Character Counts: Deacons

When I think about Timothy, I try to imagine what he must have been feeling, thinking, going through when he received a letter like this from his friend, his mentor, and his spiritual father in the Lord, the apostle Paul. Paul, who in his opening words says that he is an apostle by the command of God our saviour and of Jesus Christ our hope. And there he is, a young man, young Timothy, only recently set apart to take up the challenge of leadership in the church at Ephesus. I think he may have been a bit tentative about the job, don't you think? That is at the prospect of leading a church.

Paul says to him at one point in the next chapter, in fact, don't let anyone look down on you because you were young, Timothy. Maybe he's a bit of a nervy guy, shy, not so spontaneous, not having the confidence of an apostle and yet mixing it with the apostles somewhat timid and from what we know, probably single, not married, and now with an awesome responsibility to lead the church. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul seems to drill right down into Timothy's personality and gives us this insight. For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, of love and self-control.

And therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God who saved us and called us to a holy calling. Paul's way of encouraging Timothy, challenging Timothy, even exposing him somewhat, putting him on notice, so to speak, encouraging Timothy to become a gospel-empowered Christian. And is there any other way to live? Which is why we have that theme as the theme in this series on Timothy. Timothy was to define himself, you see, as a gospel-empowered Christian, and to live that way, and to lead the church that way, and to secure other leaders to work with him in the church that way.

Gospel-empowered leaders in Christ's church. Why? Was Paul his personal trainer, like his coach, some kind of therapist for Timothy? No. There's much more at stake.

Notice what Timothy's calling actually is, and Paul's identified that earlier on. This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, that you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. See, Paul has been reminding Timothy of his duty as a pastor. And he's been warned about the presence of false teachers and the damage they've done. His calling is sure to put him into conflict with these false teachers.

About whom Paul is actually saying, I've handed them over to Satan. Timothy's sure to be called to challenge the cultural norms of his day. That is to say, those things that society thinks is appropriate are going to be different in the church, and not the least of which is the kind of leadership that will characterise the church. Paul seems to be saying to Timothy, Timothy, surround yourself with quality leaders. Build a leadership team for the church in Ephesus that is strong, resolute, we would say resilient, and especially when it comes to dealing with those false teachers.

Now, today, we're seeing how Paul continues that discussion. You might remember last week, KJ took us through the qualifications of the noble task of serving as an overseer or an elder in the church. Today, he sets out the equally noble qualifications for the equally noble task of deacons. And deacons, he seems to be suggesting, like their brother elders, will be there to serve in the church. Not so much to preach and teach, but to help share and care with the ministry of God's word.

So as was the case with elder, Paul does that by listing stringent qualifications for deacons. That's my first point. And then, interestingly enough, he talks about women and their qualifications for serving in ministry in the church. And then thirdly, he encourages his church to celebrate deacons, to honour them, even give them an excellent standing in the church. But first, a little background.

Deacons. What is the sense of the title deacons? Who are they? And where did they come from? Well, the word deacon itself simply means waiter.

That is to say, to refer to someone who's involved in the hospitality industry, who waits on tables, ministers there by serving others. Sometimes, it takes on the nuance of messenger. So basically, they're the people who set up tables, feeding people, and then clean up their messes afterwards. Deacons exist to serve in the church and in the world. And today, that happens practically when they meet people's material physical needs.

They have a gospel ministry in the church in deed and word. That is to say, they do their work in the name of the risen Lord Jesus as His messengers. Tom read to us the passage from Acts 6 and they were given a glimpse into the life of the church after Pentecost. And the church began to grow as the Lord added to their number daily. And so did the ranks of those Jews who were converted to the faith.

Tens of thousands of Jews from all around the Roman Empire flocked to the risen Messiah. Many Jews had moved on and adopted Greek-speaking language and culture. But the rapid influx of so many people into the city of Jerusalem, obviously, created some unsettling times. Great success always upsets peace and threatens stability. These were the challenges the early church needed to overcome.

In this case, the Greek-speaking Jews called Hellenists complained that the Hebrew or Aramaic-speaking Jews were overlooking the widows in the daily distribution of food at communal meals. Not fluent in Greek, they seem to have overlooked the Greek widows unintentionally. And fair enough, everyone deserved a fair feed. The apostles couldn't be everywhere at once. More to the point, it wouldn't have been wise to use their time to oversee the growing ministry of the church in person.

They needed trustworthy people of godly character to carry out the details of this ministry on their behalf. And this is vitally important. They operate with the same level of integrity that the apostles do. So they commissioned and created the office of deacon, initially to serve food to the poor and hungry. And they charged the congregation to find seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.

