The Diaconate, Part 1

The Normal Framework of Oversight and the Role of Deacons

0:03 As we continue our consideration of the task of biblical oversight, let me remind you that we are presently concerned with the matters pertaining to what I have called the normal or the assumed framework for the accomplishment of the task of oversight. We've already discovered that the normal framework is one characterized by a plurality of scripturally qualified overseers functioning with genuine ecclesiastical parity and with realistic, harmonious, functional diversity. Now, as we move on today to examine, we do move on today to examine the assertion that the normal framework is one in which the... ...the elders delegate the administration of certain facets of their work to another class of officers designated in scripture as deacons.

1:04 Now, let me give you that statement again. We're going to examine this assertion that the normal framework is one in which the elders delegate...

1:16 ...the normal framework is one in which the elders delegate...

1:21 ...the administration...

1:23 ...the administration of certain facets of their work to another class of officers...

1:32 ...certain facets of their work to another class of officers designated in the word of God as deacons.

1:46 From here on and throughout the lecture, this class of officers, considered as a functioning group, will be described as the diaconate. Now, I'm aware that in your ecclesiology...

1:59 ...in your ecclesiology course, you received some excellent material on this subject, but it won't hurt you to have some of that material presented in this context with some perspectives and emphases that differ slightly, but certainly are not contradictory.

2:19 Pastor Nichols and I do consult with one another to make sure we are speaking the same thing, though I hope we are not parrots of one another. And furthermore...

2:31 ...we will listen to these lectures by way of tape, who may never be exposed to the systematic theology lectures, and it is essential, both from a biblical and practical perspective, to have some clearly thought-out perspectives on the whole subject of the diaconate.

The Scriptural Basis for the Diaconate

2:50 Now, in thinking our way through this matter, consider with me first of all what I am calling the scriptural basis for the diaconate. The scriptural...

3:01 ...the scriptural basis for the diaconate.

3:04 If someone were to throw down the challenge to you, show me conclusive evidence that the normal or ideal framework for the administration of oversight is one in which elders designate certain responsibilities to another class of officers called deacons, how would you respond? Well, I hope you would not respond by turning, first of all, to axioms. But that you would respond by turning to two passages which, in their plain and obvious sense, point in the direction of a diaconate as constituting a class of office-bearers in the Church of Christ. And the first passage is Philippians, chapter 1 and verse 1, and the second, of course, 1 Timothy 3, verses 8 to 13. First of all, then, Philippians, chapter 1. 1. Verse 1.

4:05 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. As the apostle sits in his room, in his Roman imprisonment, and dictates or writes this letter to the Philippian church, you will notice that he envisions them. 2. In their concrete existence as the saints in union with Christ Jesus, located at Philippi, sun episkopois kai diakonois.

4:48 3. It is the saints in Christ at Philippi with bishops and deacons. 4. And one can make no sense of this description of the Church.

5:05 As it existed, unless one is prepared to acknowledge that unless there is an overwhelming weight of evidence contrary to the conclusion that there were two distinct groups of special office-bearers in the Church at Philippi, the bishops, the episkopois, and the deacons, the diakonois. And then, of course, the second passage is 1 Timothy 3. In which the apostle Paul, giving directives to Timothy for the ongoing, or the ordering of the ongoing life of the churches at Ephesus, or the church at Ephesus, having given explicit directives with respect to how one may recognize the presence of a duly qualified bishop or overseer or elder, he then turns to the deacons. Verse 8, deacons in like manner must be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, down to verse 13,

6:17 for they that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. And here, obviously, he is not referring to people who do service of any kind, of any nature in the Church. But an official group of servants, those who are called deacons. They serve as deacons, verse 10, and they are the ones who have served as deacons, verse 13.

6:54 Now, I say the only natural and plain sense of these passages points in the direction of a diaconate as a normal or ideal element. In a mature and well-ordered Church. All right, in the second place, we want to consider the origin of the diaconate. Having set before you what I trust is clear evidence of the scriptural basis for the whole concept of a diaconate, now we turn to examine the origin of the diaconate.

The Origin of the Diaconate: Theological and Historical

7:31 How did this arrangement come to pass? Was it a mere human expedient? Or was it a mere human expedient? Or was it a mere human expedient?

7:37 Or was it a divine arrangement? And I should like to consider the origin of the diaconate from two perspectives, theologically and then historically. First of all, theologically, that is, from the standpoint of God and His work in the midst of His people. And here, I would remind you of the principle very clearly embodied in Ephesians 4, 8 and following, that with respect to the Church, and furnishing the Church with necessary gifts, it is the activity of the exalted Christ.

