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You may turn in your Bibles to 
1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3. Last week 
we looked at verses 1 to 7, the qualifications for elders. This 
evening, verses 8 to 13, qualifications for deacons in the life of the 
church. One of the things that we noted 
last week is that we don't simply look for the most popular the 
most accomplished man, but rather we look for qualified men. The 
Apostle sets forth these qualifications not as a suggestion for the Church, 
not something for them to consider if they so please, but rather 
men must indeed be what is described here in order to function as 
elders and deacons in the Church of Jesus Christ. So I'll pick 
up reading at verse 1 just to set the larger context. And then 
we'll consider verses 8 to 13. This is a faithful saying. If 
a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, 
the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, 
hospitable, able to teach, not given to wine, not violent, not 
greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous, 
one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission 
with all reverence. For if a man does not know how 
to rule his own house, how will he take care of the Church of 
God? Not a novice, lest, being puffed up with pride, he fall 
into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover, he must 
have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall 
into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise, deacons 
must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy 
for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 
But let these also first be tested, then let them serve as deacons, 
being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be 
reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons 
be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children in their 
own house as well. For those who have served well 
as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness 
in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things I write to 
you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, 
I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself 
in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, 
the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy, 
great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh, 
justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the 
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for this, Your Word. We pray for grace 
now to receive these things. We pray for wisdom and unity 
as a local church as we pursue men for the office of deacon. 
We just ask God in heaven that You would guide us in this endeavor. 
We ask God in heaven that You would give us grace to understand 
the truth, to apply that truth in the lives of men. And God, 
we pray for the men themselves, that You would strengthen them, 
grant them grace and help, Grant them the ability, Lord God, to 
pursue the things that you say are righteous and good and holy. And all of us, God, may we look 
at lists like these, may we see qualifications like these, and 
may we all pursue such virtue. May we all pursue such righteous 
traits. May you help us, God in heaven, 
to genuinely seek to imbibe those things which are righteous in 
your sight. And we ask this through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, this passage deals 
with the two abiding offices in the Church of Christ today, 
elders and deacons. We no longer have apostles, we 
no longer have prophets. What we do have that continues 
in the Church is indicated here in chapter 3 in 1 Timothy. Titus chapter 1 deals with the 
eldership as well. 1 Peter chapter 5 deals with 
eldership. there is another couple of passages 
that deal with deacons that I want to look at tonight. So I want 
to do two basic things this evening. First, a description of the office, 
and secondly, the qualifications for the office. So first of all, 
a description of the office. The word that is employed here 
is the word deacon. How's that for some education 
here? It's transliterated. It's a word 
that in the Greek is simply deacon, we just bring it over into our 
word. And it has a pretty broad range. It has a pretty broad, what's 
called semantic range. It's plugged in to all kinds 
of different contexts and all kinds of different places. It 
is the word that you'll see in the scriptures that is minister. It is servant. That's its basic 
or root idea. What we are talking about tonight 
is the office in the church called deacons in 1st Timothy 3 verses 
8 to 13. George W. Knight describes it 
this way. The word means servant or minister 
and is used of the apostles and it's even used of Jesus Christ. 
Matthew 20, 28, "...the Son of Man did not come to be served, 
but rather to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." 
The word used here is the technical designation of those who have 
the serving office in the Church and is commonly translated as 
deacons. This is the most specialized 
usage of the term, which in general usage simply means servant. And it's applied not only to 
the church, but it's also applied outside of the church. There's 
a civil use for this particular word. In Romans chapter 13 and 
verse 4, the apostle refers to the governing authority. He refers 
to the civil magistrate as God's deacon. Well there, he's a servant, 
he's a minister, he's an avenger of wrath to execute God's judgment 
in history. So again, it's a broad word, 
but what we're dealing with tonight is its specific ecclesiastical 
use. That means its use within the 
context of the local church to describe that office which has 
as its primary focus and its primary orientation, service. Remember, the primary focus and 
the primary orientation of the eldership is upon teaching and 
governing. 1 Timothy 3, 2. The elder must 
be able to teach. Verses 4 and 5. One who rules 
his own house well, having his children in submission with all 
reverence, then note the implication that is drawn. For if a man does 
not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care 
of the Church of God? So those are the two primary 
tasks of the eldership, teaching and ruling. The deacon is to 
manage his own household well also, but that implication is 
not drawn from it because he is not in a position, his task 
is service-oriented, he is not a teacher and he is not a ruler 
within the context of the local church. John Gill, as I'm sure 
I've mentioned before, helpfully explains that the task of the 
diaconate is threefold. He says the deacons, and one 
of the basic meanings of the word diaconus, is a table servant. And so what Gil says in terms 
of the deacon, is that deacons are to maintain the table of 
the Lord. They're to look after the things 
of the building. They're to look after the things 
that deal with the exterior, the mundane, make sure that all 
the things are in place so that the people of God can worship. 