And then, they officially ordained them, laid hands on them, and created a new office in the church, the office of deacon. And then, they put them to work as head waiters, supervising ministry helpers, and serving at tables themselves. And clearly, enabled the apostles to concentrate on their primary role in the church, that of prayer and preaching. Now, by the time Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, the whole idea of deacon carried with it an apostolic authority and the same basic servant mentality. Deacons serve the needs of the congregation with sensitivity, efficiency, and skill in the name of Jesus.

And they do this so the elders or the overseers won't be distracted from their work of prayer, preaching, and providing spiritual oversight. Now, we know that the first deacons were not barred from teaching. Think of Stephen, one of the first deacons. He was a deacon as well as a teacher. Think of the Matthew 20 passage that we read earlier in the service this morning regarding the kind of service that Jesus made.

Jesus, of course, the great teacher. You might be surprised that the passage we looked at in Matthew 20 also described him as a deacon, translated servant. Also in Mark's gospel, Mark 10:45. However, unlike those in the office of elder, the ability to teach is not an inherent quality of the office of those serving as deacons. Compare these two lists.

See at a glance, you can see the qualifications of the overseer in one column and deacon in the other. And so far as deacon is concerned, there's no mention of the ability to teach nor is there any mention of being temperate, prudent, hospitable among others. But that does not mean that those qualities are not unimportant. They are important. And it may well be the case that younger men will develop these character qualifications even as they enter the office of deacon over time.

And so doing, they may aspire to the office of elder in the church. And I think perhaps that's why there's a difference. It's not that the deacons don't have these qualifications. It's just that they're not part of the minimum requirements that Paul sets out for the church, so to speak. Sometimes, people grow into those qualities.

It seems to me a good reason why we should look at younger men who may want to serve in the office of deacon. But Paul is keen to impress upon Timothy the uniqueness of the deacon's role. Why these different qualities? And how will they function while not conflicting with what elders do, but rather assist them in practical ways. It's the job of deacons to make sure church practises pure and undefiled religion, visiting widows and orphans, says James.

A ministry of visitation implies a ministry that is enabled, empowered to supply real needs. And doing that properly not only requires the appropriate resources, but also a special kind of person. At the beginning, Paul says, deacons must be honourable and dignified in the ESV. That is the version we read from. Another version, the NIV, the New International Version, uses the words, they are to be men worthy of respect.

And the Greek word for dignified speaks of an inner majesty inside of a person that points outward and upwards to God. When you look at a deacon, you are to see a man of character, a man of dignity, a man who is Christ-like, a man who helps you see God. It would further mean that a deacon is someone that you and I can learn from, someone whom we are called to imitate. So how are we to act and live as God's people in the world today? You won't go far wrong if you look at the deacon and what he does and imitate his service, his love, his lifestyle, his character.

Furthermore, deacons are not to be double-tongued, devious in speech, says Paul. Again, the NIV renders it or translates a little different and uses just one word. And it says, deacons are to be sincere. Someone who's double-minded is dishonest, dishonorable, and insincere. Remember the snake in the garden?

Genesis 3. It was double-tongued. It said one thing but meant another. It pretended to want freedom for the man but instead, left him in slavery to sin. Likewise, deacons cannot say one thing and then do another.

This is an inherently practical ministry. So, for example, they can't pretend to love the poor and needy when in fact, they despise and look down upon them. They must be sincere. Literally, in a deacon, what you see is what you get. And if you want to aspire to the office of deacon, then in your own quiet way, you need to develop this sincerity.

Anyone who hopes to be of real service to others needs to know that they are sincere in wanting to help you. It helps them respond with humility and grace to receive whatever you offer. You see, you just can't pretend to love the poor and needy when in fact, you look down and despise them. So to sum up, and to quote KJ, our pastor from last week, character is king. But let me hasten to add, character is king for every single Christian, not just for those in church office.

Every Christian can be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, not pursuing dishonest gain, and the rest. But now, we need to ask the question because it comes up in our passage. How can we know for sure about someone's character? How can we even begin to vote them in to their office and so extend a call to them to serve in the offices of the church? Well, Paul says to Timothy, And let them also be tested first, and then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

What kind of a test is this? Is it like multiple choice? That way, at least you get a fair go. Is it the kind of thing they need to submit to the overseers, the elders of the church, and get an outcome in a week, in a month, or so's time? No.

The test comes when all of us search our own hearts about the person in question and bring that person to God in prayer. Can we discern God's leading, God's will for them in their lives as they attend to the calling that the church wants to give? They're tested really to walk the talk. Tested in a way that means that what they believe goes hand in hand with how they live. They're tested in the sense that both justification and sanctification are very real in their lives.