8:15 Wherefore he saith, when he ascended on high, he led captivity, and gave gifts unto men. And then, of course, in verse 11, some of those gifts are mentioned, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministering or service unto the building up of the church. So that though the office of a deacon is not explicitly mentioned in this passage, the framework for the institution of the office is indeed established by this passage. The presence of gifts, gifted men to function in the exercise of those gifts, is described as the fruition of the activity of the exalted Lord. And from a little difference, the offering perspective in chapter 5, in that passage dealing with the responsibilities of husbands to their wives, we read that it is Christ Himself who is the great nourisher and cherisher of His Church. Verse 29, No man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ also the Church, because we are members of His Body. So Christ is not only viewed, viewed as the exalted Lord who furnishes His Church with necessary gifts

9:43 for its total ministry and service and upbuilding, but He is the loving Husband who nourishes and cherishes His Bride, providing all things necessary for its well-being. And therefore, theologically, we must view the origin of the diaconate as an expression of the activity of the exalted Lord, as an expression of the activity of the exalted Lord, as an expression of the exalted Christ, of the activity of the tender, nourishing, cherishing work of Christ in conjunction with the needs of His Bride. Now, Bannerman, on page 394 of the Scripture Doctrine of the Church, says some things that at least point in this direction. Every fellowship or society of men meeting for common objects and for united action must have leaders and rules of some kind. This arises from the nature of men and things. If the society be small in number and with little to do, the position of the leader or leaders may be temporary and informal and the rules unwritten and elastic.

10:55 But someone to take the initiative and some rules or common understandings which amount practically to rules, there must always be the necessity for furtherment, further and firmer organization makes itself felt as soon as the society grows in numbers and addresses itself to any definite and sustained action. Do you follow what he's saying? No matter how large a group may be, there have to be rules and there has to be leadership. When it's small, it may be relatively informal, unwritten, not articulated clearly, but simply understood by the initiate who are part of that smaller group, but the larger it grows, there must be this more definite and this more explicit articulation of the rules by which the society will conduct itself. This natural law finds illustration in the case of the apostolic church. Its organization, at first simple and rudimentary, is seen to widen and strengthen itself in accordance with the growth of the society, the emergence, the difficulties of its history, and the necessities for varied action which arise. Only the development of the organization in this case goes forward with a singular ease and certainty.

12:20 There's an absence of mistakes. There's no retracing of steps tentatively taken which have proved to lead in the wrong direction as in the early history of infant societies and commonwealths generally. In this fact, we have evidence again that a higher wisdom than man's was present to guide the course of the apostolic church, and that the hand of God in providence and history had made the right path plain in the sphere of organization as in that of worship. Every step was taken, as we shall see, with prayer on the part of the disciples for guidance and blessing from the unseen Lord in whose name they met.

13:05 So doing, his leaders, his leadership never failed them. And I think that states beautifully what I'm trying to express from these two passages that in the emergence of a distinct group of officers called bishops and overseers, shepherds, and also a distinct group called deacons, we must view the activity of the Lord of the church furnishing the church with what was necessary for its well-being. Now, Kuyper, in his excellent little article on the diaconate in the glorious body of Christ, also speaks in a similar vein on page 153, quoting from the directory of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church for the public worship of God. This is the language of the OPC, Directory for Public Worship, pertaining to deacons. The office of the deacon is based upon the solicitude and love of Christ for his own people. So tender is our Lord's interest in their temporal needs that he considers what is done unto one of the least of his brethren as done unto him.

14:17 For he will say to those who've ministered to his little ones, I was hungry, you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in, naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to see me. Well then, theologically, we must view the origin of the diaconate in terms of these biblical categories. But then historically, we see that God did not make known his concern and his will by a voice from heaven, but by giving wisdom to his people in the midst of a very practical and very knotty problem in the early church. And you know immediately that I take the position that Acts 6 does indeed record the historical origin of the diaconate. Now don't be shocked when you find some commentators and some theologians questioning that assertion, but the overwhelming weight of both exegetical evidence, theological evidence, and what I might call confessional evidence. When you read confessions and books of church order dealing with church offices, you will find that Acts 6 is referred to again and again and again

15:44 with reference to the origin of the diaconate. And let's just make ourselves familiar with that passage again, particularly for those of you who are not presently studying ecclesiology. Now in these days, Acts 6, 1, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not fit that we should leave, we should forsake the word of God and serve tables.

16:24 Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you, seven men of good report, full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude, 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, whom they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them. Now in order to appreciate the crisis that arose, we need to back up a bit and get a feel for what was happening in the church at Jerusalem at that time. In chapter 4 and verse 32, the multitude that had now grown to thousands, it is said of them, the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them said that all of the things that he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. The great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

17:44 For neither was there any among them that lacked, as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made unto each according as anyone had need. Now in the midst of this tremendous growth and this tremendous blessing, you will notice the apostles are giving their witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. They are the public teachers and preachers, but at the same time, when this tremendous spirit of open-hearted, open-handed generosity came upon the church, people were selling possessions and bringing the proceeds, they were depositing them at the apostles' feet.