As well, the deacons are to look after the port. It is a ministry 
of mercy. We'll see one of those passages 
this evening. But as well to look after the 
table of the minister. That doesn't mean they come over 
and serve dinner. It just means that they orchestrate 
and facilitate and make sure that the men who are tasked with 
preaching and with governing are enabled to do that. So that's 
kind of the word employed, some relevant text before we look 
at 1 Timothy 3. We can turn back to the book 
of Acts, Acts chapter 6. Though the word deacon is absent, 
the concept is present. Though these men are not called 
deacons, I agree with Calvin. Calvin says it remains to be 
stated that we understand the deacons to be those who are mentioned 
by Luke, Acts 6, and who had charge, or had the charge, of 
the poor. So I'll just read the section 
and make a few comments. Now in those days, when the number 
of the disciples, this is Acts 6 verse 1, was multiplying, there 
arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because 
their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Verse 
2 says, then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples 
and said, it is not desirable that we should leave the word 
of God and serve table. So here's the situation. The 
church in Jerusalem is growing. They are distributing tangible 
help to the widows of the church. They are feeding them. And within 
the distribution of food, the Hellenists, that means the Greek 
Christians, the Greek speakers, the Greek-speaking Jews were 
being neglected or tended to think they were being neglected 
in this daily ration. And so the temporal situation 
is simply this. They need to distribute the food 
equitably. They need to distribute the food 
between the Hellenists and the Hebrews so that all of the widows 
get their food and they can go home and be happy and joyful 
and all those things that are requisite in our lives. You see, 
there's a spiritual problem that it's affecting as well. It's 
not just the temporal where some widows were being neglected. 
The spiritual is highlighted in verse 2. The Twelve summoned 
the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not desirable 
that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Now 
they are not saying that serving tables is bad. They are not saying 
that the widow should starve. They are not saying that we are 
disembodied spirits and we don't care about the temporal needs 
of real life human beings. The apostles understood their 
primary objective. The Church of Christ needs to 
understand a primary objective. When it comes to the teaching 
and the preaching of the Word of God that is to be accompanied 
with prayer, we want to make sure that we facilitate that. 
We want to make sure that that happens. We want to make sure 
that that is a primary emphasis within our churches. We do not 
want puppets, ponies, and programs to usurp the place of a faithful 
preaching ministry. And if it's food that is the 
need, then the Apostle said, it is not desirable that we should 
leave the Word of God and serve tables. Again, not that serving 
tables is bad, not that this is wicked, not that this is horrible, 
but for every bowl of soup that the apostles are ladling out, 
they're not praying, and they're not committing themselves to 
the Word of God. So we've got the temporal situation, 
we've got a spiritual situation, and these men, later identified 
as deacons, answer to the particular call. Notice that the church 
is involved in selecting these men. Verse 3a, Therefore, brethren, 
seek out from among you seven men, Seven of them. Probably 
one man for each day would oversee the distribution of food. That's 
probably why seven. That's not prescriptive. It's 
not the case that every church since then has to have seven 
deacons. Deacons is a need-driven particular 
office. You have deacons as you need 
them. And in this particular instance, 
seven answered to the particular, but the church is told to seek 
out from among you seven men. Qualifications are specified. Seven men that have a good reputation. Seven men that are full of the 
Holy Spirit, and seven men that are full of wisdom. You see, 
it's not just any seven men, but it's these kinds of men. 
