1 Timothy 3:8 - Meaning and Application

Here we see the kind of character deacons should have. These officers took care of the church’s practical needs, including support for the ministers and help for the poor. They “served tables,” while the ministers, or bishops, devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:2, Acts 6:4). The institution of this office, and the need that led to it, are described in Acts 6:1-7.

It was necessary that deacons have a good reputation, because they helped the ministers, worked publicly, and were trusted with important duties. They must be grave, or serious and respectable. That kind of seriousness is fitting for all Christians, but especially for those who hold office in the church. They must not be double-tongued, saying one thing to one person and another thing to another, depending on what benefits them. A double tongue comes from a double heart, and both flatterers and slanderers are double-tongued.

They must not be given to much wine, because drunkenness is a great shame for any man, especially for a Christian and for someone in office. It makes a man unfit for business and opens the door to many sins. They must not be greedy for dishonest gain, because deacons were entrusted with the church’s money. If they were covetous, they might be tempted to steal what was meant for public service.

They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9). The mystery of the faith is the gospel truth that was once hidden but is now revealed. This is best held fast by someone whose conscience is pure. A real love for truth is one of the strongest protections against error and deception. If we keep a clear conscience, and guard against anything that damages it or pulls us away from God, it will help preserve the mystery of faith in our hearts.

They must also be tested first before they are given public trust (1 Timothy 3:10). It is not right to place church responsibilities in anyone’s hands until they have been proved and found fit for the work. Their judgment, zeal for Christ, and blameless conduct must all be tested.

Their wives also must have a good character (1 Timothy 3:11). They should be serious in behavior, not slanderers or gossipers who carry stories to stir up trouble and division. They must be sober and faithful in all things, not given to excess, but trustworthy in everything placed in their care. Those connected with ministers should be especially careful to live in a way that fits the gospel of Christ, lest the ministry be spoken against because of their disorderly conduct.

As was said earlier about bishops, so it is said here about deacons, they must be the husband of one wife, meaning a man not guilty of putting away one wife and marrying another. They must also rule their children and their own households well. The homes of deacons should be examples to other families.

The reason for these qualifications is that, although a deacon’s office is lower in rank, it can be a step toward a higher service in the church (1 Timothy 3:13). Those who serve tables faithfully may afterward be thought fit for greater work, such as preaching the word and prayer. Or the meaning may be that faithful service in this office wins a good standing and gives a man boldness in the faith of Christ Jesus. Honest service brings confidence, while a lack of integrity makes a man fearful and unstable. The wicked run when no one is chasing them, but the righteous are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1).

In the early church, there were only two kinds of ministers or church officers, bishops and deacons (Philippians 1:1). Later generations added the rest. The bishop, presbyter, pastor, or minister was set apart for prayer and the ministry of the word, while the deacon’s work was mainly to care for the church’s practical concerns. Clement of Rome wrote plainly that the apostles, knowing through Jesus Christ that there would be disputes in the church about the name of bishop, appointed these two orders, bishops and deacons.

Scripture deacons were mainly to serve tables, not to preach or baptize. Philip did preach and baptize in Samaria (Acts 8), but he is later called an evangelist (Acts 21:8), so he may have done those things under that calling. Still, the main purpose of the deacon’s office was to handle the church’s temporal matters, such as supporting ministers and caring for the poor.

Even these lower officers needed several important qualifications. They were to be grave and trustworthy, and they were to be tested before being admitted to office. Faithfulness and honesty in a lower role are often the path to greater responsibility in the church. This kind of integrity also gives a man boldness in the faith, while a lack of uprightness makes him timid and easily shaken.