18:28 And so the apostles had not only this tremendous task of preaching to all of these new converts, giving witness to the resurrection of Christ in a climate in which there appeared to be tremendous openness, but now there is added to their task this awesome burden and responsibility of making wise use of the fruit of this spirit of generosity with which God had baptized those people in Jerusalem. Now if Jews then are like Jews today, you cannot help but be amazed at this spirit of generosity. I mean, they were just giving their stuff away like drunken sailors on a weekend. And so the apostles had this added burden laid upon them, because this fruit of their generosity was being brought to them, and the whole indication is that they were administering the distribution of these goods. And as they do, well, we find that a certain problem emerges. The thing grows and develops, and with it certain demands are increasing, and in that context there is a murmuring arising between these Grecian Jews, those whose first tongue was not Aramaic or Hebrew, but was Greek, and then these Hebrews whose first language was indeed Hebrew,

19:57 and whether or not there was any ground to this. Some of you who've been in a situation where your own language was not spoken, you didn't know it was being said, you immediately feel threatened. And one of the commentators suggests that perhaps there was really no basis to this murmuring, but the murmuring was there nonetheless. They felt that the widows were neglected in the daily ministration, there may have actually been some prejudice in favor of taking care of the Hebrews, but whatever was the actual situation, we find that there is a possible division, possible inequity, in the distribution of these goods.

20:36 And now the apostles then, in the light of this, call the multitude together to give them their conclusion. Now notice they didn't call the multitude together with no sense of direction, with no light as to how this present problem could be resolved. They had obviously sought the face of God, had come to oneness of mind among themselves, and they call a congregation to a congregational meeting, not to dump the problem on the congregation, but to come with some definitive guidelines for the resolution of the problem. You see it?

21:12 And the twelve called the multitude and said, and here's the first assertion, it's not fit, it's not pleasing, that we should forsake the word of God and serve tables, literally deacon the tables. This is not fit. Now they did not say it is sinful, it is not expedient. We have a task to do.

21:36 We are called upon as apostles, eyewitnesses of the resurrection, to bear testimony to what we have seen and what we have heard. Now then, having made that assertion, they give this positive direction for the resolution of the problem. Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men, and they give the requirements, the spiritual and practical requirements, whom we may appoint over this business. Notice it is apostolic appointment to carry on this business.

22:09 So you have delegation. There was nothing beneath the dignity of an apostle to care for widows. Pure religion and undefiled before God and our Father is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. But if they had to serve tables, a noble dimension of pure religion at the expense of preaching, they said it is not pleasing, it is not fitting, it is not seemly that we should do this.

22:37 Therefore we will appoint men to carry out this responsibility that is ultimately ours. We are the overseers of the people of God and we are concerned for the totality of their need, but in the administration of this dimension of our God-given responsibility, we are going to delegate that activity to others whom we may appoint over this business. And then, of course, it was with a view then that they might give themselves to that which only they could do, namely the deaconing, the service of prayer and, I'm sorry, the ministry of prayer, the activity of prayer and the deaconing, the service of the word itself. Verse 4. Now this meets with the pleasure of the whole multitude and nobody rises up and says, wait, this is an innovation. We never did it this way before.

23:36 The saying pleased the whole multitude. They were a spiritually minded people. No doubt the apostles had prayed that this expedient that they believed was given to them by the direction of God through the Spirit and the application of the general principles of the word was indeed the will of God, prayed that the people of God would embrace it as such, and they reaped the fruit of their prayers. This saying pleases the whole multitude.

24:04 They chose Stephen and others and now the apostles lay their hands upon them. And whatever the laying on of the hands indicates, surely it indicates something of this transferal of responsibility to administer this particular function in the situation. Now, I am not prepared to say that they were called at that point deacons, nor am I prepared to say that we have here a formal institution of the diaconate. However, I am prepared to say that if this passage does not give us the historical roots of what came to its full expression in the officers of deacons functioning as a diaconate, as envisaged deacons, in Philippians 1.1 and in 1 Timothy 3, verses 8 through 13, then we have no record in Holy Scripture of the origin of the diaconate. And the little bit that I have been able to unearth in terms of historical precedence in the synagogue, there is very little, there is something to indicate that there was an officer or sometimes people appointed for the temporal concerns of the care of the synagogue, but nothing such as we have in terms of the parallel between a New Testament elder and the synagogue elder.

25:33 So historically, then, we have this indication of the origin of the diaconate, and here I refer you again to Bannerman, pages 416 and 417, for some very helpful material underscoring the position I have taken here with you this morning.