It's not just any man that serves as a deacon, but he's a 1 Timothy 
3, verses 8 to 13, qualified man. I think the church, in many 
ways, has shot herself in the foot when she has put unqualified 
officers in the eldership and in the diaconate. It is like 
anything. You get what you pay for. I'm not saying you pay for it, 
you get the idea. If you get an unqualified man, 
do not be surprised when he provides unqualified service. You need 
men that are faithful, men that are righteous, men that are upright, 
men that do imbibe the qualifications set forth by God through His 
Word. Notice verse 4. Verse 3, full of the Holy Spirit 
and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. Verse 4, 
but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry 
of the Word. This is the result. This is what 
they wanted. This is what they were after. 
It wasn't as if the apostles didn't want to serve food to 
widows. It's that their primary calling Their primary emphasis, 
their primary orientation was prayer and the ministry of the 
Word. So if we go back to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and we look at the 
primary task and the primary objective of the elders, and 
it's to teach and it's to govern, well then the deacons help them 
do that. That is a legitimate implication 
that we ought to draw from this study in Acts chapter 6. We will 
give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of 
the Word. Verse 5, the men are identified 
and appointed, in verses 5 and 6. And then notice, as Luke is 
wont to do throughout the book of Acts, he gives a progress 
report. Very often Luke does this. He'll 
give a summary report, a summary statement, a progress report. 
It's kind of like when you're at school and you get a progress 
report. You're doing quite well, Johnny. Keep it up. Well, there's 
those all along the book of Acts, and there happens to be one here 
in connection with the appointment of deacons. What seems to be 
the implication is this, that as the apostles are freed up 
from table waiting, as they are enabled to continually devote 
themselves to the Word of God and to prayer, it really ought 
not to surprise us that then the Word of God spread. And the 
number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great 
many of the priests were obedient to the faith. It's not a haphazard 
insertion here. It is a progress report, a summary 
statement about the goings-on in the life of the church in 
Jerusalem. And that it comes after these 
seven men have been appointed to make sure that the Hellenists 
and the Hebrews get their daily ration of food. The apostles 
are then freed up to do that primary task that God the Lord 
has called them to. And as a result of that, then 
the Word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied 
greatly in Jerusalem." So for the deacons, for the men aspiring 
to such office, it is a noble task, the service or the table 
of the Lord, the table of the poor, the table of the minister, 
in order to provide a conduit, an avenue whereby Men who are 
tasked with preaching and praying are freed up to do that so that 
they can preach the Word for the salvation of sinners and 
the edification of saints. It is a huge calling. It is absolutely 
crucial within the context and the life of the Church. Philippians 
chapter 1, another text that deals with deacons. Not a lot, 
not qualifications, not anything very specific, but just so you 
can see that in fact the early church recognized these two offices 
within the context of the local church. Philippians 1.1, Paul 
and Timothy bond servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints 
in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the bishops and deacons, 
with the overseers and deacons, with the 1st Timothy 3, 1-7 men, 
and the 1st Timothy 3, 8-13 men. Bishops and deacons were functioning 
in the church at Philippi. It was a healthy, established 
body, and the apostle gives his greetings to these particular 
men, along with all the saints. So going back to 1 Timothy chapter 
3 verses 8 to 13 is the most developed section or the most 
robust section dealing with these men called deacons. Just a few 
preliminary observations before we get into the qualifications 
proper. The likewise of verse 8 indicates 
that the deacon, like the elders, must be qualified. Right? 1 Timothy 3.1, if a man desires 
the position of an overseer, he desires a good work, an overseer 
then must be, and then it indicates the various things. Verse 8, 
likewise deacons, and it's supplied, but it's a good supply, deacons 
must be. There is qualification to serve 
as a deacon in the Church of the Living God, and they are 
specified here. Note that the emphasis in the 
qualification falls more upon what he must be and not what 
he must do. He doesn't say the man who's 
handy with a hammer, the man who can wire up electricity, 
the man who has gifts in terms of, you know, economics and finance 
and budgetary. That's not where the stress falls. Just because a man does something 
