Can Women Serve As Deacons At A Church?

Can Women Serve As Deacons At A Church? October 25, 2016

Can women serve as deacons in the church? What does the Bible say about this?

Paul’s Instructions for Titus

An elder can be a pastor or preacher but also an elder in the church but this office apparently is only for men as the Apostle Paul writes to Titus in how to select elders in the church. Paul writes that Titus is to “appoint elders in every town as I directed you” (Titus 1:5) and that it is for those who are “above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination” (Titus 1:6) because “an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:7-9). Notice the requirements of this office as being for men only as he must be the husband of one wife (which could mean he is a one-woman man or being faithful to his wife), and that Paul mentions “he” and not once, “she.” This may not be popular or politically correct but it’s what the Bible teaches. That’s enough.

Paul’s Instructions for Timothy

Paul also writes to Timothy about the selection of elders and deacons in 1st Timothy chapter 3 where he writes, “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1st Tim 3:1-3). Once more this cannot be women that Paul is writing about because he writes about the man needing to be “the husband of one wife” and not the wife of one husband. The masculine gender is clear in the Greek as Paul continues that an overseer (pastor) “must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil” (1st Tim 3:4-6). Once more we read that there I no allowance in the context of this verse that the office of elder or deacon can be held by women. It’s not my opinion that I’m writing about but what the Word of God declares.

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Qualifications for Deacon

What about the office of deacon? What does the Bible teach about who can be one? The Apostle Paul again writes to Timothy and says “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things” (1st Tim 3:8-11). More than that, Paul adds, “Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus” (1st Tim 3:12-13). Clearly, the office of deacon refers to the male as “the husband of one wife” and being able to manage “their own households well” and “managing their children” in a godly way, but what about the deaconess’ in the New Testament? Can’t women be deaconesses today?

Deaconesses

Obviously, the word deacon and the office of deacon are reserved for men but there are deaconess’ in the New Testament as we read where Paul says “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well” (Rom 16:1-2). The Greek word used for “servant” in referring to Phoebe is “diakonos” and means deacon (or servant), and in the case of Phoebe, it’s obviously the position of deaconess, so having women as deaconess’ is clearly biblical. Our own little church has a pastor, deacon, elder, and a deaconess who was chosen by the church because she is a servant to many inside and outside the church. She is often working on helping the poor in the community, serving the church with the basic needs, and visiting the sick and those in the hospital, which is exactly what a deacon or deaconess is to be doing. That is God’s calling on this woman’s life and she has fulfilled it according to the biblical model. That’s why I believe that women can serve, not as deacons, but as deaconesses.’ We are blessed to have rock solid elders, deacons, deaconess, and hopefully, a pastor (myself) that adheres to the Word of God and follows the pattern of the primitive church in the first century. That is our model for how we do church today.

Conclusion

The greatest model of growing a church is not found in new programs but in preaching and teaching the Word of God. We see this in Acts 2:42-47 where Luke writes that the church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” So you can find all the church growth programs you want or you can follow the biblical model found in the Book of Acts, so I can burn a big pile of money (in these programs) or I can follow the biblical model of the first century church. We don’t need to reinvent the church. We have the template in the New Testament.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.


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