The Essential Functions of the Diaconate

25:54 Yes, that's Douglas Bannerman, Scripture Doctrine of the Church, and he has some very helpful things in his script notes as far as the testimony of some of the earlier church fathers with respect to the institution of the diaconate in which they refer to this passage, some of the immediate successors of the apostles, and they refer to this passage as the one that regulated the thinking of the church with regard to the diaconate. All right? Having considered briefly the scriptural basis for the diaconate, the origin of the diaconate, theologically and historically, now, thirdly, the essential functions of the diaconate. The essential functions of the diaconate. In the 1 Timothy 3 passage, the function is assumed as understood and only hinted at in the words, serve well. They that serve well. As deacons.

26:56 We do not have a description of the function of the diaconate in 1 Timothy 3. I say it's assumed that their function would be understood. The suggestion is that it is, not the suggestion, the explicit reference is that it is an office of service. Verse 13, They that have served well as deacons gain to themselves a good standing.

27:23 And so we turn to the original institution for some of the most helpful materials with respect to the actual function of the diaconate. In that Acts 6 passage, their function was to be one of administering this service of table serving for the widows. Here was a very practical concern amongst the people of God. It was a concern that pertained to the material, physical necessities of these widows.

28:03 And it was that business, verse 3b, over which the seven were appointed with a view to enabling the apostles who were functioning as elders in that church at Jerusalem to be undistracted in their ministry of prayer and the proclamation of the word of God. So we may deduce then from this passage that the essential function of the diaconate is this. It is that of caring for the poor and needy within the church, the distribution of the monies from its treasury and generally the charge of its outward affairs in their more practical aspects and details. And some of that language is taken again from Douglas Bannerman, page 416. Viewed in contrast with and in distinction from the eldership, the function of the diaconate is that of undertaking those legitimate spheres of church concern which would, if performed by the elders, hinder them in the more specific tasks of spiritual oversight. And in that sense the diaconate becomes an extension of the mind, of the heart

29:29 and the hands of the elders. An extension of the heart, the hand, the mind of the elders with respect to certain facets of oversight. So you see what I'm doing? I'm not putting the diaconate out there in a separate airtight category.

29:51 Now you'll see later on why I'm doing that. But for now, while we're laboring to get before us some distinct concept of the essential function of the eldership, I suggest that analogy. I'm sorry, of the diaconate, I suggest that analogy. And you see it in the Acts 6 passage.

30:10 It was the hands of the elders that were apparently active in not only receiving the benevolences but in distributing them until it was consuming so much time and so much energy that there was neglect on the one hand leading to a possible disruption in the unity of the church, this murmuring between the Grecians and the Hebrews. And the only way they could rectify that was to give even more time to it and said, no, something must be done. We've got to have hands and eyes and ears and heads working on this dimension of our task. We will appoint the seven over this business.

30:52 They will be our hands to do the work of distribution. They will be our minds to work out the details of how to make sure there is an equitable distribution so the murmuring between the Grecian and Hebrew widows will cease. So they become an extension then of the mind, the heart, the hands of the overseers. Now then, in our particular situation here in this local assembly, our deacons then, on behalf of the general oversight of the elders, are committed to take care of the details in conjunction with the provision, the upkeep and function of our places of worship.

31:34 If the nursery needs to be painted, if nursery schedules need to be distributed, and all the matters pertaining now to a major building program, in all of those details the deacons carry on those functions. In the actual administration of the church monies, overall direction is given as to the categories of concern, but in the actual writing out of the checks and the balancing of the books, that's a matter that the deacons handle either directly themselves or, again, by delegation. All of the concerns of the benevolent concerns, the actual giving of the monies, seeking to be sensitive when someone is out of work, we urge one of the deacons to meet with him, to go over the basic financial structure, to see what commitments ought to be made, to report back to the elders, then to give some positive direction. Just as recently as last night, we have a situation where someone has, in the past several months, been made a widow through divorce. Why, we had a representation of the diaconate with an elder sit down with the individual and give positive direction for the structuring and ordering of the whole financial life immediately and future. Now in the actual carrying out of that, the deacons will carry out the directives given by this particular elder

The Relationship Between Elders and Deacons in Terms of Authority

33:04 who was acting on behalf of the entire eldership. So I hope putting it again in that concrete expression as to how the thing functions here, you'll see the general principle in its specific application. All right? Now then, what could be a very, very knotty area of concern and one that you must have clear perspective on, category number four, the relationship between the eldership and the diaconate in terms of authority.

33:36 The relationship between the eldership and the diaconate in terms of authority. Let me state it negatively and then positively. Negatively, the diaconate is not an independent and parallel institution accountable only to Christ and to His Word. In relationship to the elders, we know that elders are answerable to Christ as He administers His rule through His Word.