in service to the church doesn't necessarily mean that he's a 
deacon. In fact, all men always ought 
to be servants in the church. All of us always ought to be 
deacons. I mean, come on, who doesn't 
want to serve in the life and the ministry of Christ's church? What a noble and blessed thing. The primary differences between 
the qualifications we've already noted. The elder teaches, the 
elder rules or leads. And then as well, the deacon's 
wife is mentioned in verse 11. We'll look at that in more detail 
in just a moment. Elder's wives are not mentioned, 
and I probably mentioned this last week. An elder's wife does 
not assist him in the task of eldering. Does everybody get that? An elder's 
wife and overseer's wife does not assist her husband in the 
task of being an overseer. It ought not to be the case that 
it's Pastor Billy and Sandy Smith. Sandy can't be a pastor. Paul's 
already told us that in 1 Timothy 2. A wife of an elder does not 
assist him in teaching and in governing. If those are the primary 
aspects of Christian eldership in the context of the local church, 
and Paul has already prohibited a woman from teaching or exercising 
authority over a man, then Sandy ought not to help Bill when it 
comes to the task of pastoral ministry. The deacon's wife, 
however, is not an office bearer, but she will assist her husband 
in the task of service, more likely when he's dealing with 
a situation involving a woman. Who better than his wife to assist 
in that act of ministry to a fellow woman than the deacon's wife? So elders' wives are not mentioned, 
deacons' wives are mentioned, and it's probably for that very 
reason. Elders' wives do not assist them 
in the task of pastoring. Deacons' wives will assist them 
in the task of deaconing. So let's look now at the qualifications, 
and we have four categories. I'm sorry, five categories. First, 
his personal character. Some of this overlaps with what 
we saw in the eldership, so we won't spend a lot of time on 
each virtue. His personal character, verse 
8, his doctrinal conviction, verse 9, his proven faithfulness, 
verse 10, his domestic situation in verses 11 and 12, and his 
standing in Christ, in verse 13. Notice his personal character, 
verse 8. Likewise, deacons must be reverent. They must be reverent. Now certainly, 
as the deacon comes into the house of God, he finds himself 
under that Hebrews 12 mandate, where we must worship God acceptably 
with reverence and with godly fear. But the idea here is that 
Paul is describing the man himself. He is worthy of respect because 
he's a serious man. He is a dignified man. He is 
a respectable man. Now that doesn't mean he never 
laughs. He never jokes. Seriousness in the scripture 
does not mean a fuddy-duddy. It doesn't mean somebody who 
can't have a good time. But overall, the overarching 
demeanor of this Christian man is one of seriousness, dignity, 
and respectability. The term is used in Titus 2 at 
verse 2 as well. Titus 2 at verse 2. The older 
men must be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, and 
love in patience." So, reverent here has the idea that he is 
worthy of respect because of his demeanor. It is serious, 
dignified, and respectable. Secondly, and there's three negatives 
now. Notice the same sort of a convention. 
He says in overarching category, he is to be reverent, and then 
he fleshes out three nots. Three things he's not supposed 
to be, and the first, he is not to be double-tongued. That's 
what it says. Not double-tongued. He mustn't 
be sort of a wishy-washy guy. He mustn't be an undecisive man. He mustn't be insincere. He mustn't be deceitful. He must 
not engage in manipulation. In his excellent little book 
on the New Testament deacon, Alexander Strach makes this observation. He says, behind a deceitful tongue 
is a deceitful mind. Whatever the heart is, whatever 
the mind is, it's going to flesh itself out through a man's tongue. And so it should not surprise 
us that the apostle here calls for self-control with reference 
to speech. Secondly, he is not to be given 
to much wine. Just like the elder, verse 3, 
not given to wine. The deacon is not to be given 
to much wine. Again, drunkenness is condemned 
in the pages of Scripture. A moderate use of alcohol is 
not condemned. Later the apostle will encourage 
Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach. The idea here, 
however, is that the man of God, the deacon in this instance, 
must be self-controlled, with reference, to drink. So, with 
reference to his tongue or speech, with reference to drink or his 
passions, and then thirdly, he is not to be greedy for money. He has access to the purse. He 
has access to the church funds. Generally speaking, deacons look 
after that sort of thing in the context of local churches. You 
don't want a Judas pilfering money out of the money box. You 
don't want a man who cannot be trusted. A deacon must not serve 
because he loves money, he must serve because he loves God and 
he loves God's people. Again, these are no-brainers. 
