Sep 18
9
New Testament Reading
“Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:1–7, ESV)
Introduction
Brothers and sisters, I will begin by asking this question: where is Christ at work in the world today?
Everywhere
In the lives of individuals
In our families
But particularly in his church
His church is called:
The body of Christ.
The temple of the Holy Spirit.
How important it is, therefore, that the church be found faithful:
Faithful in our doctrine.
Faithful in our government.
Faithful in our discipline.
Faithful in our love for God and for one another.
Remember the opening vision of the book of Revelation.
Remember the words that Christ spoke to the seven churches.
He spoke to those churches and he expressed his concern for them.
The New Testament is a church book from beginning to end…
Who belongs to the church?
The church is made up of those who credibly profess faith in Christ, who have been baptized upon profession of faith. These are to gather each Lord’s Day to worship God, to give attention to his word, to pray, to break the bread, to fellowship with one another.
Considered in this way there is no distinction within Christ’s church. To quote Paul, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, ESV).
But considered from another vantage point, there is some distinction within Christ’s church.
First of all, we have gifts that differ from one another, don’t we? These gifts, whatever they may be, are to be exercised for the common good.
Secondly, some within Christ church are called to serve as officers, so that the church consists of officers and members.
Chapters 26 of our Confession, Paragraph 2 provides a rather general definition of the local church when it says, “All persons throughout the world, professing the faith of the gospel, and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it, not destroying their own profession by any errors everting the foundation, or unholiness of conversation, are and may be called visible saints; and of such ought all particular congregations to be constituted.” ( 1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 11:26; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:20-22 )
In paragraph 8 we read, “A particular church, gathered and completely organized according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members; and the officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the church (so called and gathered), for the peculiar administration of ordinances, and execution of power or duty, which he intrusts them with, or calls them to, to be continued to the end of the world, are bishops or elders, and deacons.” ( Acts 20:17, 28; Philippians 1:1 )
And so the local church, when she is “completely organized according to the mind of Christ, consists of officers and members”. And what are the two offices of the church? Elders (which may also be called pastors, overseers or bishops) and deacons.
How do we know that there are to be these offices in Christ’s church?
Elders, overseers, shepherds, or bishops are mentioned very often in the New Testament.
For example, in Acts 20:17 we read, “Now from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” And when they gathered he said to them, among other things, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28, ESV).
In 1 Peter 3:1 we read, “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1–3, ESV).
In 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 we find qualifications for the office of elder.
1 Timothy 3:1 says, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:1–7, ESV).
Brothers and sisters, how important it is for the office of elder to be held by men who meet these qualifications. Notice, the standard is not perfection. But notice also that there are standards. These qualifications must be met in order for a man to be called to this office. And these qualifications must be maintained in order for a man to remain in this office.
Because this is not a sermon on the office of elder, I will say no more. Instead, this sermon is focused upon the office of deacon.
The word “deacon” means servant. In the greek the word διάκονος is used many times in a generic way to refer to a person who is a just that – a servant. Rulers are called servants, angels are called servants, Christ is our servant, and all Christians are to be servants. Christ said, “It shall not be so among you.But whoever would be great among you must be your servant…” (διάκονος) (Matthew 20:26, ESV). So, there is a sense in which all Christians, young and old, male and female, are called to be deacons. All Christians are to love and serve one another.
But the word “deacon” is also used in a more specific way to refer to an office within the church. There is the office of pastor, elder, overseer or bishop, and then there is the office of deacon. Obviously this office has something to do with “service” and with the meeting of practical needs within Christ’s church, given the basic meaning of the word. But when taken in this more specific way, not all are called or qualified to hold the office of deacon.
How do we know that there is the office of deacon, and not just servants in general? Well, in 1 Timothy 3 immediately following the list of qualifications for the office of elder we find a list of qualifications for the office of deacon. There are no qualification to meet in order for you to serve others, but there are qualification that must be met if you are to hold the office of deacon.
1 Timothy 3:8: “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:8–13, ESV).
Clearly, the word deacon is being used here not to refer to “servants” in general, but to an office. Do you wish to serve? Then serve! There are no qualifications to meet to serve! But there are qualifications to meet in order to hold an office in Christ’s church.
Deacons are to be “dignified” (σεμνός, ή, όν: pertaining to appropriate, befitting behavior and implying dignity and respect—‘honorable, worthy of respect, of good character. (LouwNida, 747.))
Deacons must not be “double tongued” (two faced; hypocritical).