34:16 Now in the diaconate, you do not have an independent and parallel institution. There's the diaconate, there's the Word of Christ, Himself the head of the church. The relationship is not one of independence and parallel accountability to Christ and to His Word, such as is found with the eldership. Nor is it one parallel to the two houses of Congress, the Senate and the House of Representatives, which are to act as a check both upon the President, the legislative, I'm sorry, the administrative, I'm sorry, and then we have, of course, our judicial branch and then our legislative branch. But some would view the elders and the deacons sort of as comprising together our Congress in the church and the elders would be the senators, where you have a more limited number and more clout and the deacons more like the House of Representatives or some would mix the imagery, but we don't want to bring the structure of our government into the structure of Christ's church. Positively stated, the relationship is this. It is all bound up

35:45 both in the pattern of its historic institution and in the family of words used to describe the office and its function. If we would understand the relationship between the eldership and the diaconate in terms of authority, we must understand the pattern of its historic institution and the significance of the family of words used to describe the office and its function. Now in the pattern of its historic institution, they were appointed to a specific task and answerable to and under the direction of the overseers who appointed them to that task. Whom we may appoint over this business. Now having been appointed, that did not negate the apostolic-elder authority in the church of Jerusalem over the monies. Because in Acts 11.30, a long time after the institution of the seven, we read verse 29 and 30 of Acts 11, and the disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief to the brethren that dwelt in Judea, which they did, sending it to the elders, not the deacons.

37:09 Sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. So even though the seven had been instituted to take care of this business of distribution, it was not a relinquishment of authority in financial matters in the church. You see that point? Do you feel the way to that?

37:29 It was sent to the elders. And no doubt in the actual distribution the deacons did their job. But there was no relinquishment. And so I say the nature of the relationship must be understood first of all in terms of the pattern of its historic institution and then also the family of words used to describe the office and its function.

37:54 And it's the whole family of diakoneo and diakonos, serve and servant. And nowhere will you find any suggestion of rule, of the exercise of authority, even in the list of requirements. When Paul mentions for an elder that he must rule well his own house, we have the parenthetical statement, if a man rule not well his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? The work of bishoping, the work of overseeing, is the work of caring for the church.

38:30 But when that same requirement is given for deacons, no such comment is made. Let the deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children in their own houses well. And that's only spoken, 1 Timothy 3.12, in conjunction with a specific dimension of a general pattern of godliness.

38:52 There is no additional statement that would hint that it is an office of rule or of oversight in the category of an elder, a bishop, a shepherd of God's flock. So if we would understand the relationship between the eldership and the diaconate in terms of authority, I come back again to state we must see the pattern of its historic institution and feel the weight of the family of words used to describe the actual function. We come back then to the imagery. They are an extension of the oversight, the head, the heart, and the hands.

39:36 And they must not regard themselves as an independent heart, head, and hands, but heart, head, and hands acting under the oversight and direction of the elders. Now, it's vital that these typical perspectives be hammered out very clearly in the beginning stages of a new work. And if you're coming into an already established framework, you must seek to set before people what this relationship is. Now, as usual, there are very few things I've found through the years in which if you don't look long enough, if you look long enough in the indices, you'll find that old Owen has spoken to it very powerfully and many times when he's done, you figure what more is there to say. So I went back to old Owen again in preparation for the lecture and looked up everything that at least is found in the index on the subject of deacon and elder and the relationship between the two. Listen to Owen speaking to us from volume 16, page 146, his section on deacons, an excellent section, the best thing I found on the whole subject of deacons in any of my reading. The whole treatise extends from 143 to 151 and they are pregnant pages in which all of the relevant materials are brought together

41:04 in a masterful way. Now, this is what Owen says, the care also of the whole work is, as was said, still incumbent on the pastors and elders of the church. Only the ordinary execution of it is committed unto the deacons. See what he's saying?

41:28 The work is that of the overseers but the execution is committed to the deacons. This office of deacons is an office of service which gives not any authority or power in the rule of the church but being an office it gives authority with respect unto the special work of it under a general notion of authority, that is, a right to attend unto it in a peculiar manner and to perform the things that belong there unto. You see the point he's making? It is not an office of authority but because it is an office there is a certain authority given to that office and to those functioning within it in terms of the sphere assigned to them. The sphere that attaches itself to that office and forms the rationale for it. That was a quote from 146 and 147 and then on page 151 he has sort of a catechetical section here at the end. Question 5.

42:36 What is the duty of the deacons toward the elders of the church? That's a pretty straightforward question. Answer. Whereas the care of the whole church in all its concernments is principally committed unto the pastors, teachers, and ruling elders, it is the duty of deacons in the discharge of their office, one, to acquaint them, that is, their overseers, from time to time with the state of the church and especially the poor, so far as it falls under their inspection, two, to seek and to take their advice, that is, their elders' advice in matters of great importance relating unto their office, three, to be assisting unto them in all the outward concerns of the church.