Tested that their view of God impacts the way they live and vice versa. Tested that they are men of godly character as Paul describes them here. But tested where? And like the elders and pastors, deacons must be tested in the church, in the home, and in the world. You see, they must have a good reputation even with outsiders, that is, those outside of the church.

And like pastors and elders, they must be able to manage their children and their household well. Now, we're not saying elders have to be perfect. No, deacons perfect, and not ministers either. If that were the case, I could not stand here before you today, even as a retired minister. No man would be qualified to serve in the church.

Instead, what we need to see in those who serve among us in the offices of the church are lives where people know how to repent and to do that often. That is to say, an office bearer in Christ's church today needs to be someone who knows how to confess sin and then turn away from sin. He must be able to express sorrow for sin privately and if necessary, also publicly because sin grieves God. It grieves His people too. And as to them, he needs to say sorry.

And then turn to a life of righteousness and holiness. Now, suddenly, Paul shifts the discussion on the qualifications of deacon to the subject of women or ladies in the church who also serve. Consider these two very respected translations of the same verse from the ESV. Pardon me. Their wives, likewise, must be dignified, not slanderous, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

And now, reading from the NIV, same verse. In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but temperate and trustworthy in everything. Now, my goal this morning is not to erode your confidence in the translation that perhaps you're most familiar with, but to read it with authority. But I have to point out that in this particular verse, there are at least three different interpretations. This is not only reflected in the various translations, but also by picking up well-known good evangelical reformed commentators.

And in reading them, they're pretty much divided about those whom Paul is addressing at this point. Perhaps, all they can agree on is that they're women, the ladies in the church. And I have to tell you, about a decade ago, the synod of our churches, that is the national body of Christian Reformed churches throughout Australia, appointed a sub-study committee to look at the question of the role of women in the office of deacon. But the synod then decided to allow for three interpretations in the church. And I'll give you my own when we come to the third.

First of all, the obvious one, something the translators of the ESV have done, the wives of deacons. They say that this verse describes the wives of deacons or even the wives of all the office bearers in the church. So reliable commentators make a good case for the translation, their wives. Now, the trouble is the pronoun their is not their, t h e i r, in the original Greek. The translators say the context makes it means or that it makes good sense to insert the word there, given what Paul has been arguing for before and after this verse.

And the Greek noun for women can be translated wives. And again, depends on the context. Paul could have intended to address the wives of the men in leadership because they serve alongside their husbands in a complementary role. And isn't that something we looked at in 1 Timothy chapter 2 a few weeks ago? I have to wonder and Paul definitely then addresses all women in the context of their mandate, their complementarianism and the mandate they have, and the role they play.

But I'm not convinced that this is the correct interpretation this morning, not necessarily the wives of deacons or their wives. What about women in general? In the original, there is no definite article. The text literally reads, Women or in the same way, Women or likewise, Women. Some commentators go on to say this verse refers to all women in general.

And I'm even less convinced by this option. As we've been saying, Paul already addressed women in general in the previous chapter. So sandwiching an additional comment about women between these qualifications for deacons seems really odd. Paul has been known to interrupt himself before, but never quite like this. And that brings me to the third possibility, women who serve as deacons.

This verse addresses women who serve as deacons, and hence the NIV translators have included the definite article, the women, as opposed to all women. There are some women, the women, or those women. Now, some in even in reformed circles have gone so far as to call this the office, a new office, the office of the deaconess. But I don't think that the translation necessarily implies a new office in the church. This is more likely a reference Paul means to reference women who serve.

The ladies among us who serve. Who serve in effect as deacons. Obviously, they aim to complement what their male counterparts are doing. And no doubt, in some instances, they have husbands who are deacons in the church, but not in every instance. This is broader and can include other women, and especially older women, those without husbands, those who are single, those who are widows.

And like their male counterparts, these women are to exercise control over their tongues, remain temperate, and faithfully carry out their servant role. Perhaps, a glowing example of this is the way Paul finishes his letter to the church in Rome in chapter 16. And there he commends one of his sisters in the Lord, this lady called Phoebe, whom he describes as a servant or deacon or deaconess in the church. Paul has had nothing but good things to say about her and gives her an excellent standing in the church. So I want to suggest this morning that ministry of deacons requires the involvement of women, women who know how to help.

And there's a very practical aspect to this as well. For in Timothy's day, there were no hospitals or nursing homes. It was the church and especially through the deacons that gave aid to the sick and to the elderly and those in need. And it fell to these servant-hearted women to give tender, loving care to other needy women and children. So I want to suggest that the church has been blessed with an incredible resource, not just in the men who serve in the office of deacon, but also in these women who serve.