Of course you wouldn't want somebody like this to occupy such a noble 
office in the life and context of the church. The three negatives 
point to areas where self-control is crucial. Speech, drink, and 
money. Knight says, in all three, these 
negatives, the quality of self-control is spelled out with reference 
to speech, appetite for drink, and perspective on money. And 
I like what he says here, all of which the deacon must have 
under control rather than being controlled or betrayed by them. He has his speech, he has his 
appetites, and he has his desire for money under control. He is 
not controlled by these things himself. He rather is like Christ 
in exercising self-control in these particular areas. So that's 
his personal character. Notice, secondly, his doctrinal 
conviction. Verse 9. He needs to hold the 
mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. Now again, there's 
no mandate within the qualifications for the deacon that he be apt 
to teach. There are instances in the New 
Testament where deacons preach. Not all deacons will preach. 
Not all deacons will teach. That is not requisite within 
the office itself. But just because a man doesn't 
preach or teach doesn't mean he doesn't have to understand 
the truth. And Paul describes it this way. 
Holding the mystery of the faith. Holding it. Standing firm. Standing fast. Understanding 
the Christian faith. Believing the Christian faith. 
And then conducting oneself in light of the Christian faith. 
That's what I think the idea of with a pure conscience means. He's not duplicitous. He is not 
double-minded. He is not affirming one thing 
with his mouth and then living the other way. Rather, by the 
grace of God, he is seeking and striving to be consistent and 
faithful in his pursuit of living in a manner that is worthy of 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we must hold the mystery 
of the faith with a pure conscience. He should understand doctrine. He should understand our confession 
of faith. He should have an understanding 
of those great truths of Christianity. Again, he's not going to be preaching 
like Spurgeon. He may not have to know it like 
Owen, but he certainly needs to understand. I mean John Owen, 
not my grandson Owen, though I hope someday little Owen embraces 
these things and can outdo John Owen with reference to doctrine. 
But he must hold the mystery of the faith. And this was a 
problem in Ephesus. This is something that Paul is 
combating. False teachers were a reality, 
and the Apostle certainly doesn't want men in office that do not 
understand the truth. Thirdly, his proven faithfulness. 
Verse 10. But let these also first be tested. The apostle makes this assertion, 
but doesn't tell us what it looks like. I think we have some liberty 
here. The confession speaks of the light of nature teaching 
us certain things. In our church, we usually go 
three months or six months or something like that in terms 
of a testing period, a trial period. to scrutinize the man, 
to hear sermons like these, to consider the man, to pray for 
the man, to ask the men questions, to get to know the men, so that 
we can in fact say yea and amen when it comes time to vote on 
them. The goal is, and the hope is, and the prayer is, is that 
we would be unified, and we would be unanimous. I realize it calls 
for simply a majority, but unanimity is a great blessing and does 
reflect the unity of God's people. And so let these also first be 
tested. He also points back to the elders. There's no mention in the qualifications 
for elders about a testing period. But this text highlights or indicates 
that elders must as well be tested. I think it's assumed, I think 
it's implied, I think it's understood that of course if a man is going 
to be considered for teaching in the church and ruling in the 
church, You're going to make sure that he's fit and qualified 
to do that. So that's Paul's statement in 
verse 10. Let these deacons also, like the elders, first be tested. Then let them serve as deacons, 
being found blameless. In other words, make sure they're 
qualified. Where did we go wrong with this 
passage? A lot of unqualified men occupying 
offices today, men that do not know sound doctrine, and these 
are oftentimes preachers. because they did not imbibe, 
did not apply, and did not believe and obey Paul's mandate here. Let these also first be tested, 
then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Again, 
Knight says, the testing is to be a thoughtful and careful evaluation 
of a man's life by a congregation aware of these needed qualifications. That's what he means. The testing 
is to be a thoughtful and careful evaluation of a man's life by 
a congregation aware of these needed qualifications. So with 
these thoughts in mind, with these men in mind, ask the questions, 
make sure everything's cool, and then God-willing we can see 
them installed. Now notice, fourthly, his domestic 
situation. His domestic situation, verses 
11 to 12. And there's three sub-points 
here. I know it's a little more teachy tonight, but I want us 
all to get it. His wife, his fidelity, his children. Note 
first in verse 11. Likewise, their wives must be. Now, some have suggested that 
this does not refer to Deacon's wives. The New King James translates 
it properly. It's a little joke there. You can smile. Actually, it's 
not a joke. They do. I think they're right. 