43:20 Then he takes up the question, may deacons preach the word and baptize authoritatively by virtue of their office? And he says no. But if they have a gift to preach, they may preach in terms of the exercise of their gift to preach, but not in virtue of their office. And then I think very, very satisfactorily deals with the fact that a couple of those seven, as recorded in Acts chapter 6, obviously had gifts that exceeded gifts necessary to serve tables.

The Profound Significance of the Diaconate

43:53 All right? So much for the relationship now between the diaconate and the eldership. Now I want to address myself in the fifth place to the profound significance of the diaconate. And here I have three points.

44:11 First of all, the diaconate is an eloquent and inescapable witness of God's concern for the whole man. It is an eloquent and inescapable witness of God's concern for the whole man. From the opening pages of the Bible to the closing chapters of the Bible, we find nothing in which God denigrates or demeans or despises any dimension of man's created existence. Pagan philosophy has denigrated the place of the body and the physical appetites.

44:49 Some of the early Christological heresies grew out of that denigration of flesh. The flesh of sensuousness in the highest sense of that word. That which pertains to the senses. 1 John 4, 1 and 2.

45:08 Colossians 2, 20 to 23. 1 Timothy 4, 1 to 5. It is doctrines of demons that cause people to despise God's gifts of food and drink. It's interesting that God should use the hunger pains of destitute widows as an occasion to institute a standing office in the Church of Christ.

45:33 The hunger pains of widows becomes the occasion by which God institutes a standing office in His Church and says for all time then that He is the God concerned for the whole man. And surely we see this in our Lord's ministry in the Gospels. Though His miracles of healing, feeding the multitudes, were attestations of the uniqueness of His person and mission, it was more than that. For He Himself taught us to pray, give us this day our daily bread.

46:07 And there was compassion and concern for the whole man. Our Lord reckons response to temporal need as a proof of love to Himself. Matthew 25. And then John's words in 1 John 3.

46:23 He that seeth his brother have need and shutteth up the bowels of his compassion and passion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him. So a standing office of deacon and the presence of a diaconate in a mature well-developed Church is an eloquent and inescapable witness of God's concern for the whole man. And as we grow in conformity to Him we shall grow in this dimension of an active diaconal service and ministry. But then secondly, the diaconate is an eloquent and inescapable affirmation of the centrality of prayer and preaching in the purposes of God. It is an eloquent and inescapable affirmation of the centrality of prayer and preaching in the purposes of God. For we go back to the origin and see that though caring for widows is an essential element of true religion, even the demands of exercising pure religion must not be allowed to take the place of prayer and the ministry of the Word. And so the very presence of a diaconate is the standing witness of God to the centrality of prayer and preaching

47:47 in the purposes of God, particularly in the life and ministry of the Church of God. Therefore the Church must seek to protect and preserve the time and energies of its elders. And many people who have never engaged in the disciplines of extended intercessory prayer or who know nothing of what it is to labor in the Word and in doctrine don't have a clue of what's involved in these disciplines. They really don't.

48:23 Like one kid said to his dad, he said, Dad, if you ever quit the ministry, will you go to work? Well, of course, what he meant is, will you go to a place of secular employment? But I think many people really have that notion. I mean, what does a man do sitting on his duff all day in his study?

48:40 Well, he just may be sitting on his duff. And you listen to a lot of preaching and you realize he must not be doing much more than that. But if a man is giving himself to copy opera, to labor unto pain, labor unto weariness in the Word and in doctrine, giving himself to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word, then there is no labor that is like unto it. And so, the standing office of a deacon, the presence of a diacon, it is God's constant voice saying, Let nothing turn you aside from the centrality of prayer and preaching.

49:19 Let nothing turn you aside from it. The presence of a diacon, it is my voice to you. Listen to me. Hear me.

49:27 Don't despise my voice. Don't despise my voice in this matter. All right? The poor you'll always have with you, brethren.

49:37 And the needs that grow out of those concerns will always be there. And if you have a heart for people, you will be tempted, you will be tempted to allow your priorities to become disrupted. You must not. You must not.

49:52 But then thirdly, the significance of the diaconate is seen not only in that it's an eloquent and inescapable witness of God's concern for the whole man, an affirmation of the centrality of prayer and preaching, but it is an eloquent and inescapable reminder, an eloquent and inescapable reminder of the necessity for practical efficiency in the use of God-given gifts, an inescapable reminder of the necessity for practical efficiency in the use of God-given gifts, and the place of sanctification of sanctified innovativeness, and the place of sanctified innovativeness. Now, as I hinted before, when the apostles came forward with this directive to the church, obviously they acted with an authority that none of us has. They could innovate with the promise of peculiar wisdom as foundation builders in Christ's church. I'm conscious of that.

51:05 But when they came forth with that suggestion, no one said, I did this before. There was a willingness to follow the directive when the rationale for it was set before them. And when certain of the seven appointed to minister tables manifested other gifts, it doesn't appear that anyone was upset. When Stephen and Philip left serving tables to preach with power and even to perform miracles, we didn't find anyone sitting around saying this doesn't fit our job description of a deacon.

