8Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.
Helpers or servants to the elders are the deacons. This, too, is an “office” of the church, populated by men of character and spiritual maturity. Scripture gives little instruction about what these men do, but they are clearly a distinct group, as we see here and also in Paul’s address to the Philippian church (Phil. 1:1). Deacon work is not a “lesser” role in the church in that the word itself, “diaconos” (here translated “deacon”), is used by Jesus to describe who among His followers would be the greatest: “[W]ho ever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant. . . .” (Matt. 20:26, see also Matt. 23:11). In fact, Jesus, using the verb form of the word, said of Himself, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . .” (Matt. 20:28).
While not lesser in value or honor, the role of deacon is nonetheless a supporting role. In this context and in conjunction with the teaching about elders, we would surmise their work would be to support that of the elders. If we see Acts 6:1–6 as a prototype of the division of labor in the church, the elders would take their place in the ministry of the Word and prayer, while the deacons would take care of the tangible working out the fellowship needs. In the case of the early church in Acts 6, the apostles delegated the responsibility to meet the needs of the church body to able, spiritually minded men. So by analogy, the deacons’ role is to take responsibility for anything that might hinder the elders from focusing on the ministry of the Word and prayer.
If that is the correct understanding, then we can see why qualifications are to be clear. It is not difficult to see overlapping character traits with those of elders: men of dignity, consistent in their communication, not addicted to anything, let alone money. But they must also have a good handle on “the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.” In other words, they not only understand the Word of God but actually believe God with sincere faith. They are not just going through the motions.
The phrase “the faith” became the typical way in the early church to refer to the set of beliefs that followers of Christ hold. The servants in the church are not to be unexamined volunteers. The work must be done by those who are godly and of high character. Paul says they should “first be tested,” that is examined. Only then should they be allowed to serve.
Lord, I do not want to live an unexamined life. Search me for any inauthenticity.
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