Deacons — 1 Timothy 3
Evening Sermon
Introduction
Turn with me to 1 Timothy 3. Tonight we're going to look at what the Bible has to say about deacons.
There are all kinds of differing views on deacons. I've met more than one independent Baptist pastor who doesn't think churches should have deacons at all. I've heard men say things like, "Deacons are just assistant pastors or church staff members." In those churches you tend to have a pastor who functions like a dictator — he rules everything and sees deacons as a threat to his authority. That's one extreme.
The other extreme is a church where deacons form a board that holds all the power. The pastor isn't really the leader of the church; he's just a man who has to get permission from the deacon board for everything. I heard about a church in our area where the pastor allowed a local school to use their gym for basketball practice. One of the deacons walked in during the practice, irate, and tried to shut it down. When the players said, "The pastor told us we could be here," the deacon replied, "Well, that's not the pastor's call. We have to vote on that."
That kind of thing exists all over the place.
And those are just Baptist and Baptistic churches. Look at other denominations and the picture changes entirely — Anglicans and Catholics treat deacons as a separate order of clergy, a kind of lesser pastor.
So what we need to do tonight is recalibrate what it means to be a deacon. And we have to get that answer not from tradition, not from experience, but from Scripture.
Text — 1 Timothy 3:1–13 (KJV)
[1] This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
**[2] A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
**[3] Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
**[4] One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
**[5] (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
**[6] Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
**[7] Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
**[8] Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
**[9] Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
**[10] And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
**[11] Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
**[12] Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
**[13] For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.— 1 Timothy 3:1–13 (KJV)
Three Questions
Last week we looked at bishops and established that bishop, elder, and pastor are three names for the same office. We spent a lot of time on the qualifications and responsibilities of that office.
This week we move to verse 8: "Likewise must the deacons." It's clear from context that this is a second distinct office in the church. And if you look at Philippians 1:1, Paul places these two offices side by side:
[1] Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons.
— Philippians 1:1 (KJV)
These are the only two places in Scripture where this word is translated deacons. But the underlying Greek word appears roughly 40 times, and most of the time it's simply translated servant. In fact, in that very verse, when Paul calls himself and Timothy "servants of Jesus Christ," he's using the exact same word. And when Jesus said, "Whosoever will be greatest among you, let him be your servant," that word servant is the same word translated deacons in 1 Timothy 3.
But it's obvious from context that the office of deacon is more than just anyone who serves. This is a specific office. Tonight I want to ask three questions and answer them from the Bible:
- What are deacons?
- What must a deacon be?
- What does a deacon get?
Let's pray and jump in.
I. What Are Deacons?
Here is a biblical definition I want to give you — and then we'll break it down and back it up from Scripture:
Deacons are officers of the church who serve alongside the pastors to solve specific church problems and protect church unity.
Let's work through that.
Deacons Are Officers of the Church
We see this clearly in Philippians 1:1 and here in 1 Timothy 3 — two offices named side by side. Notice that in both cases, bishops come first and deacons come second. The word bishop means overseer. So it's plain from the Bible that deacons are not there to oversee the bishops — it's the bishop's job to oversee the deacons. Deacons are officers, but they are officers who serve alongside the pastors, not over them.
Deacons Solve Specific Problems and Protect Unity
Hold your finger here and turn with me to Acts 6. This passage doesn't use the word deacon, but most Bible scholars believe this is where the concept originates — these are the first deacons.
[1] And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
**[2] Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
**[3] Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
**[4] But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
**[5] And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
**[6] Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
**[7] And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.— Acts 6:1–7 (KJV)
Set the scene: The early church in Jerusalem is experiencing explosive growth — thousands of people coming to Christ. Everything is brand new. Christianity is just getting established. And this is the first real problem the church faces.
Inside the Jerusalem church there were two groups: Hebrew Christians and Greek Christians. They were both Jewish believers, but one group had grown up in and around Jerusalem, while the other had grown up in the Diaspora — scattered throughout the Greek-speaking world. Different cultures. And the Greek-speaking widows felt they were being overlooked in the daily food distribution compared to the Hebrew widows.
This murmuring is a serious problem. Left unaddressed, it could have split the church right down the middle — the first Greek Church of Jerusalem and the first Hebrew Church of Jerusalem. It could have destroyed the Christian witness in that city before it barely got started.