51:38 They were delighted that the plethora of gifts would find appropriate expression. All of the gifts must be harnessed and used for the good of the body and for the extension of Christ's kingdom. And we found this when we were trying to find how best to utilize the gifts of Mr. Bischoff.

52:00 Well, some people who were thinking in a legalistic way said, well, you know, should a deacon be involved in visiting people? I mean, isn't that the work of elders? Well, here you have a man who has a peculiar gift to visit, but who according to his own testimony does not have a gift to rule. He rules well his own house.

52:19 But he said, I'm a follower. I'm not a leader. I don't have creative ability to think through an issue and give me a list of ten men to go visit and it's his meat and drink to do it. But give him a naughty problem to sort out?

52:36 And he's paralyzed at the thought of becoming an elder. Well, a man's got to desire it. He has no desire for it. And year after year his name is proposed by a nominating committee.

52:47 Are we going to force it on him? Are we going to tell him he's sinning because he doesn't desire the office? Or are we going to see that in his work as a deacon he also has other gifts for which we can find an appropriate channel? Well, I think there's an example right before your very eyes of the very principles that are exemplified in Acts chapter 6.

53:09 So the presence of the diaconate is an eloquent and inescapable reminder of the necessity for practical efficiency in the use of God-given gifts. If you've got men who have wisdom and grace to administer the funds of the church, then let them do it. You may have elders who have the same wisdom and grace, but they also have wisdom and grace and gift to preach and to pray for the flock of God. Then there must be optimum efficiency and they ought to have other hands to distribute the monies of the church so that they may give themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

Practical Observations and Exhortations: Prioritizing Elders

53:49 All right, now then, I want to come in the sixth place to some practical observations and exhortations relative to the diaconate. Some practical observations and exhortations. I have three of them. And then we'll take a little break and we'll come up to point number seven, which is a postscript on the issue of deaconess as a distinct office.

54:17 And that's where I was doing a lot of my work last night and early this morning because I feel that question has got to be addressed in the light of what's going on in the church today. But for this particular segment of our lecture, some practical observations and exhortations relative to the diaconate. Number one, whenever possible, labor to create a climate whenever possible, labor to create a climate in which priorities in which priority is given to the cultivation of elders and an eldership rather than to deacons and a diaconate. Whenever possible, labor to create a climate in which priority there's the key word, priority is given to the cultivation of elders and an eldership rather than to deacons and a diaconate. Now, why do I say this? Well, because this is the apostolic pattern. Acts 14.23 tells us that

55:20 when Paul and Barnabas returned to the cities where churches had been formed that they ordained elders in every city. It doesn't say elders and deacons. It doesn't say deacons. They ordained elders.

55:35 And because the churches were in a less developed state in the isle of Crete, when Paul left Titus at Crete, he says, I left you there to set in order the things that were lacking and to ordain elders in every city. And we don't find there as we find in Titus, in Timothy, in the more developed situation at Ephesus, we don't even find him giving the list of requirements for the office of a deacon. Priority was given to the establishment of an eldership. And certainly the pattern of the Jerusalem church is the same.

56:10 They were functioning with the apostles as elders long before they had deacons. Long before they had the seven to administer this business of caring for the widows. Now when that order is reversed, you have two fundamental problems. First of all, you'll have a problem of a blurring of the distinctions and relationship of authority and function.

56:38 You'll have a blurring in this whole area of authority and function with respect to elders and deacons. You will have a diaconate created which does not have an eldership to which it is answerable. There may be an elder, but not an eldership. And if that elder has any sense of humility and a sense of not wanting to act unilaterally, it would be very easy for him not to exercise the kind of authority that ought to be exercised over this body of men.

57:16 It's much easier for a body of men to exercise authority over another body than one body over a body, plural. And then furthermore, if he's a spiritually minded man, you'll have problems in the area of function. Not only authority, but function. Because these deacons have been recognized as the more spiritually mature men, and they have met the standard of 1 Timothy 3, which is a high standard as far as Christian character is concerned, the pastor, the one elder, will most naturally be seeking their counsel.

57:52 And the more he seeks their counsel, not only on practical matters, but spiritual matters, the more he begins to regard them almost imperceptibly as fellow elders. They begin to regard themselves as fellow elders, and the people begin to regard them as elders. And so you have this body of men appointed to serve who become almost imperceptibly a body of co-rulers with the pastor.

58:21 Now it's clear from Scripture that elders can do diaconal service without violating their God-given office. But the reverse is not true. Deacons cannot do the work of elders without violating their office. So you can't flip them.