They must not be “addicted to much wine” (not a drunkard).
The must not be “greedy for dishonest gain”. This is especially important given that deacons have the responsibility of handling and distributes funds.
Deacons “must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience”. Calvin explains this as meaning, that a deacon must hold “the pure doctrine of religion, and that from the heart, with a sincere fear of God.” So no, it is not only required of elders that their doctrine be pure, but of deacons also!
Deacons are to be tested first. They are to prove themselves blameless.
Notice that “their wives also must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.” Isn’t this interesting? Not only must the deacon be “dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things”, but so too, his wife is to possess these qualities. Brothers and sisters, Christian ministry is a family affair. Though the wives of pastors are not pastors, they play a very significant role in the ministry of the pastor given that they are in one flesh union with the man. And so it is with deacons! Though the wives of deacons are not deacons, they play a very significant role in the ministry of the deacon given that they are in one flesh union with the man. Friends, the significant role that the wives of elders and deacons play within the church can hardly be overstated. How important it is that they be “dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.”
Deacons are to be the husband of one wife. It should plane to all by now that deacons are to be male, and that these men are to be faithful to their wives. They are to be a one woman man. It is the opinion of the eldership of Emmaus that a man may still be qualified to serve as a deacon even if he has been divorced, or has divorced and remarried. However, grate care should be taken here to know what led to the divorce, and to know the character of the man presently.
Notice that deacons “are to manage their children and their own households well.” Holding an office within the church and being the head of a household share many things in common. If a man cannot manage his children and his household – if he cannot lead his family effectively and tenderly, in a Christlike manner – then he has no business leading as an office bearer within Christ’s church. Leading within the church, though it shares similarities with leading within the home, is a far more complex task. A man must prove himself competent in the realm of the home before he be given the responsibility of office bearer in the realm of the church.
And lastly, notice in verse 13 that “those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”
It should be clear to all that there are two office within the church – not more, not less – they are the office of elder and deacon.
The office of deacon is not a stepping stone to the office of elder – it is simply a different office.
The importance of the office of deacon should not be minimized, friends. Did you notice that the moral qualifications for elders and deacons are basically the same. In fact, did you notice the word “likewise” at the beginning of verse 8? “Deacons likewise must be dignified…” In other words, because the office of elder and deacon are of great importance the men who hold these offices must be godly and mature men.
The qualifications for the two offices differ where it pertains to the uniqueness of the offices. Notice that elders are to be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2, ESV), whereas no such requirement exists for deacons.
Deacons are to serve (and facilitate) service within Christ’s church (as the name implies), whereas elders (or overseers) are to take up the task of prayer, preaching and teaching, shepherding, and the general oversight of the church.
The roles of elder and deacon may be discerned by drawing together all that New Testament has to say concerning these offices, but nowhere is the office of deacon exhibited more clearly than in the passage that was read at the start of this sermon: Acts 6:1-8.
Most commentators will agree that what we have in Acts 6 is a description of the appointment of the first deacons of the church. They are not called “deacons” in this passage, but it is clear that the men were appointed to deacon work. These men were called to διακονέω (serve) tables so that the apostles might devote themselves more thoroughly to the ministry of the word and prayer.
Let us say something about the situation that gave rise to the deaconship.
In Acts 6:1 we read, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”
It should be pointed out that never has church been free from trouble and without controversy. Sometimes Christians will speak with fondness concerning the days of the “early” or “apostolic” church, saying, “we need to get back to how things were in the book of Acts or in the New Testament.” Have you read the book of Acts? Have you read the New Testament? It is not hard to see that the church has always had to deal with trouble and with controversy. Do not be discourage, brothers and sisters, when we face troubles and controversies of our own. But do pray that we do right in the mist of them, to the glory of God and for the good of his church.
In Acts 6 we learn that in the earliest days of the church favoritism was being shown to those who were Jewish and Christian over those who were non-Jewish and Christians, or at least that was the accusation. We should remember that many of the first Christians were of Jewish decent. Jesus was a Jew. His disciples were Jews. The gospel would soon go the to Gentiles, but not without difficulty. Here the Gentile Christian came to the Apostles and complained, saying, our widows are being neglected while the Jewish widows are being being cared for.
It should not be overlooked that the church does have a responsibility to care for the needy in their midst.
In 1 Timothy 5:16 we read, “If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows” (1 Timothy 5:16, ESV).
In Galatians 6:10 we read, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10, ESV).