But it's the word that can mean women or wives. We already met that word back 
in 1 Timothy chapter 2. It could be women or wives. Three basic options or views 
with reference to this statement. The women in view are women deacons 
or what we might call deaconesses. The women in view are women deacons 
or deaconesses. This is a bit of a difficult 
interpretation because the qualifications have already been given for a 
deacon. If she is to serve as a deacon, why do not the qualifications 
in verse 8 and 9 suffice for her? Why give additional similar 
ones to a woman deacon? It just doesn't make sense. The 
word deacon is absent from verse 11. Likewise, their wives. It doesn't say women deacons. 
It says the word that's generically women or wives. But deacon is 
conspicuously absent from verse 11. It is present in verses 10 
and 12 in unmistakable male categories. As well, the Apostle highlights 
for male elders that they be the husband of one wife. He stipulates 
in verse 12 that a male deacon must be the husband of one wife. In 1 Timothy 5.9, for a widow 
to be placed on the widow's list, she must have been a one-man 
woman. So if this is such a big qualification, 
why is it absent if these are women deacons that are in view? 
I don't believe they are. A second option, or a second 
view, is they are women who formally assist the deacons. Women in 
the church who formally assist the deacons, which seems unwise 
at best. The apostle understood the temptation 
of sexual sin. The Apostle probably would not 
recommend that a woman, who is not the wife of a man, pair off 
with that man and go about and serve the church. Men and women, 
under Christ, even with the Spirit, need to watch and pray, need 
to resist, need to be on guard, need to be alert. I certainly 
don't think the Apostle Paul would call for them to be in 
a difficult and taxing situation. The most legitimate interpretation 
as I understand it, you could say you're just a male chauvinist 
pig, I think exegetically what is in view in verse 11 is the 
deacon's wives. Likewise, their wives, the deacon's 
wives will be ones who assist their husbands. And as a result, 
They need to be qualified, not for office, but because her husband's 
in office. And then he specifies what she 
is to be. She is to be reverent, just like 
her husband in verse 8. She is to be dignified, she is 
to be respectable, she is to be a serious-minded saint. Secondly, 
she is not to be a slanderer. As her husband is to control 
his tongue, so she must control her tongue as well. Oftentimes 
within the diaconate, there is some information that deacons 
are privy to that you need to hold back. You don't tell everybody 
everything. She is not to be a slanderer. Thirdly, she is to be temperate. This denotes self-control, balanced 
judgment, and freedom from debilitating excess. And the same sorts of 
things that we've seen previous to this, the areas of drink, 
the areas of fidelity, all those things, she is to exercise temperance. And then, notice the fourth qualification, 
she is to be faithful in all things. She is to be that Proverbs 
31 woman, a faithful deacon ought to be able to look at his wife 
and say, many daughters have done well, but you excel them 
all. Charm is deceitful and beauty 
is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. That's the kind of woman that 
Paul is speaking of. Again, George Knight says the 
wives of deacons must be as committed as their husbands, as in control 
of their tongue and attitudes, as self-controlled and faithful 
for them to be responsible laborers with their husbands. Although 
this is all true, it is not said of the wives that they must be 
first tested and be beyond reproach, because it is not they but their 
husbands who are being elected to and put into office." So that's 
his wife in the domestic realm. But secondly, notice his fidelity. Verse 12, "...let deacons be 
the husbands of one wife." Again, we saw that last week with reference 
to the elders. He's to exercise fidelity in 
sexual and marital matters. If a man cannot be trusted to 
be faithful to his wife, then we certainly do not trust him 
to care for the table of the Lord, the table of the poor, 
and the table of the minister. A man must first make sure that 
his castle is in order before he seeks to assist in the building 
of God's kingdom. This is something all of us need 
to appropriate, all of us need to get. In a situation, in a 
society, in an environment like ours, where sex is so rampant, 
and it's piped in every form of media, and it is shoved down 
