Introduction. Read 1Tim3v8to16.

This is a rather fragmented passage of Scripture and it is not easy to divide into satisfying themes as, for example, chapter four. Three groups of people are addressed deacons, deaconesses and all believers.

(A) Deacons.

The office of deacon probably originated early in the history of Christianity when the apostles told members of the early church in Jerusalem to appoint seven men to oversee the daily distribution of food to widows. See Acts6v1to6. Deacons specialised in dealing with practical issues affecting the church and still do. In even a small church like the one I attend there are many practical matters that have to be seen to: responsibility for the finances, maintenance of the chapel fabric and graveyard, help for the elderly, visitation of the sick, organisation of communion and other fellowship meals and so on.

Once again Paul details the qualities to be expected of deacons:

(1) Qualities shared with elders: They should:

(a) Be respectable. Deacons should not be disreputable individuals and as such open to criticism.

(b) Not over indulge in wine or other intoxicating drink. Nothing is more liable to destroy a person's reputation than drunkenness albeit this is a weakness the British are very tolerant of.

(c) Not pursue dishonest gain. There are many ways of doing this from exploiting labour to overcharging customers. The church shouldn't want someone in charge of finances who grudges spending every penny and keeps the overseer as poor as a church mouse. I think it is a very bad witness for a church to put off paying for work done for as long as possible. Bills should be settled promptly.

(d) Be able to manage their own household. If a man cannot manage his household affairs efficiently and effectively he is hardly likely to excel in this department within the church. A good organiser is a good organiser in all spheres of life.

(e) Be experienced. Paul tells Timothy: They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. 1Tim3v10.

This is very good advice and is ignored at a church's peril. Sometimes people with practical skills join a church and the overseers think it would be a very good thing to take advantage of these skills by making these people deacons. It is advisable to wait and see how they bed down in the church and how well they get on with others. It is bad policy to appoint a headstrong, domineering leader of a profitable business to the diaconate if he is going to intimidate his fellow deacons.

(2) Qualities listed for elders but not for deacons. These included:

(a) Self-control. Now it could be argued that self-control is something every Christian should possess. However, I think it is a priority for a leader. During my many years as a classroom teacher self-control was not one of my strong points. But if I overstepped the mark there was always the headmaster to intervene and take me to task. So it is in the church. The overseers are able to exert some control over a maverick deacon.

(b) The ability to teach and hospitality. No-one could be an overseer or leader of the church if they were unable to teach. Not everyone is able to teach and comparatively few are inspirational preachers.

I have bracketed teaching and hospitality because a lot of teaching can take place in the home over a meal. Many pastors have done more for the church informally in their own homes than from the pulpit.

(c) A good reputation with outsiders. It is especially important for the leaders of a church to have a good reputation with the general public. There is still a tendency for an organisation to be judged on the quality of its leadership. This is true for schools and churches. Parents are very aware of the reputation of the head teacher of a school. They are much less concerned about the quality of a common or garden Geography teacher. Similarly many people judge a church by the quality of the leadership. They pay very little attention to the worth of the deacons.

(3) Qualities expected of deacons but not elders. They should be:

(a) Sincere or straight. A deacon should not be two-faced. He should be a person of utter integrity. This is very important in a church officer who is having a lot to do with various individuals and groups of people in the fellowship. Some deacons have wrecked churches by being nice to a pastor's face but then plotting against him behind his back. The elders and the ordinary members of the congregation need to be able to trust the deacons.

(b) Well grounded in the truth. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. v10. Now I do not believe for a minute that this was not a requirement of an elder. Perhaps it was taken as read for an elder or overseer whereas it may not have been thought so important for a person specialising in practical issues. So, Paul makes clear the importance for deacons to be well versed in the great truths of the Christian Faith. They are officers of the church and as such need to be conversant with everything the church believes.

(B) Deaconesses.

It is highly likely that verse 11 refers to deaconesses rather than the wives of deacons. Why should there be a reference to the wives of deacons and not elders? Phoebe is described by Paul in his letter to the Romans as a deaconess of the church in Cenchrea. See Romans 16v1.

There are some important ministries in the church that are best done by women. My mother was an elder's wife with no official title. However, she did the work of a deaconess. Almost every day she visited a widow, a single lady or someone who was ill. It is much better for a widow to be visited by a deaconess than a male elder!