I guarantee you, actually, I know for a fact that my wife, Regina, and Sarah have done 99.9% of the work needed to put on morning tea this morning. They'll be the ones waiting on the tables even over coffee and teas this morning after the service. When it comes to having a ministry of helping, women seem to display an extraordinary sensitivity that I think us thick-headed men don't always have. It's a sensitive ministry. And these days needs to be directed towards single mums, to children.

And who better to visit than women who function as deacons or servants in the church today? Let them give that personal touch to ministry that would be scandalous for a man to give. So, in summing up, let's not forget what is at stake this morning. We're talking about the officers in the church. We're talking about a young man planting a church, establishing a church in Ephesus.

And then Paul's desire to maintain true religion. Without the office of deacon and those serving this way, we're in danger of not having true religion. Religion that James says is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, to visit orphans and widows in their affliction. This is so important. Without it, the gospel and Christianity rings hollow.

But let's finish this morning the way Paul finishes his comments on deacons. Verse 13, For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. And again, let's look at the alternative translation in the NIV. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. So I say, let's celebrate what we have.

I don't doubt the great confidence assurance part of the verse. Anyone who serves in the church, teaches or preaches, gains a great confidence in the faith. The Lord is faithful and He uses the deeds and words of the deacon to bolster their own belief in the gospel and to strengthen their personal assurance of salvation. Anyone who sees the power of the gospel at work today is going to be greatly encouraged. But what about this excellent standing in the NIV, or this good standing in the ESV?

What's going on there? Seems to me that this is a responsibility that rests in the hands of the church they serve. Brothers and sisters, this is something you and I can all be involved with today. Do we celebrate our servants? Do we give them an excellent standing among us?

Some churches I've been involved with require would-be elders to serve a couple of terms as deacons. Cut their teeth on ministry, the church says, and you'll be a kind of an apprentice elder and we'll see how you turn out in the role of deacon. And so, the role of deacon amounts to nothing more than that. They don't necessarily gain a good standing in the church and especially while they're apprenticed. The excellent standing that Paul refers to here needs to come from us, from you, and from me.

It means we give recognition and gratitude for the work of the deacon. So how do we value and honour those who serve selflessly and quietly give of themselves in the church? And clearly, this goes beyond the ranks of deacon, extends to all those who serve. Let me just mention a few ideas that you might want to consider, either informally on your own or officially through the church. One is very obvious.

Thank them privately, preferably in writing. Make it personal. Do you remember the last time you received a handwritten note? Not a text, not an email, no form letter, please, but just some words in cursive writing, some specific area of service that you've given or have been given over a period of time is acknowledged, and you know that someone out there is grateful for what you've done. Trust me, the person on the receiving end of such a note will treasure your sincere expression of admiration and gratitude.

Challenge my brothers on the church council. What about an agenda item at every meeting to identify those among us who serve well, who've given themselves above and beyond any expectations we might have had? And then, honour them publicly. Let's take note of who these unsung heroes are in the congregation. Sincerely and simply, as a church, we can express our admiration and appreciation for them.

No need to make a big show of it or become overly dramatic, but simply point out their selfless deeds in a casual conversation even up front here on the platform at church. If we generally want to give an excellent standing to the servants of the church, we have to kind of create a culture of service that gives priority to expressing appreciation for selfless devotion. In effect, we're only doing what Jesus said about service in the kingdom of God today. You remember these words? We read them at the beginning of the service.

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant. And whoever would be first among you must be your slave. And now, Paul simply echoes these words to Timothy and seeks to apply them to the church. The first instance, obviously, the text refers to Jesus Himself. But Jesus has been talking about the leaders of the Gentiles and the rulers and the lords over them.

And now, Jesus is saying, those men and women among you who are table waiters, you know, the ones who clean up the little messes after everyone's gone home. The servants among us are to be considered the greatest and the first among us. Paul says, Timothy, in the kingdom of God, the servant is the greatest of all. In the church, no title bears greater honour or more dignity than a servant. What a wonderful compliment to be called a deacon.

A faithful, caring, and diligent table server. One parting thought of all the official roles in the church, which one is the most Christ-like of all? If you answered the deacon, you've got it right. Therefore, let's give them an excellent standing among us. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for your church. We thank you that church is your idea and not our own. And when we read your instructions for the church in Ephesus, we take to heart what's being said there, what's being spoken of among the men and women who serve, and lead your church. Forgive us, Lord, when we've acted in disparaging ways, towards the leadership, resented of their care and their help for us. Help them to receive help us to receive them even as we receive you because we know they serve in your name and they come as your servants.

Lord, we thank you for our brother, Danny, who serves in the office of deacon. Continue to empower him with the gospel, nourish his own faith. And before you, God, we thank you for him and others who serve, many who go under the radar, who are just not seen. We honour them even as we honour you for being our servant, our great servant who served us to the end. And in His name, we pray. Amen.