our throats recurringly and repetitively, the Apostle Paul tells us, as 
married men, to be faithful. He tells you as married women 
to be faithful. Stay off the chat rooms or out 
of them, stay off the garbage, stay away from stuff that will 
rot your mind, pollute your marriage and bring ruin upon the name 
of Christ. My brother Steve mentioned something 
this morning about Quebec and how marriage just isn't really 
even looked at as something that's necessary. So many people just 
live together. I guess that's true here in BC, 
isn't it? Christians ought to set the pattern for faithfulness 
in marriage. We ought to marry. We ought not 
to fornicate if we're not married. We ought not to engage in those 
things that God says fornicators and adulterers will be judged 
We ought to resist that fleshly and carnal temptation, and when 
we're of years, when we're of ability, we marry a woman, we 
marry a man, and then we're faithful for the rest of it. This is not 
some disposable idea. This is not some societal construct. This is the word of the living 
God, and we as Christians need to be faithful. Let deacons be 
the husbands of one wife. Let the elders be the husband 
of one wife. Do not let a widow under 60 years 
old be taken in the number, and not unless she has been the wife 
of one man. She's been faithful to that man. 
She is engaged in fidelity. She has not strayed. She goes 
on the widow's list. That's what Paul says in terms 
of sexuality. And then notice his children 
in verse 12b. Same as we saw with the elders. 
Ruling their children and their own houses well. Not just ruling, 
but doing it well. Not perfectly, but doing it well. Doing it consistently, doing 
it earnestly, doing it biblically, doing it diligently. Now notice 
he doesn't draw out the implication that he does in 4 and 5. After 
mentioning that statement concerning the elders in verse 4, Verse 
5 is parenthetical. If he can't rule his own house, 
how can he take care of the Church of God? He doesn't do that with 
the deacons because they're not ruling or governing within the 
context of the local church. Theirs is a service-oriented 
ministry. And then the final aspect of 
his qualification is rather a benediction, a good word, a pronouncement 
of blessing upon those who have served well. Notice in verse 
13, For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves 
a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. Sometimes you read passages of 
scripture, you hear them read in your hearing, and you say, 
of course I know what that means, until you start to look at it 
in a little bit more detail. What does that mean? Deacons 
who have ruled well, or who have served well as deacons, obtain 
for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith 
which is in Christ Jesus. Some interpreters say that when 
the deacon functions well, he will then move on to become an 
overseer. It seems odd, however, that while 
encouraging a deacon, the apostle would say, if you serve as a 
deacon well enough, you won't have to be a deacon anymore. 
A deacon is a good thing. It's not a stepping stone to 
the eldership. Not every man that becomes a deacon becomes 
an elder. It's not a gradation. It's not a, hey, I served in 
this step for so many years, and now I'm moving on to step 
B. No, that's not what's in view. 
I'll just quote Knight again. He says, I don't think that's 
actually an interpretation. but an amplification, and I will 
simply leave it with that. So those are the qualifications 
for deacons, his personal character, his doctrinal conviction, his 
proven faithfulness, his domestic situation. And then this blessing 
pronounced concerning those who have served well as deacons, 
obtained for themselves a good standing and a great boldness 
in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. So I mentioned earlier, 
this ought to be the pursuit of every believer. It ought to 
be the pursuit of every man in this church, every man who names 
the name of Christ to be reverent, to be worthy of respect because 
he's dignified and he's serious and he thinks Christ's thoughts 
after him. Every man ought to pursue self-control 
with reference to speech. James speaks about the man who 
deceives himself by not bridling his tongue. We ought to exercise 
self-control with reference to drink, and it's not just alcohol. You could sort of apply that 
into some other areas as well. The Bible mandates that we are 
self-controlled in those things which we put into our bodies. 