So the apostles act decisively. They say: "It is not wise for us to leave off teaching the Word of God and prayer. Our calling is to focus on the Word and on prayer. But this problem must be solved." So they involve the church, and the church selects seven men. Why seven? I have a theory — seven men, seven days a week. I think each man took a day, rotating through the distribution so that no widow was overlooked.
Because these seven men handled the problem, the apostles could stay focused on their calling. The church remained unified. And look at verse 7 — the Word of God increased, the disciples multiplied, and even a great company of priests came to faith.
That's the model. So let's return to the definition:
Deacons are officers of the church who serve alongside the pastors to solve specific church problems and protect church unity.
They are a specific, elected office of the church. Their job is to take on the problems and practical needs that would otherwise pull the pastor away from his work — and to do it in a way that keeps the church together and moving forward.
What kinds of problems? Anything that could cause the pastor to stop focusing on the Word and prayer. Anything that could cause disunity in the church. Anything that might hinder the continued growth of the church. It could be questions about who is receiving financial assistance. It could be a facility issue — one group always leaves the fellowship hall a mess. It could be something as simple as a parking problem.
There are dozens of ongoing practical problems in a local church that a pastor could handle — but if he does, he gets pulled away from his calling. Deacons step in to solve those problems. They serve the pastor and serve the church. It's not their job to set the direction of the church. But it is their job to keep things moving smoothly.
That's what deacons do.
II. What Must a Deacon Be?
This passage gives us a list of qualifications for deacons — and just like the qualifications for pastors, it's a high bar. Look at the text again:
[8] Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
I'm going to summarize these qualifications under five headings.
1. Respectable
That's what the word grave means — respectable, dignified. A deacon should be someone that everybody in the church and the community responds to with: "Of course that man is a deacon."
Several things in this verse break down what respectability looks like in practice.
First, a deacon must be respectable in his use of his tongue. He can't be double-tongued — he can't say one thing in the deacons' meeting and something different when he's talking to people at a barbecue. By the nature of his office, a deacon is going to be privy to things the rest of the church doesn't know. He has to control his tongue — no gossiping, no spreading rumors, no slander.
Second, a deacon has to have his habits under control. He can't be given to much wine — and I think it's entirely fair to bring that into the modern world and say he can't be addicted to pills or anything else either. None of that is dignified or respectable.
Third, he has to have his wallet under control. He can't be greedy or obsessed with money. Deacons, by the nature of what they do, tend to handle money — the offerings, assistance funds, possibly the church's accounts. It has to be obvious to everyone that they're above reproach in that area.
2. Informed
Look at verse 9:
[9] Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
— 1 Timothy 3:9 (KJV)
The mystery of the faith is simply referring to the doctrine of the faith. It's very important that deacons — even though they are not teachers the way pastors are — be men who know the Scriptures and know doctrine.
Why? Because doctrine determines how we live. It's not just for pastors or seminary graduates. A man might think, "I just mow the grass. I just look after the buildings. That doctrinal stuff is for the pastor." That's a wrong idea — an unbiblical idea. Every Christian needs doctrine, and deacons, as leaders of the church, need to be leaders in knowing it.
3. Faithful
Notice again: "holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience." Deacons don't just need to know doctrine — they need to live it.
It does a massive disservice to the church when its leaders act one way inside the church building and another way out in the community. So when we're looking for deacons, the right questions are not:
- Is this person a business leader in town?
- Is this person good at fixing things?
- Is this someone who can keep the pastor in check?
Those are the wrong questions. The better questions are:
- Does this person love God and love God's Word?
- Does this person live according to the Word of God?
- Has this person demonstrated respectability over time?
4. Proven
Verse 10 says:
[10] And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
— 1 Timothy 3:10 (KJV)
Just as a pastor can't be a novice, a deacon can't be someone new to the faith. Deacons have to be tested — watched over time. It's unwise to bring someone into the church who has only been there a short while and immediately make them a deacon. You have to see their manner of life. You have to observe whether the things we've talked about are actually true of them.
5. Domesticated
Verses 11 and 12 add one more dimension:
[11] Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
**[12] Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.— 1 Timothy 3:11–12 (KJV)
It's striking that a deacon's wife carries qualifications just like the deacon himself. A man shouldn't be a deacon unless his wife is on board with him — unless she too is a respectable person with her tongue under control, serious, self-controlled, and living in the faith.
