By Gary C. Redding
Perhaps you have heard about the old deacon who used to pray every Wednesday evening at prayer meeting. Invariably, he would conclude every prayer in the same way: "And, Lord, clean all the cobwebs out of my life." For him, the cobwebs symbolized those things which ought not be there but nonetheless had gathered during the week.
The repetition became too much for one other gentleman who was present for every prayer meeting service. One evening, when the deacon closed his prayer with the traditional ending, the other man jumped to his feet and shouted: "Lord, Lord, don't do it! Kill the spider once and for all!"
As you are aware, there are almost as many anecdotes about deacons as there are about ministers. This particular story, however, is especially useful in illustrating the essence of the biblical teaching about deacons.
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Aside from the brief job description given in
Acts 6 for the deacons in the church in Jerusalem, no definition of deacon's duties is given anywhere else in Scripture. In contrast, most discussions about deacons in the contemporary church focus upon the tasks of deacons.
Most often, Christians talk about what deacons do, don't do, should do, need to do, used to do, or want to do. Yet the Bible gives little specific help with regard to the work of the deacon. Perhaps that explains why there is so much confusion and such wide diversity of opinion with regard to the deacon.
On the other hand, the clear focus of the biblical teaching is on the character of deacons. Scripture is more concerned with who they are, what they are made of, the kind of people they ought to be and must be in order to honorably serve the cause of Christ. In other words, Scripture would suggest that if deacons are made of the right stuff, they can be trusted to do the right thing.
Charles William Eliot, once president of Harvard University, said: "There is not much difference between men but the little difference there is makes all the difference in the world." There is not much difference between a deacon and other Christians, but the little difference there is makes all the difference in the church.
Seven tests are given in the text which underscore the unique character of the deacon.
Test No. 1: The deacon should be serious, or "grave" according to the King James Version (
v. 8).
Perhaps the best way to describe what is meant is to define first precisely what is not meant. The writer does not mean to imply that deacons are to be gloomy, or characterized by a forbidding security. Nor are they to be persons who have lost all zest in life.
"Rejoice in the Lord" (
Philippians 3:1) is a typical New Testament admonition. The deacon should be one who demonstrates that joy in living. Certainly the deacon should have no less joy in life than other Christians.