We are to do those things which are lawful. Not everything even 
lawful is necessarily expedient for us. We ought to exercise 
self-control with reference to money. Not any of us should be 
greedy for money. It's not like, well, I'm not 
going to be a deacon so I can be greedy for money. No, you're 
not supposed to be greedy for money either. Every Christian 
man ought to pursue doctrinal fidelity. Every Christian man 
ought to hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 
Every Christian man ought to pursue marital fidelity. You 
ought to be a one-woman man for 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years 
should Christ tarry. These are good things. This is 
what we ought to pursue. Every Christian man ought to 
pursue household management. It's not the case that a man 
says, well, I'm not a deacon or I'm not an elder, so my kids 
run wild and they kick holes in the wall. No, that's not supposed 
to be. You got to exercise a little bit of godly reproof and a little 
godly chastisement. The Lord made that rear end and 
backside for a particular reason. That rod will help you drive 
out the foolishness that is in his heart. It's an interesting 
correlation. What happens back here sends that stuff out of 
the heart. It's beautiful. Just gently encourage 
it away. Men are supposed to manage their 
households. Men are supposed to pursue these 
virtues. Women. You cannot say, well, 
I'm not a deacon's wife, so it doesn't matter if I gossip. It 
doesn't matter if I slander. It's an interesting word, slander, 
there, relative to diabolos. It is the devil to speak ill 
with one's tongue. Women ought to be reverent. Women 
ought to be self-controlled, with reference to speech. Women 
ought to be self-controlled and temperate. Women ought to be 
faithful in all things, pursuing what the Apostle enjoins here 
for deacons and their wives. The necessity of a qualified 
diaconate. The diaconate demands humility. It's not always easy. I remember 
serving as a deacon in a church in Palmdale. vacuuming the floor 
and having a brother lift his feet so I could vacuum under 
him. I gotta tell you, I wanted to take the vacuum and introduce 
him to it. That was just, to me, not a cool 
thing. So I just did it, you know? You can't hit people with 
vacuums. The Bible doesn't say you can 
do that. It takes humility. It is service-oriented. That 
doesn't mean the task of the deacon is janitor. We don't want 
to reduce him to that. It's not just a custodian in 
the house of God. But certainly, if somebody vomits 
in the bathroom, the deacon, if he doesn't clean it up, we'll 
make sure that it gets cleaned up. Elves don't come in here, 
brethren, and do that. We don't have dwarves living 
in the basement that come and clean and make sure there's no 
vomit and make sure that all the hymnals are set out properly. 
People do that! Do you realize that our deacon 
is in this room more Saturdays than I would ever think is lawful? Do you think buildings just sustain 
themselves? Hey, we got a good one. It never 
needs any maintenance. Never needs to be painted. Walls 
never get kicked in. Carpets never get dirty. No one 
ever vomits. Pianos never break. All this 
stuff actually has to take place, right? We don't just, and everything's 
ready for worship. A lot goes into these things. 
Humility, diligence. The table of the Lord, the table 
of the poor, and the table of the minister demand diligence, 
discretion. The man's not to be double-tongued. His wife's not to be a slanderer. 
They're going to learn some things about some people at times that 
they need to keep a lid on. Not because we're hiding things 
or not because of anything untoward, but there is privacy that people 
are entitled to, and deacons and elders must respect that. And they must be men of proven 
character. Brethren, pray. Pray for these 
two men that we've made you aware of. Pray for them in light of 
1 Timothy 3 verses 8 to 13. Pray that the Lord Christ will 
in fact add them to our church and that we'll be able to report 
something like Luke does in Acts chapter 6 and verse 7. Then the 
Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly. May the Lord Christ give gifts 
to His church, and may He bring glory to His name among us. Well, let us pray. Father, thank 
you very much for your Word, and thank you for its clarity 
in these matters of elders and deacons. We just pray, God, again, 
that you would guide us in this, that you would help us to do 
things right, help us to do things according to the will and mind 
of God as revealed in Scripture, We don't want to do foolish things. 
We don't want to be rebels. We don't want to be those who 
disregard the truth of Holy Scripture. Give us grace and humility to 
proceed. Give grace and humility to Brother 
Doug and to Brother Mike. We just commit these men to you 
and pray, Father in Heaven, that they would happily and joyfully 
strive to serve in this local body, if it be your will. Give 
us grace, God. Give us help. Give us unity, 
we pray. And we ask through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord. Amen.