58:38 Even after the institution of the seven in Jerusalem, and the very apostle who gives directions for the recognition of deacons in 1 Timothy 3, he doesn't think of beneath his dignity as a universal elder, as an apostle, to superintend the collection for the poor saints of Jerusalem. So in that sense, Paul was doing the work of a deacon. It's proper that elders, in the work of oversight, do what is generally assigned to deacons. But the reverse is not true.

59:09 It is not right for deacons to assume spiritual rule and oversight. So brethren, I give you this practical word of exhortation. Labor to create a climate in which priority is given to the cultivation of elders and eldership rather than to deacons and a diaconate. Now what often happens is people see that the measure of gift and grace needed for the eldership exceeds what is generally expected for deacons.

59:37 Therefore, the idea is, while we're a young church with relatively immature people, we'll sooner be able to get a group of deacons than we'll have a group of elders. So that's why they give priority to the establishment of a diaconate as opposed to an eldership. Don't do that. It's fraught with dangers and it violates the apostolic pattern.

Practical Observations and Exhortations: Fostering Communication

60:00 Alright? Secondly, seek to establish a wholesome climate seek to establish a wholesome climate of openness, trust, and good communication between your elders and deacons. Seek to establish a wholesome climate of openness, trust, and good communication between your elders and deacons. If you regard the deacons as an extension of the eldership, that is, their hands, their heart in these matters, then there must be communication.

60:41 And what is communication without openness and trust? It ain't communication. It may be playing at it, but it's not communication. Now what we did in the early days to try to work by this principle, though I didn't have anyone give it to me in a pastoral theology course, we began meeting regularly as elders every week, Mr. Dixon and I did in the early days, but then once a month we had a joint meeting with the deacons. Every month. And then we would sit down and we'd go over matters and then we were sorting out our various roles. And the deacons would say, well, here are some things that concern us.

61:20 We'd say, no, no, no, no, that's our concern. Dump that on us. And then we would have a concern and say, well, that really belongs to you. And we would sit then.

61:27 And talk through these matters and began to establish, you see, a clear understanding of what was distinctive eldership responsibility and what was, in virtue of biblical principles, that which we ought to delegate to the deacons and that they ought to carry out in its actual administration. And what we're attempting to do now, because that worked so well and in the early days we knew each other so well, the openness, the trust, the communication, that they were able to do their job and we carried on our job and we didn't bother one another. But we've come to recognize that for lack of regular meetings with one another and the fact that we have incorporated new people into the eldership and the diaconate, we could lose something if we don't work at keeping that climate of openness, communication, and trust. And so we're working towards the establishment of a quarterly joint meeting. We had just such a meeting a week ago Saturday night or just this past Saturday night and in conjunction with phase two we've been forced to have more such meetings but we're trying to work towards the establishment at a minimum of a quarterly meeting so that openness, trust, and communication is kept amongst the elders and deacons because as the work grows, the responsibilities are such that it's difficult to get through just the things you have to deal with as elders. And it's like a family that grows and then the communication

Practical Observations and Exhortations: Upholding Biblical Standards

62:55 between a husband and wife breaks down just as the wife carries out all of her duties in conjunction with the growing family and the father and husband is carrying out his duties, well the very union that brought all this to pass can suffer unless decided efforts are made to work at it. Alright? Then the third exhortation is stand firm. Stand firm on the necessity of meeting the Biblical standards for this office.

63:21 Stand firm on the necessity for meeting the Biblical standards for this office. And those standards are essentially spiritual. Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3. There's not a word in either of those passages to indicate that a man must be a hot shot business man, not a thing that indicates he must be a doctor, he must be someone who has great standing socially in the community.

63:40 If you read through the requirements in Acts 6 and in 1 Timothy 3 you'll see that they are essentially spiritual and spiritual and not a thing that indicates he must be a doctor he must be someone who has great standing socially in the community. Spiritual and ethical. Now again, the common problem is if people have a Biblical view of the exalted office of an elder, the responsibilities, the Biblical standard, the tendency is to think well a lesser standard of godliness is acceptable for the diaconate. But a careful examination of the passages will not allow us to think that.

64:23 The diaconate is not made up of men who have to have a proven gift to worship or to rule or to teach and there is no such requirement given but in terms of moral and ethical standards the requirements parallel that which God has set forth for elders. And furthermore only males qualify for this office. Males alone have wives and rule their children and their houses well. Let deacons be husbands of one wife.

64:54 Let deacons be husbands of one wife. Let deacons be husbands of one wife. And we'll go into the moot question of the women in verse 11 but it doesn't say in verse 12 let deacons be good marriage partners generically let deacons be husbands. And I think it's pretty clear that only males are husbands although our crazy generation is marrying females to females and assigning one the role of a husband to the other but I'm sure we realize that God is not envisioning such a mixed up and perverted situation. All right we'll break off there for five minutes and then we'll come back for my postscript on the issue of deaconesses as a distinct office.