And the deacon himself has to be a one-woman man. Just like the earlier qualifications for bishops, this isn't primarily about the quantity of marriages but the quality of marriage. His heart has to be completely dedicated to his wife and to her alone. Together, they have to have a respectable home and respectable children.
Do you know how rare that is? When a man is faithful to the Lord, faithful to his wife, faithful to his family, and faithful to his church — and when that has been tested and verified over a long period of time — that man has earned deep respect.
I was reminded of this at the Seeds Gala for Maranatha Christian Academy last night, where we heard Ben Carson speak. Another speaker, a man who works with the Grunlow Foundation supporting Christian education across the country, gave a memorable illustration.
He told about a man who addressed a baseball convention with home plate strapped around his neck the entire speech. At the end he asked: "Any Little League coaches in here? How wide is home plate?" Seventeen inches. "High school coaches?" Seventeen inches. "College coaches?" Seventeen inches, all around.
Then he said: "You know what we don't do? We don't make the plate wider to make it easier for hitters and pitchers. We make the players better so they can pitch over 17 inches and hit over 17 inches."
That's exactly right. God has given us high standards for deacons and for bishops. Our job is not to widen the plate so more people can qualify. Our job is to keep the standard high and trust that God will raise up men who meet it.
III. What Does a Deacon Get?
Look at verse 13:
[13] For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
— 1 Timothy 3:13 (KJV)
Paul says that a deacon who uses his office well receives two things.
1. A Good Degree — Respect from the Congregation
The word degree is used only this one time in all of Scripture. It's an architectural term that literally means a stair step. The idea is that because a deacon has served faithfully, in the minds of his church family he steps up — he's on another level. And that respect doesn't come just from holding the office; it comes from faithfully serving in the office.
When I think of our deacons, every one of them, I think of someone who is just on another level. They're faithful to the Lord, faithful to the church, faithful servants. Our church could not function as well as it does without them. I want you to know — and I believe everyone here feels the same way — that you men are on another level in our estimation. Thank you for your service.
2. Great Boldness — Confidence from the Lord
Respect comes from the congregation. Boldness comes from the Lord.
As a deacon serves faithfully — as he carries out the ministry God has given him — God confirms in his heart that what he's doing is right, that he's walking in God's will for his life. The Lord grants him a settled boldness, a confidence that comes from knowing he's been obedient.
That is the reward of faithful service. And it is no small thing.
Conclusion
Now as we close, I want you to think about a statistic. The average tenure for a pastor in an evangelical church is around four years. Most churches never grow past a handful of families because problems arise, go unsolved, and eventually become church-splitting issues. The pastor is frustrated, overworked, and buried under burdens that were never meant to be his alone. The congregation grows frustrated by things left undone. And eventually something gives.
I believe God has given us an answer to that — and it's biblically qualified deacons. When a church has a group of men who meet the Bible's qualifications, who serve with the right heart, who are actively looking to solve problems and keep the pastor focused on preaching the Word, on prayer, on caring for people — I believe that church is well positioned to be a growing, healthy New Testament church. This is part of God's plan for church health.
Look at Acts 6 one more time. The church had a problem that could have torn it apart. Seven men stepped up. And what happened? The Word of God increased. The disciples multiplied. Even a great company of priests came to faith. The church didn't shrink from that problem — it exploded through it. Why? Because the right men handled the right problems so the right things could keep happening.
That's not a first-century story. That's a blueprint.
That's what I want for this church. That's what I believe God wants for this church. And I believe faithful, biblically qualified deacons are a huge part of how we get there.
Closing Prayer
Father, thank you for our deacons. Thank you for Steve Pollan, Ernie Drummond, and Chris Drummond — for the spirit they have, for the way they are always supportive of what's going on in our church. Thank you, Lord, for the work they do, most of it behind the scenes, that keeps this church moving forward. Thank you for their wives and for their faithfulness and their service alongside their husbands.
Father, I pray that you would multiply their respect in our church. I pray that you would give them great boldness as they serve you. And I pray that you would raise up more men like them — more people who can serve as deacons in this church. Thank you for the gift of deacons, for the gift you have given us in these men. Thank you for your Word that spells out how they are to lead and what they are to do.
We thank you for all of this in Jesus' name, amen.
