A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.
Summary: Once more, Paul circles back to his guiding principles for church leadership.
Does this passage sound familiar? Let’s compare it to what Paul wrote about overseers:
“Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, … must manage his own family well…” (1 Timothy 3:2-4)
Almost identical!
Both the overseer and the deacon must be temperate and self-controlled, avoiding violence in their words and actions, and be spiritually minded, not pursuing material gain.
Because the two job descriptions are similar, it might be helpful to focus on the differences between them, instead of what is the same.
The overseer must not be a recent convert. That suggests to me that they are well established in the faith. Deacons, however, must be “tested” (v 10), suggesting a different means of determining their understanding of spiritual matters.
The other two requirements given for overseers, but not deacons, are being hospitable and being able to teach.
Paul’s point is well made. Both overseers and deacons are required to meet specific standards. Interestingly, Paul’s standards are practical applications of the “fruit of the Spirit” he lists in Galatians 5:22-23.
The real difference is that overseers carry additional public and leadership-oriented skills. These include teaching, hospitality, and a good reputation among outsiders (v 7). The deacon, on the other hand, is the faithful steward. If they teach, it is by example. Their hospitality is in their service.
Application: For those who are overseers and deacons, hold fast to these principles. For other believers, strive to achieve the same.
Food for Thought: When Paul mentions a leader must “manage his children well,” what kind of children is he talking about — young ones or older? Does it matter?
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Continue reading “1 Timothy 3:12 – A Deacon’s Standards”
