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The Biblical Qualifications For Elders and Deacons |
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The only two local church offices mentioned in the NT are those of Elder (overseer) and Deacon (servant or minister). Included in these qualifications is a man’s heartfelt desire for the care and oversight of God’s people (1Timothy 3:1). The desire for power, authority, or spiritual status is nowhere listed or promised in any part of the New Testament! Consider the following verses carefully and you will find they speak of selfless Christian servants who desire to humbly and sacrificially care for the people Christ died to save.
"Those
who are choosing elders in churches today would do well to look carefully
at candidates in the light of these qualifications, and to look for those
character traits and patterns of godly living rather than worldly
achievement, fame, or success. Especially in churches in western
industrial societies, there seems to be a tendency to think that success
in the world of business (or law, or medicine, or government) is an
indication of suitability for the office of elder, but this is not the
teaching of the New Testament." -Wayne
Grudem, Systematic Theology, An
Introduction to Biblical Doctrine,
p.916
The Greek word for deacon is (diakonos). In its pre-technical usage, this word simply meant "one who serves." The seven men chosen to serve in this capacity in Acts 6:1-6 were likely the first deacons ever to be appointed in the church. Generally, their attention to the physical needs of the flock was meant to allow the elders to give full attention to prayer and the teaching of the word of God (Acts 6:2, 4). However, Acts 6:8-8:1 clearly shows that even gifted deacons may preach and teach boldly at times! Women and Church Leadership There are two basic views as to the subject of women and church leadership prevalent in the church today. Very briefly, the older view is often referred to as the complimentarian view. This view asserts that while men and women are indeed equal, woman's roles do not include leadership positions over men. A woman's role is to compliment the leadership role of men in the church. The second view, sometimes called the egalitarian view, came into existence in the late 19th century. This view is much harder to define since there are many different flavors of egalitarianism in the church today. However, what is common to all biblical egalitarian assertions is the idea that since both men and women are equal, either gender may hold any leadership role the church, including eldership or pastoral leadership. The banner text cited by most biblical egalitarians is Galatians 3:28. However, understood in its proper context, Paul’s clear intent in this verse is to inform the Galatian church that everyone [who is] in Christ now has equal standing before God. His words here were meant to bring nothing to bear on the wholly different topic of Church leadership. According to the Bible there are at least four important truths that men and women must grasp as they form their doctrine in regard to women and church leadership. (1) Both men and women are made in the image of God. (2) Both men and women have dominion over the earth (all God's creation). (3) In Christ, men and women have the same equal standing and direct access to God. (4) Though equal, men and women have different roles in life, the family, and in the church. This last point means men and women, though equal, are not free to interchange every ministry function in the local church. This concept is well illustrated in the outward ministry of the Trinity. While all three Persons of the Trinity are wholly God and co-equal, each plays a different role in creation and salvation history. Women may certainly minister in the church as teachers, evangelists, musicians, missionaries, and perhaps even deaconesses*, yet the biblical doctrines of creation and the fall (Gen.1-3), male headship (outlined in Ephesians 5:22-6:3 and 1Peter 3:1-7) and male language in verses like 1Tim.3:1-5 & 12 make it abundantly clear that only mature Christian men of a certain approved character and spiritual gifting are rightful subjects for church eldership. *Depending on how one chooses to translate the Greek word "diakonon" in Romans 16:1, it may be argued from that verse that women were sometimes allowed to function as deaconesses (servants) even as early as Paul’s day. However, based on the clearer passages of Scripture, along with the Greek word "prostatis" (helper/protector) which quickly follows in Romans 16:2, it seems more likely Paul was simply using the word diakonon in its pre-technical sense. In this case, the best rendering of this word would be "servant" and not "deaconess" in any later technical sense of the word. If women were, in fact, allowed to serve as deaconesses in the early church this ministry service would likely have included the added dimension of teaching, counseling, and/or evangelizing other (younger) women and children in the congregation, as well as providing a woman’s perspective to the male leaders of the church. However, because of the created order of Adam and Eve and the issue of male headship outlined in Ephesians 5:22-6:3 and 1Peter 3:1-7, women must always minister under the authority of qualified male elders while first and foremost remaining subject to their own husbands.
Systematic Theology, An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine,
Wayne Grudem,
Zondervan,
©
2000 -Michael J. Campese, © 2002
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