335 – Officers in the Church – Deacons

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: ECCLESIOLOGY LESSON # 35

OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH (DEACONS)

INTRODUCTION:

1. No area of church practice is more polluted by unbiblical tradition, than the “use of the office of a deacon.”
2. The broad variation of practice in differing churches makes the above statement undeniable.
3. The only possible question is: Which practices are biblical and which are unbiblical tradition?

I. SOME OF THE PRACTICES OF THE OFFICE

1. A group of men who sit for a lifetime as the ruling class of the church.
2. This group often determines all salaries, hiring, budgets, buildings, etc., etc.
3. Many churches are in effect divided into “deacons and their families,” and the rest of the church.
4. This group often even censors the preaching of the pastor, sitting not as students, but as judges.
5. This group “ruling class” now in many cases includes women “deaconesses.”
6. Many churches ordain them for life by a presbytery, just like a minister or elder.

II. THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF THE WORD

To settle the fog, caused by sliding tradition, we should always seek the biblical meaning of words.

i. It comes twice from the Greek word diakoneo, (I Tim. 3:10

and 13

) where it is translated “use the office of a deacon.”
ii. The word diakonos is translated deacons 3 times, (Phil. 1:1

, I Tim. 3:8

, and I Tim. 3:12

).
iii. The word diakoneo (use the office of a deacon) is also translated 15 times – minister unto, 10 times – serve, 7 times – minister, 1 time – administer and 1 time – minister to.
iv. The word diakonos (deacons) is translated 20 times – minister or ministers and 7 times – servant or servants.

2. No place in Scripture are we clearly told what the assignment or authority of a “deacon” is.
3. We are, however, not left without revelation, we can know these things from Scripture.

i. By the responsibilities and authorities implied by the meaning of the words.
ii. By the responsibilities and authorities given to, or implied in the other words which are cross-translated.
III: The use of the word diakoneo in Acts 6:2

III. BIBLICAL TRUTH DRAWN FROM THESE MEANINGS

1. The office is that of a servant or a minister.
2. It is not an office within itself, but a title for a category of serving offices.
3. It is not a reigning office anywhere in Scripture.
4. Each “deacon’s” authority extends to and is limited to that of the particular office to which he is appointed. (Acts 6:3

)

I. THE DEACONESS ISSUE

1. This is absolute error injected by Satan through a mixing of truth with error.
2. The truth is that the above words and activities did speak of women as well as men. (Mat. 8:15

, Rom. 16:1

)
3. The error is that any of these were ruling or reigning offices in or over the church.
4. Wherever this word applies to women it applies to offices of service befitting female conduct in the church.
5. Wherever these offices involve offices of delegated church authority as in Acts 6

, they always were filled exclusively by men.
6. The whole problem has arisen over the misuse of the office and misapplication of the title.

Berean Baptist Church