Presbyterian Polity, Worship, and Sacraments — Unit 4: Deacons and the Ministry of Mercy

Key Verse

"Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." (Acts 6:3, NKJV)

Learning Objectives

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Explain why the care of the poor, the sick and the needy belongs to the church's calling and flows from the mercy of God.

2. Tell the story of Acts 6 and explain the fair differences among scholars about whether the Seven were the first deacons.

3. Describe the office of deacon in Reformed teaching: its qualifications from 1 Timothy 3, its work, and how it differs from the office of elder.

4. State the principles that guide a ministry of mercy, including care for the household of faith, responsibility of families, dignity of the receiver and honest handling of money.

5. State the main objections to the Reformed view of deacons and give the Reformed answer to each.

The Voice of This Course

This course is written from inside the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition, for students who belong to it. It is conservative and confessional. Other Christians understand the office of deacon differently. We state their views fairly and then give our answer. In Units 1 to 3 we studied Christ as head and the elders and courts through which He governs. In this unit we study the office that He gave for the care of His people's bodily needs.

The Chapala Theological Seminary course Deacon Family Ministry Plan, by Dr. Wayne Cook, is offered as a practical companion to this unit. This unit gives the Reformed teaching on the office itself.

The Mercy of God and the Mercy of His People

The Bible's teaching on mercy begins with God Himself. He is "a father of the fatherless, a defender of widows" (Psalm 68:5). In the law of Moses, He commanded Israel to leave the edges of the harvest for the poor and the stranger (Leviticus 19:9-10). He said, "the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land'" (Deuteronomy 15:11).

Jesus carried this teaching forward. He healed the sick and fed the hungry, and He taught that those who feed the hungry and visit the sick serve Him (Matthew 25:31-46). The apostle James wrote that pure religion is "to visit orphans and widows in their trouble" (James 1:27). Paul taught, "as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:10). When the apostles Peter, James and John gave Paul the right hand of fellowship, they asked only that he remember the poor, which he was eager to do (Galatians 2:10).

Care for the needy is therefore part of what it means to be the people of a merciful God. The Reformed tradition has always held that the church, as a body, has this duty, and that Christ has provided an office to carry it out.

The Story of Acts 6

The office of deacon is traced in the Reformed tradition to the events of Acts 6:1-7.

In the early days in Jerusalem, the church grew quickly, and so did its needs. The believers shared what they had, and the church supported its widows with a daily distribution of food (Acts 4:34-35; 6:1). But the Greek-speaking Jewish believers complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.

The apostles did not ignore it. Nor did they leave their own work. They said it was not right to leave the word of God to serve tables, and that they would give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word (6:2, 4). Instead, they asked the whole body to choose seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom. The multitude chose them, and the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them (6:5-6). The result was that "the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem" (6:7).

This story teaches several things. The church has a duty to its poor. The care of the poor is not to be done carelessly, but by men who are spiritually mature. The congregation has a voice in choosing those who serve. And the division of labor frees the ministers of the Word for prayer and preaching, while the needy are better served.

Were the Seven Deacons?

An honest teacher must say that Acts 6 does not use the noun "deacon" for the Seven. It does use the family of Greek words from which "deacon" comes: the verb for serving tables, the noun for the daily distribution and the same noun for the ministry of the word (6:1, 2, 4). Some scholars therefore doubt that Acts 6 describes the start of the office. They suggest that the Seven were a temporary group set up for one problem, or leaders of the Greek-speaking believers. They note that Stephen and Philip are later seen preaching, and that Acts soon speaks of elders (11:30).

Many Christians since the early centuries have seen the Seven as the first deacons, and the Reformed tradition follows this view. Our answer has two parts. First, whatever name they bore, the Seven were chosen by the church, set apart with prayer and the laying on of hands, and given the work of mercy. That is exactly the shape of the later diaconate. Second, our teaching does not stand or fall on Acts 6 alone. Paul addresses the church at Philippi, with its overseers and deacons (Philippians 1:1), and gives qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Deacons are a settled office in the churches, and Acts 6 shows us its purpose. That Stephen and Philip also preached shows only that some men served in more than one way.

The Office of Deacon

The word diakonos means "servant." In the New Testament it describes a general kind of service, as when Paul calls Christ a servant (Romans 15:8) and calls himself a servant of the gospel (Ephesians 3:7). It also describes a particular office, as in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8.

Paul's qualifications for deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 stress character. Deacons must be serious, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, and not greedy for money. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. They are to be tested first, and then serve if they are found blameless. They must be faithful in marriage, and manage their children and households well. Those who serve well gain a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith (1 Timothy 3:13). A deacon is not required to be able to teach, as an elder must (1 Timothy 3:2). His gift is practical service. He often handles the church's money, so honesty and freedom from greed matter greatly.

John Calvin described the office in the Institutes (Book 4, chapter 3). He taught that there were two kinds of deacons: those who distribute the church's alms, and those who give themselves to the care of the poor and sick. The Westminster Form of Presbyterial Church-Government (1645) likewise gave the deacons the care of the necessities of the poor.

