1 TIMOTHY—NOTE ON 1 Timothy 3:11 As the esv footnote indicates, the Greek word for “wives” can mean either “women” or “wives.” The text could refer to: (1) the wives of deacons (their wives); (2) women who serve with men as deacons (the word “their” is not a distinct word in the original Greek); or (3) women who are distinct from the male deacons but who perform similar tasks (sometimes called “deaconesses”). Romans 16:1 refers to Phoebe as a “servant” or “deacon” or “deaconess” (see note on Rom. 16:1).

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