1 Timothy 3:13

For 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.

The distinction between the office of bishops and that of deacons, as here and elsewhere indicated, was mainly this, that the former were chiefly engaged in administering the means of grace, while the latter had charge of the business end of the congregation, especially of the care of the poor, although they did not neglect the service of the Word when opportunity offered. The duties of the deacons resemble somewhat those of the bishops: Deacons likewise (should be) grave, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy of gain. Since the office of the deacon brought the holders of it into frequent contact with individual families and persons, it was necessary that they, in their behavior, combined a proper gravity with dignity, thus inviting the respect of all that had occasion to observe their activity. The demand of the apostle that the deacons be not double-tongued, not insincere, can be understood all the more easily since their visits at the various houses exposed them to the temptation to speak of the same matter in different tones and manner, to tone down the truth to suit their own convenience, and to serve their purpose of being good friends with everybody. That such insincerity was hound sooner or later to cause trouble is evident. Another temptation connected with the work of a deacon was that of becoming addicted to much wine. With the many visits which they had to make and with the preparation of the love feasts connected with the celebration of the Holy Communion, they were in danger of becoming habitual drinkers, if not drunkards, of falling under the influence of a vice which was bound to be a curse to their office. Incidentally, they must not be greedy of gain or of filthy lucre, Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:2. Since they were entrusted with the distribution of gifts of money and food to the poor, the possibility was either that they might falsify accounts and embezzle funds, or that they might accept fees for promptness in the case of certain persons.

With these dangers threatening the spiritual life of the deacons, it is not surprising that the apostle adds: Having the mystery of faith in a pure conscience. The mystery of faith, the glorious truth of salvation, whose center is Christ Jesus, the message of redemption, which is hidden from all men by nature, but has now been manifested through the Gospel, that the deacons must cling to in simple faith. Through faith the believer becomes acquainted with the precious mystery of the divine doctrine of salvation and accepts its saving blessings. In the case of the deacons, moreover, they should keep this precious treasure in a good, pure conscience, as in a safe container. The condition of their conscience did not dare to contradict the holy truth which they possessed; their whole conduct before the eyes of the congregation should serve for the edification of the Christians.

In order to avoid trouble with these officers of the congregation, St. Paul suggests a wise precautionary measure: And these, moreover, should first be proved, then let them enter upon the office of deacons, being above reproach. The apostle here makes use of a term taken from civil life. Before the newly elected officials in Athens were permitted to enter upon their duties, they were first examined whether they possessed the requisite attributes for the office. In a similar manner, the apostle wants the deacons to be examined with reference to their fitness, whether they actually possessed the necessary qualifications for the work, whether their manner of living showed them to be morally blameless. It was not necessary to have a formal examination in the presence of the congregation or with witnesses, but after the candidacy of certain men and women had been announced, everybody had an opportunity to secure the information enabling him to form a correct judgment as to the fitness of the candidate for the office to which he aspired. A similar procedure is followed in most of the congregations in our Church today and should be observed more generally. Not any persons whatever should be elected to the offices of the congregation, but only such as have the qualifications here enumerated. If no well-founded criticism and objection can be made, then the candidates that are elected may enter upon their work as deacons without hesitancy.

The apostle has a special charge to the women deacons or deaconesses: Women likewise (to be) grave, not slanderers, sober minded, faithful in all things. This verse does not concern the wives of the deacons, but is directed to the deaconesses; for women were employed in this capacity from the earliest times. See Romans 16:1. These women were to exhibit the proper gravity and dignity in their deportment, which would at all times cause men to respect them and their office. With all the kindness and devotion which they were to show in their ministry they must not permit familiarity to grow into lack of respect for the dignity of their office. And since the weakest member and the greatest enemy of most women is their tongue, the apostle warns them against becoming slanderers, against indulging in sins of defamation, of evil report. The deaconesses undoubtedly often gained an insight into the sinfulness of human nature which is not vouchsafed to many; all the more it was incumbent upon them not to abuse the trust placed in them by revealing matters that should have remained secret. They should furthermore be sober-minded, not merely observing a sensible moderation in all sensual enjoyments, but making use of quiet, firm common sense at all times. It is just in such situations in which the nerves of the average woman give way that the Christian deaconess should maintain the sane composure which finds the right thing to do. All other qualifications of Christian deaconesses the apostle includes in the demand that they be faithful in all things. The many apparent trifles which fell to the lot of the deaconesses showed their real value. It is in the many little services, the cooling hand, the gentle word, the cheerful smile, that the real greatness of service appears; in these true faithfulness becomes evident. Fortunately, the time does not seem to be far distant when we shall have deaconesses in most of our congregations. If such consecrated women, actuated by the love of Christ, devote their lives to the service of their fellow-men, their value to the Church will be beyond calculation.

Having spoken of the duties of deacons and deaconesses in general, the apostle now adds a word with regard to the married deacons: Let the deacons (each one for himself) be the husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households properly. Like the bishops, the deacons were to observe the demands of the Sixth Commandment strictly, each one living together with his own wife in all chastity and decency, not becoming guilty of unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship. If the Lord then blesses their marriage with children, the manner of bringing up the latter will prove a kind of test for the ability of the deacon in the management of the affairs of the congregation that are entrusted to him. If he takes care of his little house congregation properly, if he manages the affairs of his household well, then, all things being equal, it map he concluded that he will also have the ability to manage the larger affairs of the congregation.

At the same time Paul holds out the possibility of advancement as an inducement to show all faithfulness: For those that have served well as deacons gain a good position for themselves and much confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Although the deacons belonged to the presbytery, the functions of the public teacher in the congregation were not included in their work. And yet, the work of the Christian pastor was considered as possessing greater dignity and worth than that of a deacon, chap. 5:17; Acts 6:3. For a deacon to be considered able to teach and to be given charge of the preaching in any place was therefore adjudged a promotion. A faithful deacon, then, ambitious in the sense of chap. 3:1, would spend as much time as possible in gaining the ability to teach and long to be given the opportunity of proving his aptness in this respect. In this way individual deacons might be found worthy of the higher office, a fact which would serve to give them confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus. The connection of thought is this: A deacon's faith grew in the same measure as his faithfulness in the performance of his work; he became more fully acquainted with the doctrine of the Gospel, with the connection of the various parts. All this, of course, strongly influenced the boldness of his teaching and preaching, as we see in the case of Stephen. As long as a person has such an attitude toward his work that he does only that which is his immediate obligation, this result will never be achieved. But if eagerness to study and to serve go hand in hand, on the basis of redeeming faith in Christ the Savior, then the result is bound to show in the convincing presentation of the Christian truths on the part of the preacher. See Philippians 1:14.