1 Timothy 3:9

ἔχοντας. Holding, as contrasted with teaching, which did not come within the province of the διάκονος.

τὸ μυστήριον τῆς πίστεως. The genitive might be either (a) appositional, descriptive of the substance of the μυστήριον, the Mystery of the Faith, or (b) subjective, ‘the mystery on which faith rests and which it has embraced.’ Either would give good sense, but the analogy of τὸ μυστήριον τῆς εὐσεβείας in 1 Timothy 3:16 and of τὸ μυστήριον τῆς� in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 suggest that the subjective sense is preferable here. The other meaning would be, however, quite admissible and is favoured by the presence of the definite article. See note on 1 Timothy 1:19.

μυστήριον is a secret, concealed from the mass of mankind, but revealed to the initiated; and the Christian μυστήριον is thus (Matthew 13:11; Ephesians 1:9; Romans 16:25) the secret of salvation in Christ revealed to the faithful through the Divine Spirit. Cp. 1 Timothy 3:16.

ἐν καθαρᾷ συνειδήσει. Cp. 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 1:19 and the notes thereon, and note the close connexion all through this Epistle between a good conscience and a sound faith; it is hard to divorce creed from life.

It will be observed that the qualification given in this verse is one which is required of all Christians, and not only of διάκονοι. As in the case of ἐπίσκοποι (see note on 1 Timothy 3:2), the writer is not giving a complete list of the specific duties and qualities of the deacons, but suggesting certain conditions to which it was indispensable that candidates for the diaconate should conform. And it is instructive that this spiritual qualification of faith and a good conscience is explicitly mentioned in the case of the lower rather than the higher order of the ministry of service.