The important work of deacons

After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Christian church began to grow so fast that some believers, especially widows, were neglected in the daily distribution of food and alms. Specifically, the Greek members complained that Greek widows were being denied their fair share of food. Since the 12 disciples had their hands full caring for the spiritual needs of the church, they decided to appoint seven leaders to tend to the physical and administrative needs of the church.

Chosen were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolaus. The disciples then prayed and placed their hands on the seven men. (Acts 6: 1-6). These men became the forerunners to the deacons that later managed the daily activities of the church. This freed up the elders to concentrate on their duties to teach and preach the Word.

The term deacon comes from the Greek word “diákonos” whose English equivalent is “servant.” The qualifications of deacon are detailed in I Timothy 3:8-13. To summarize, a deacon must be reverent, cannot be double-tongued, not given to wine and strong drink, not greedy, or a lover of money and one who is strong in the Christian faith. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do. A married deacon should be the husband of one wife and manage his children and household well. Likewise, the wives of deacons should be reverent, temperate, faithful, not slanderous and demonstrate model character. Two women, Phoebe and Priscilla, became prominent leaders in the early church (Romans 16: 1-3). Some protestant churches have a deaconess board that compliments the role of deacons.

Deacons play a prominent role in the Baptist church. Other Protestant denominations such as Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, etc. do not have deacon boards per se due to different organizational structures, but accomplish “diaconal” through other means. In the early church, a clear distinction existed between “deacon” and “elder.” The significant work of deacons freed up the elders (pastors) so they could focus on preaching and teaching. So it is today.

The first deacon, Stephen, was summoned before the Jewish Sanhedrin (Acts 7:1-53) to explain trumped-up charges of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God. Stephen’s long speech extended from the call of Abraham to Isaac, then Jacob, followed by the 12 tribes of Israel. Stephen continued with Moses and progressed through the Exodus, then to King David and King Solomon. He ended with the Jews’ rejection and murder of Christ. Highly enraged, his accusers stoned Stephen to death. Before dying, he “called upon God” and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Acts 8:1 describes Saul (became known as Paul the Apostle) as “consenting” to the death of Stephen. Saul wreaked havoc on the fledging Christian church and jailed its members (verse 3). Then something big happened. Traveling on the Damascus road to arrest Christians, the “Risen Lord” appeared to Paul in a blinding light (Acts 9). Paul was changed from the “greatest persecutor of Christians” to the “greatest spokesman for Christ” the world has ever known.

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