In Acts 6,
we read of a dispute between the Hellenistic and Hebrew widows. It was there
that the ministry of deacons probably saw its beginning. Seven men of good
reputation, full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit, were selected and appointed as
deacons. They were appointed to help handle the distribution of food to the
widows. The word “deacon” literally means a “humble servant”. And due to the
public profile of deacons, their characters and qualifications must also be carefully
considered. So in six verses Paul tells us what sort of people can make the
grade of a deacon!
Paul first
dealt with the prerequisites of the male deacons. In these verses, he gave
eight of them. Firstly, deacons must be dignified, that is, they must have a
serious view of life. Their seriousness of purpose in life would command the
respect of those whom they serve. Secondly, they must not be double-tongued,
meaning they must not be hypocritical. Deacons must be sincere people and men
of their words. Thirdly, they must not be addicted to much wine. Since wine
would cause a person to lose self-control, one who is called to the deaconate
must not be a drunkard who could be out of control. Fourthly, they must not be
fond of sordid gain. This simply means that they must not pursue dishonest
financial gain. Fifthly, they must be spiritually mature and holding to the
mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Deacons must seek to be
practicing Christians, holding to the truth of the Gospel with a clear
conscience. Sixthly, they must be proven people and found to be beyond
reproach. Seventhly, deacons must be a one-woman man. By this, Paul was
referring to men of moral purity. Eighthly, deacons must be good managers of
his children and household.
In verse 11,
Paul gave the qualifications of the deaconesses. This word deacon – translated “women” – has been differently understood. Some
see Paul as dealing with qualifications for the wives of the deacons. Others
see this verse as referring to qualifications of the deaconesses. Generally it
is agreed that this verse is referring to qualifications of women called into
the deaconate. Since Paul did not deal with qualifications for the wives of
elders, why would he deal with qualifications for the wives of the deacons?
We see four
qualifications required of women appointed to the deaconate. Like what was required
of the deacons, deaconesses must also be dignified and worthy of respect.
Furthermore, they must not be malicious gossips. Meaning to say, they should
not be prone to slandering. They should have a controlled tongue instead. In
addition, they must be temperate, that is, they must be sober, sensibly
clear-headed and able to make sound judgments. Finally, deaconesses must be
faithful in all things. They must be trustworthy and stay true to the task
expected of them.
Verse 13
tells us that two things would happen when a deacon or a deaconess does the
right thing. Firstly, his or her ministry would be well-received and
appreciated. He or she would gain a reputation for himself or herself.
Secondly, the person would be emboldened in faith and would find great
confidence in knowing that the Lord is working with him or her to help those
who are being served.
Conscious of it or not, we need to know that as leaders and servers of
the church are, so shall the church be. Therefore we must pray and seek for godly,
well qualified leaders and servers. Life’s trajectories is critical in our
spiritual journey. A bit way off may be unnoticeable and insignificant at first,
but it will become obvious with time. Remember the Lord had said, “A little
leaven leavens up the whole lump.” For heaven’s sake, we must go for leadership
and service excellence uncompromisingly. Period!
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