A deaconess should, along with an overseer and deacon, be a person of good standing in the church. However, Paul does identify a weakness some ladies are prone to. Today, this is a perilous undertaking. In the summer of 2015, Sir Tim Hunt, an eminent Scientist and Nobel Prize winner said in a lecture that women in the laboratory posed a problem. These are his exact words: "Let me tell you about my trouble with girls. Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry." These words were doubtless spoken in a fairly light-hearted fashion - although I expect there is a grain of truth in them. Well - all hell broke loose and Sir Tim Hunt, notwithstanding his academic accomplishments, was removed from his position as Honorary Professor at University College London. Such an action was of course profoundly unjust because it was so disproportionate to the trivial offence. However, you are a brave man today if you so much as suggest that women are more prone than men to some weaknesses. Paul suggests that they may be more prone to gossip! That is not to say some men don't gossip - they do, but, perhaps, it is more prevalent among women.

Malicious or even mischievous gossip does great damage to a church. When I was a boy the women of our church met together on Good Friday morning to prepare sandwiches for the tea that was provided between the afternoon and evening services. One lady used to sidle up to my mother and spend the entire morning making mischief. It should have been an occasion of happy fellowship but by the time my mother returned to the house she was in a very miserable state. Such was her distress it spoiled the services for my father and his sons.

A deaconess is in an ideal position to gossip if she is a conscientious visitor. Let her conversation be seasoned with salt! Paul urges deaconesses to be trustworthy in everything and that includes keeping a confidence.

Conclusion.

Paul concludes his instructions about elders and deacons by stressing the benefits of serving Jesus and his church well:

(a) It is the way to secure an excellent standing in the local fellowship as a whole. After a time, a man or woman of good character will be highly esteemed by all - from the humblest to the most exalted.

(b) It strengthens an individual's faith in Christ Jesus. We test and prove the promises of Jesus by depending on him and working hard for him. Young Christians who volunteer to help with children's camps or overseas missions nearly always benefit spiritually from the experience. When I worked with Pioneer Camp it strengthened my faith to see boys and girls converted.

(C) All believers.

Finally Paul gives some advice to all believers. He tells them to:

(a) Watch their conduct. They are members of God's household, the church of the living God. In Old Testament times God was often disappointed and angry at the conduct of his chosen people. Over and over again they virtually forgot all about God and what he had done for them. It is a recurring theme in the book of Judges.

Christians are under an even greater obligation to God than were the ancient Israelites. The Lord Jesus died to save us from our sin, to give us new life by the Spirit and hope of eternal life when he comes again. It obliges us to be faithful to Jesus and obedient to his word.

Jesus undoubtedly wants his followers to be united! This is his express will. Jesus prayed: "That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you." Jn17v21.

William Barclay writes in his commentary on John: Jesus prayed that his disciples might be as fully one as he and the Father are one; and THERE IS NO PRAYER OF JESUS which has been so hindered from being answered by individual Christians and by all the churches than this prayer.

Some Christians love to be different, love to be distinctive and love to be right about everything. It is a pity that they do not rejoice to be part of a great family united in love for Jesus who alone can save them.

(b) Remember that the church is the pillar and foundation of truth.

Paul may be referring to the pedestals upon which statues stood when using the word pillar. The pedestal held up the statue of a Greek or Roman hero for all to see. The church should display the truth about Jesus - and the best way to do this is by obeying him and loving one another.

The word translated 'foundation' in the NIV could also be translated 'bulwark'. So the church should be like a bulwark and defend the truth against its enemies. It is significant some great truths about Jesus are then listed by Paul. It is possible they once formed part of an ancient Christian hymn. It is highly significant that when Paul writes about defending the truth - the truths he refers to are all about Jesus:

• He appeared in a body. Jesus the Son of God was truly man - as much a man as I am - the Second Adam. This is a great and precious truth. Jesus our great High Priest in heaven was tempted in all the ways we are and yet without sin. No-one could represent us better before the throne of God than Jesus who knows better than any angel what it is like to be human.

• He was vindicated by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus to perform amazing miracles to vindicate his claim to be the Son of God. No one has ever displayed the power of Jesus. Jesus' miracles are every bit as important as his teaching and example. They are as much part of the gospel story as Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Liberal scholars do Jesus and his church a grave disservice by ridiculing his miraculous power.

• He was seen of angels. No one was more often ministered to by angels than Jesus. They appeared at his birth, after his temptation, in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion and at his resurrection. This again confirms the special status of Jesus.

• He is preached to the nations and believed on in the world. The Great Commission Jesus gave his disciples has been obeyed for 2000 years. Today Christians are to be found in every nation on earth. There have never been more who believe in him. It is nothing short of miraculous that the brutal execution of a poor Galilean Jew so long ago should be at the heart of so many people's faith and hope.

• He is taken up in glory. Jesus is the only man who has ascended bodily to heaven. He is our representative at the Father's throne - interceding for us. But a day will come when he will leave heaven once more and return with those who love him to earth. Every believer will be given a body like his glorious body and we shall be given a new home on a new earth in a new universe.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
Sweetest Name I know;
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

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