Deacons Are To Care For Physical Needs
What did the Apostles do when this complaint about favoritism arose? They called for the appointment of deacons – they called for the appointment of men who would oversee the benevolence ministry of the church.
Here is the first of three aspects of the deacon’s ministry: Deacons are to care for physical needs (I should say that these three observations were made by Mark Dever in his book entitled, “The Church” and I am indebted to him).
In Acts 6:2 we read, “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers [and sisters], pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:2–3, ESV)
Notice a few things about this call for the appointment of deacons:
One, the Apostles did not appoint them, but called the church to pick them out. “The twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said… pick out from among you seven men of good repute…”
Two, notice that qualifications were provided by the Apostles. Granted, it is not the full list of qualifications as we find them in 1 Timothy 3, but they are here in summary form. The men had to be “men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.”
Three, notice that Apostles called for a certain number of men, presumably to correspond to the need at hand. It may be that there is some symbolism to the number seven, just as there is symbolism to the number twelve. But is seems more likely that the Apostles determined that seven men could get the job done.
Four, notice that it would be the Apostles who would ultimately appoint the men. “Pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” In verses 5-6 we see this play out: “And what they [the Apostles] said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:5–6, ESV). The church selected seven men according to the qualifications given to them by the Apostles. They set these men before the Apostles, and then the Apostles “laid their hands on them, which means that they prayed over them and commissioned them to fulfill their ministry.
Why do I make these observations? Well, is this not our practice? The elders of the church have called for the nomination of deacons (2 or 3 will do). The church is to select these men according to the qualifications established by the Apostles of Christ as recorded in scriptures. An these men are to be presented back to the elders of for commissioning.
What will these men do? They will, among other things, care for physical needs. In the case of Acts chapters six the seven men were to oversee the churched benevolence ministry to widows to insure that no favoritism be shown to one group over another, but that cases be handled justly and according to wisdom.
Deacons Are To Strive For The Unity Of The Church
The second aspect of the deacon’s ministry is to strive for the unity of the church.
This observation might be less apparent than the first, but can you see it? The church was being threatened with division, not over doctrine, but over the proper care of its members. Christ cares for his people physically and spiritually, and how important it is for the church to reflect the love that God has for his people in her practice. The church should never neglect the spiritual needs of the saints, nor should physical needs be neglected. The neglect of either can lead to division, and the deacons in particular are to ensure that churches physical needs are met, thus promoting the unity of the body of Christ.
Deacons Are To Support The Ministry Of The Elders
The third aspect of the deacon’s ministry is to support the ministry of the elders.
The office of Apostle and the office of elder are not the same, but they do correspond to one another. Apostles were eyewitness of Christ in his resurrection. Apostles were appointed as such by Christ himself. There are no Apostles today. Today there are elders. The office of elders and Apostle differ in that elders do not speak or write with same authority that the Apostles had. The Apostles wrote and spoke the inspired word of God just as the Old Testament Prophets did. Pastors and elders do not speak with this kind of authority. Pastors speak the word of God only so long as they are faith to the word Christ, his Apostles and Prophets. But the office of elder and Apostle are similar in that both are called to prayer, to the ministry of the word, and to the oversight of he church of God.
in Acts 6 we learn that that Apostles viewed the task of caring for the physical needs of widows as being extremely important. The Apostles were ultimately responsible to be sure that it get done. But notice that they did not see it as their primary task.
Verse 2: “And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, ‘It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word’” (Acts 6:2–4, ESV).
No, it was not that the work of serving tables was beneath the Apostles, as if they were to good for it. This was not the way the Lord had taught them. Jesus said to them, “You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:13–15, ESV). The work of serving tables, and overseeing the serving of tables was not beneath the Apostles. But they understood that overseeing this ministry would require them to neglect the primary thing to which they had been called, namely the ministry of the word and of prayer.
And so we have deacons. Deacons are to support the ministry of the elders in their work.
Application
Have you humbled yourself to allow Christ to serve you?
Are you humble enough to allow others within Christs church to serve you? Are you willing to admit your need and to receive support, encouragement, even godly exhortation from others?
Are you a servant? In the home, in the public arena, in the church? Oh, how we enjoy the good things of this life if we would only take the position of a servant!
Would you be willing to think and pray about who to nominate to the office of deacon at Emmaus?
If you are desirous of the office of deacon, would you also be content to serve within the church without holding the office? May it be true of all of us that we would be content to use the gifts that God has given to us discreetly, for the good of others and to the glory of God!
