On Sunday, we installed new deacons onto our leadership team. I am so proud of these guys… They have been through a fairly extensive process of examination leading up to this moment.
Have you ever wondered why different churches follow different leadership models? The Catholics have their strict hierarchy, Various Protestant churches have a mix of different leadership structures. If you grew up in church, what type of leadership structure did you experience?
Scripture is clear that “Christ is the head of the church.” (Ephesians 5:23) We regard Him as the lead pastor.
The Apostle Paul discipled church leaders such as Timothy and Titus, and had them “appoint elders” at churches that they planted in each city. (Titus 1:5) He was also very specific about appointing deacons to assist elders in leading their individual churches.
What is the difference between “elders” and “deacons?” Let’s take a look.
Elders
The Greek word for elder is episkopos. In the 1st century, this was a very common (non-church) term that meant overseer. It referred to any superintendent, supervisor, guardian, controller, inspector, ruler, or… manager.
The responsibilities of the episkopos are defined pretty well in the New Testament.
So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.
Acts 20:28 (NLT)
Appoint elders in every city… [They must be] faithful to the word which is in accordance with teaching, that he may be able to exert in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.
1 Timothy 3:2 (NLT)
Therefore I exhort the elders among you… Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight.
1 Peter 5:1-2 (NLT)
Biblically, the overseers, or elders of the church are there to protect, teach, and lead their congregation.
Deacons
In Greek, diakonoi are servants. It is the diakonoi that are told to go to draw water, which Jesus miraculously turned into wine.
The early church quickly realized the need for this important group of people. They had something of a crisis on their hands when all the practical needs of the church could not be met by the small group of elders.
But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them. So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
Acts 6:1-7 (NLT)
So, Biblically, the deacons are to provide for the practical and material needs of the church.
Overlap
At The Orchard, we do NOT see these people simply as chair-movers and janitors. We see this role as a very important, spiritual leadership role. For us, deacons are life group leaders, acting as sort of a liaison between the elders, and everyone else within the church. This gives our leaders the ability to obey God with a real ear to the people they are leading.
Not just anyone can
The qualifications for this type of leadership are pretty explicit.
This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.” So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.
In the same way,
deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well. Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:1-13 (NLT)
Did you notice that conjunction? “In the same way” means that the qualifications of elders and deacons are pretty much equal. That means that we are to choose only the godliest men of high character… Men who are “above reproach.”
What does it mean to be a person of “integrity?”
Did you know that the word for slander above (“must not slander others”) is actually the Greek word diabolos? What image does that word conjure up?
If you said “devil,” you are absolutely right… That word is translated “devil” 35 times in the NT. It is also translated “false accuser.” Some interpreters have said that this word in this context means that “They must not stand with the accuser.” How does that imagery change your perspective on talking about people behind their backs?
How do you interpret “not be a heavy drinker?” The wording in this part, me paroinon, literally means “not a drunkard.”
All in all, these stringent qualifications seem to indicate that the church is to wisely choose people who are clearly demonstrating the fruit of transformation in their lives.
What do you see when you look into your life? Do you see the fruit budding in your life? We will be looking to install more deacons next year. Could you be on that list?