know how one
ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church
of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy
3:15). The offices are inseparably linked to the purpose of the Church (its
membership), which is to be the foundation on which the Word is made visible to
the world for the glory and Kingdom of God.
[1] This is not the Philip who was one of the
Twelve (Matthew 10:3//Mark 3:18//Luke 6:14; John 1:43-48; 6:5,7; 12:21,22;
14:8,9), since the “apostles” did not
scatter with Saul’s persecution (Acts 8:1).
[2] I’m not arguing for the undoing of the office of “pastor-teacher,”
or that all should become teachers (James 3). Teaching and proclaiming the Word
you’ve been taught are not necessarily the same. All believers should speak the
truth of the Word, and Christ gives His Church pastor-teachers to prepare them
for that life of speaking.
[3] Prophecy &
Hermeneutic in Early Christianity (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2003), 9.
[4] Ibid., 9.29.
[5] Ibid., 8.
[6] Ibid., 9n29.
[7] Ibid., 9n31.
[8] Ibid., 11n38.
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