The deacons' work is subordinate to that of the elders. Nevertheless, a deacon holds an extremely important office in the Lord's church. The New Testament sets forth qualifications necessary for appointment to this work. Sadly, brethren typically have not given nearly as serious attention to deacons' qualifications as to those for pastors, or overseers.
In fact, the appointment of deacons often seems to come as an afterthought, a necessary but quick footnote to the process of appointing elders. When brethren view appointing deacons in this light, they minimize the importance of an office ordained by God.
It also is not unusual to find a deaconship that is more honorary than effective.
The Lord's church still has progress to make in actually functioning according to the pattern set forth in the Scriptures. Too many congregations, in effect, still follow a denominational model where the preacher does the elders' work, the elders do the deacons' work, and the deacons don't do much of anything. It goes without saying that this is wrong.
Once the church members understand the importance of the deacons' work, we should undertake their appointment with the same care and adherence to divine qualifications as we apply to the eldership.
What Are Deacons?
The Greek word diakonos is generally translated minister, or servant. This knowledge is helpful but also a bit confusing to those who try to understand the office, or work, of deacons. The apostle Paul used this Greek word in speaking of himself (1 Corinthians 3:5; Ephesians 3:7). The same apostle also referred to Jesus using this general term (Romans 15:8). Regular household servants in the first century were called such (Matthew 22:13). Phoebe was a Christian woman who was called a servant, or deaconess, of the church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1). And all Christians are Christ's servants.
In our study of the elders' qualifications and work, we observed that these men are themselves special ministers or servants of the local church.
So, taken generically the descriptive word or title doesn't really tell us very much.
Obviously, as we begin to examine the qualifications for deacons in the church, not every Christian is in view.
The deacons' qualifications necessarily narrow both the function and who may carry out this work.
If this seems confusing, let's observe a parallel use of a non-biblical title. Everyone who listens to someone else is an auditor. But in the state of Ohio, where I live, every county has an elected county auditor whose function is to record and account for public financial records. So, we see that many words have a general, or generic, meaning and also a specific one that applies to a special function or office.
While all Christians, male and female, new converts and mature, are servants generally, deacons have specific work distinguishable from that of other members.
What Is a Deacon Supposed to Do?
Scripture doesn't directly state a great deal about the specific work of deacons. In fact, if we limit ourselves to passages that use the term deacon or deacons, we find no direct help in defining their work (1 Timothy 3:8,10,12; Philippians 1:1).
While the seven men appointed in the early church (Acts 6:1-6) were not specifically called deacons, this passage really seems to be the only one that paints a picture of what special servants in the church would do.
Obviously, they do not do the ruling, guiding, overseeing, and spiritual shepherding that is the work of the elders.
The seven men chosen by the Jerusalem church handled very necessary physical work (caring for the needy widows) so that the apostles could give their full attention to preaching God's word.
The Bible doesn't say whether elders then existed in the Jerusalem church. The deacons' work aided or served that congregation and simultaneously freed the apostles from having to divert themselves from their main work in the word.
It has been generally concluded that deacons today handle the same type of work so that elders can remain focused on their primary functions.
Two of those men appointed in Jerusalem--Philip and Stephen--were also preachers. So, it is obvious that their work as special servants or deacons did not preclude their also doing other work in the kingdom.
And it probably is an over-simplification to describe elders' work as the spiritual work of the church and that of the deacons as the physical work. As we'll observe in looking at the deacons' qualifications, churches should seek out men who are spiritually strong and mature for this office. The New Testament describes Stephen as "a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5).
Common duties of deacons today include care of the treasury, maintenance of worship facilities, preparations for various church functions, assisting widows and other needy church members, and other similar things.
Who May Serve As Deacons?
Only one passage of Scripture--1 Timothy 3:8-13-sets forth the qualifications, or requirements, for deacons. One who reads the qualifications for elders in the preceding verses, and in Titus 1, quickly observes that deacons must meet many of the same criteria as elders.
Like elders, they must be men. Paul told Timothy that a deacon must be "the husband of one wife." Women, obviously, can't be husbands. This precludes the idea of Phoebe being a deaconess in the sense of holding an office in the church.
Deacons can't be polygamists, adulterers, or men otherwise bound to more than one wife. Of course this applies to all male Christians, but particularly it demonstrates the type of man needed for this job.
A deacon must be married. Additionally, he is to rule his children and house well. He needs some experience in managing matters related to people and a household before he is qualified to handle such things for the local church.
These men must be grave, or reverent; that is, they must be serious or quiet in behavior, not giddy, foolish, or unconcerned. They will be doing serious work. If they do not properly accomplish their work, needy saints will suffer, and preparations for worship and other work of the church will be left undone. The right kind of man is needed.
A double-tongued man is unsuitable. In other words, he needs to be honest. A man who speaks one thing to one person or group and another to other persons or groups is unacceptable. Again, remember that the deacon's qualifications connect to the work he will be doing. Neither God nor a congregation wants a dishonest fellow handling the church's treasury or dealing with needs in less than a fair and equitable manner.
He is not to "be given to much wine." A deacon, like all Christians, shouldn't allow himself to lose sobriety or self-control through the use of alcoholic beverages. If you've been around many drunkards, you quickly realize that it is nearly impossible for a man to be grave or reverent when he is in such condition.
Of elders, Paul said that they must not "be given to wine" (1 Timothy 3:3). He did not include the adjective much. A few people have tried to suggest that elders can't drink at all, but deacons can drink moderately. This is a somewhat humorous stretch that ignores the underlying principle in view. Christians are not to let themselves come under the control of anything that would keep them from being sound of mind and capable of distinguishing between good and evil, or truth and error.
Deacons aren't to be men who are greedy for money.
They can't be prone to using illegal or immoral methods to obtain money, and they can't be men who are overly focused on materialism, as opposed to spiritual things. For a case study on why this qualification exists, look at Judas. He was the disciple responsible for carrying the moneybox, and he was a thief (John 12:6).
Deacons are special church servants who must "hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." So, a local congregation needs to look for a man whose faith is stable and who knows God's will. Even though the deacon's work doesn't involve spiritual oversight, he must do it while conforming to God's will.
He must be a proven man. This is not speaking of on-the-job training; rather, the local church should be able to assess evidence of his capabilities before he begins his work as a deacon. He must be pre-qualified. Brethren should be able to observe his behavior with respect to his family, the community, his occupation, and other associations to see if he meets God's standards.
Deacons must be blameless. This is the same qualification as that given for elders, widows who receive church assistance (1 Timothy 5:7), and all mature Christians (2 Peter 3:14). The word blameless doesn't imply that a person has never sinned, for no one would meet that standard. Rather, it speaks of a person who can't be successfully charged with sin. In other words, he has repented and been forgiven of past sins; therefore, no one can charge him with sin.
Final Thoughts
While many deacons eventually become elders, when maturity and desire qualify them, this office should never be viewed merely as a training ground for becoming a bishop. The deaconship is, in its own right, an important work. Men who dedicate themselves to doing it well "obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 3:13).
Novices are not qualified to be deacons, but men not yet old enough to be elders, or men whose children are not mature enough to permit assessment of their success in raising faithful children, can qualify to do this important work in God's kingdom and the local church.
In the absence of elders, when a congregation is not fully and scripturally organized, many people often undertake portions of the work for which deacons normally are responsible. This doesn't make those people deacons, and it doesn't suggest that the church doesn't need deacons or that they aren't important.
Just as in congregations that try to do the best they can without elders, using business meetings and deference to older members' judgment, congregations do the best they can without deacons.
But we must always remember that God's plan is for every church to have elders and deacons. That is His goal, and it should be ours.