Deacon
- As with ministers like Stephen, we also see the Didache stating: “Therefore, elect for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men who are meek and not lovers of money, true and approved, for they also perform for you the ministry of the prophets and teachers.” 15:1[1]
- Deacon: The word deacon means leader of ten. Leadership in the Church is by service. In the Greek the word diakonos means servant or Ministers. Minister is the Latin word for doer of little deeds. Minister is a generic term that includes all who serve others, whether deacon, bishop, archbishop or other.
- Elder. An Elder is often older and more experienced, usually holding a position of respect, a father and husband by experience, the head of a family by status. An elder is chosen by each family group by decision or status. It is from the elders that the Ministers of the congregation are usually chosen for appointment by the Church.
- Minister. A minister is any servant of the Church whether temporary or ordained. Ministers may include Personal Contact Ministers, Ministers of Congregations of record (Licensed Ministers), trustees, members of Commissions (Missionaries or Commissioned Ministers), Deacons, ministers acting ex officio, Ordained ministers, and Novices, etc. Or in a less official and more independent capacity any lay person including presbyters, acolytes or congregants offering assistance or aid.
Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:[2]
1 Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1 Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1 Timothy 3:13 For they that have used the office of a deacon[3] well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
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Footnotes
- ↑ The Didache is mentioned by Eusebius (c. 324) as the Teachings of the Apostles following the books recognized as canonical (Historia Ecclesiastica III, 25): ...
- ↑ 1249 ~διάκονος~ diakonos \@dee-ak’-on-os\@ probably from an obsolete diako (to run on errands, cf 1377);n m/f AV-minister 20, servant 8, deacon 3; 31
- 1) one who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master,
- 1a) the servant of a king
- 1b) a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use
- 1c) a waiter, one who serves food and drink
- ↑ 1247 ~διακονέω~ diakoneo \@dee-ak-on-eh’-o\@ from 1249; v AV-minister unto 15, serve 10, minister 7, misc 5; 37
- 1)) to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon
- 1a) to minister to one, render ministering offices to
- 1a1) to be served, ministered unto
- 1b) to wait at a table and offer food and drink to the guests,
- 1b1) of women preparing food
- 1c) to minister i.e. supply food and necessities of life
- 1c1) to relieve one’s necessities (e.g. by collecting alms),
- 1a) to minister to one, render ministering offices to
- 1c2) to take care of the poor and the sick, who administer the
- 1c3) in Christian churches to serve as deacons
- 1d) to minister
- 1d1) to attend to anything, that may serve another’s interests
- 1d2) to minister a thing to one, to serve one or by supplying
- 1)) to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon