“Evening Service”
Who Is A Deacon?
1Timothy 3:8-13
1. A Deacon must have INTEGRITY (v.8)
Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money,
• This is a description of who the man is today, in the present tense
• not a list of events from his past.
• “not drinking a lot of wine” (v.8)
lit.: “Much wine not holding his mind”
—> 1Tim 3:3 “not around wine”
2. A Deacon must be FAITHFUL (v.9)
holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
• This simply means they honestly believe in Jesus, and they do their best to live up to it “so help me God”
—> Jude 3 “the faith once for all delivered”
3. A Deacon must have CHARACTER (vv.10-12)
They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.
• All of these requirements are statements about the man’s present character, who he is today, not events in his past…
but it must be proven character.
—> 1Tim 3:6 “not be a recent convert”
—> 1Tim 5:22 “do not be hasty in the laying on of hands” – ordination
• “tested first; (v.10) if they prove blameless” – not “perfect” but without present blame
• His life today is in order.
• Then Paul starts to talk about the man’s family life:
vv.11-13 (Their) Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
• They don’t have to have a perfect family, but they are to be Faithful Husbands and Fathers who treat their families rightly.
“Golden Nuggets from the Greek New Testament” by Kenneth Wuest
“Some have interpreted I Timothy 3:2, 12, as requiring the bishop [overseer or ‘Pastor’] and deacon to be married before they can serve in these capacities in the church. There is a rule in Greek grammar which says, ‘The presence of the definite article identifies, its absence qualifies.” The article is absent before the words “husband, one, and wife” in both verses, showing that Paul was interested in the character or quality of the man rather than in any relationship or possessions he might have. The literal translation is, “Let the deacons be one-wife sort of husbands,” that is, they must be men of such a character that they would only desire and have one wife, not two or three. Polygamy is forbidden. That this is the correct interpretation is shown also by the fact that Paul in the context is speaking of the qualities of the bishop and deacon rather than any possessions they might have.”
• Just as children are mentioned here in 1Timothy 3, we take this to be speaking to a man’s character rather than his present family situation.
• He may not have children, yet he could still be qualified to be the kind of man who would be a good father.
• Neither Paul nor Jesus were married or had children.
• All of a man’s children could have preceded him in death. He could still be qualified to be a deacon.
• So too for a widower. Simply because a man’s wife dies, this would not disqualify him from serving as a deacon.
—> Romans 7:2 A married woman is legally bound to her husband while he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law regarding the husband.
—> 1Corinthians 7:39 “A wife is bound as long as her husband is living. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to anyone she wants—only in the Lord.”
• The Bible is clear, there’s nothing wrong with remarrying after your spouse passes away.
• This would not automatically disqualify a man from serving as a deacon.
• So, “husband of one wife” is not a statement of the number of wives you have had, but a qualification of the man’s character.
• As the New Living Translation puts it he must be “faithful to his wife.”
• Does he have a wife? Is he the kind of man who is faithful to her? Has he proven that over years?
• Earlier in 1Corinthians 7 Paul talks not about being single through the death of a spouse, but through the desertion of an unbelieving spouse.
—> 1Corinthians 7:15 “if the unbeliever leaves, let him leave. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace.”
• “not bound” by what?
• Just as a widow or widower is no longer bound to their spouse when they die, Paul is saying if your spouse is unfaithful and leaves you, there’s nothing you can do about that, let them go and you are “not bound” to your promise. They have broken the vows, not you.
• That’s not a mark against your character.
—> Matthew 19:9 “I tell you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery.”
• So Jesus is saying if you divorce and then you marry someone else, you are committing adultery… unless they were unfaithful.
• Paul was saying the same thing when he says they are “not bound”
• If your spouse cheats, can you stay married? Sure, just like Hosea and Gomer in the Bible.
• Must you stay married? No. you are “not bound” – just like the widow or widower, you are free from your obligation to them.
• The Phrase “man of one woman” (μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρες) is a statement regarding a man’s present character, not an exclusionary criteria based on past events.
• Must he be married? No.
• Must he be married no more than once? Not necessarily.
• Provided his present situation is that of a man of character who is a “one-woman [type of] man;” who is “faithful to his wife” and that has been proven over time… he should not be disqualified.
• 1Timothy 3:12 does not reference divorce specifically, but it could be a factor in many cases.
• Just as a man who cheats on his wife, but they don’t end up getting divorced would not be qualified to be a deacon, so too a man who did not break his marriage vows but ends up divorced, should not be automatically disqualified.
• He still has to meet all the other qualifications of his character as well.
• A good summary
“Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem (2013) pp.916-17
“The qualification ‘the husband of one wife’… has been understood in different ways. Some people have thought that it excludes from the office of [Deacon]… men who have been divorced and have then married someone else, since they have been the husband of two wives. But this does not seem to be a correct understanding of these verses. A better interpretation is that Paul was prohibiting a polygamist (a man who presently has more than one wife) from being [a Deacon]… (1) all the other qualifications listed by Paul refer to a man’s present status, not his entire past life… (2) Paul could have said ‘having been married only once’ if he had wanted to, but he did not… (3) We should not prevent remarried widowers from being elders, but that would be necessary if we take the phrase to mean ‘having been married only once.’ The qualifications for [Deacons]… are all based on a man’s moral and spiritual character, and there is nothing in Scripture to suggest that a man who remarried after his wife had died has lower moral or spiritual qualifications. (4) Polygamy was possible in the first century… it is best to understand ‘the husband of one wife’ to prohibit a polygamist from holding the office of [Deacon]…. The verses say nothing about divorce and remarriage with respect to qualifications for church office.”