How the deacon differs from the elder

The elder rules and teaches; the deacon serves. The deacon has no authority to govern the church or to discipline its members. He works under the oversight of the session, which gives him direction and receives his report. Reformed bodies arrange this in somewhat different ways. In Presbyterian churches the deacons usually meet apart from the session and report to it. In some Dutch Reformed churches the deacons meet with the elders in a joint council for certain matters. Both agree that the deacon is a servant and not a ruler.

This does not make the deacon a lesser Christian. Jesus said that the greatest among His people is the one who serves (Matthew 23:11).

Women in the diaconate

Reformed churches differ on whether women may serve as deacons. Paul calls Phoebe a servant of the church at Cenchrea (Romans 16:1), and the Greek word is diakonos. In 1 Timothy 3:11 Paul speaks of "the women" or "their wives," and translators and scholars debate which he means. Some Reformed churches ordain women as deacons. Others have women who serve as assistants to the deacons, without ordination to the office, and others reserve the office of deacon to men. All the Reformed churches affirm the wide and honored service of women in the ministry of mercy. Unit 10 treats the question of office and gender, and we take it up there.

The Work of Mercy: Principles

The Reformed tradition has given its deacons several principles for their work.

1. Care first for the household of faith, but not only for it. Paul says to do good to all, "especially" to the household of faith (Galatians 6:10). The first Christians cared for their own widows and sent a gift to the believers in Judea when famine came (Acts 11:29-30). But the story of the Good Samaritan teaches that our neighbor is anyone in need whom we meet (Luke 10:25-37).

2. Families come first. Paul teaches that if a widow has children or grandchildren, they should first show piety at home and repay their parents. He says that a man who does not provide for his own household has denied the faith (1 Timothy 5:4, 8). The church helps those who are truly alone (5:3, 5, 16), so that its resources are not used where a family can serve. This is why a deacon must know the families of the congregation.

3. Work is honored. Paul told the Thessalonians, "if anyone will not work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The deacon helps the weak, and encourages those who can work to do so.

4. Dignity is kept. The poor are people made in God's image. The deacon helps quietly, without shame or public display, remembering that Jesus said not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing (Matthew 6:3).

5. Money is handled openly. Paul took care in the collection for the saints in Jerusalem so that no one could blame him for how the gift was managed (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). Deacons keep careful records, report to the session, and avoid any appearance of using the church's money for themselves.

6. Mercy goes with the Word. The ministry of mercy does not replace the preaching of the gospel, and the gospel does not excuse us from mercy. In Acts 6, the ministry of the Word and the ministry of tables went on together and the church grew.

Objections and Answers

Objection 1 (Baptist and independent): Deacons are the governing board of the church.

In many Baptist and independent churches, the deacons oversee the church's affairs and sometimes stand beside or above the pastor.

Our answer. We respect the faithful service of such deacons. But the Scriptures describe two kinds of men in the offices of the local church, overseers who shepherd and deacons who serve. When the apostles gave the deacons their task, it was the care of the needy and not the government of the church. We therefore believe that deacons serve under the elders.

Objection 2 (scholarly): The Seven were not deacons, so the Reformed claim rests on weak ground.

Our answer. As shown above, we hold the office from the whole teaching of the New Testament and not from one word in Acts 6. Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3 are clear. Acts 6 shows the purpose of the office.

Objection 3 (individualist or state): The care of the poor belongs to individuals or to the government, not to the church as a church.

Some believe that charity should be personal and private, or that the state should do it.

Our answer. The apostles appointed men for this work as a church, and Paul organized a collection from many churches. Individual Christians should give freely, and the state has its own duties (Romans 13), but the Lord also gave His church an office to care for the needy. The church does not leave the care of its own to chance.

Objection 4 (the social gospel): A strong ministry of mercy turns the church into a social agency and loses the gospel.

In the early twentieth century, some churches in the movement called the social gospel made social reform their main message and set aside the cross. Some conservatives, in reaction, became afraid of any mercy ministry.

Our answer. The error of the social gospel was to replace the gospel with social work. The opposite error is to preach the gospel and ignore the hungry. Scripture will not let us divide what God has joined. Reformed churches have debated how far a church, in its official work, should go beyond the care of its members and the poor near it, and some stress that the church's main task is the Word and sacraments. But no Reformed church denies the diaconate, and all affirm that mercy must be done in the name of Christ and alongside the gospel.

Pastoral Application

A church in a small town in Jalisco learns that a widow in the congregation, who sells food in the market, has been ill for a month and cannot work. She has three young children and has stopped asking anyone for help.

First, the deacons do not wait for her to ask. One deacon and his wife visit her, with a gentle manner, to learn her situation and listen.

Second, they ask whether she has family who can help. They speak with her relatives, as Paul teaches, and encourage them to do their part.

Third, they provide a few weeks of food and help with the medicine, from the church's mercy fund. They keep the matter private and write down what they give.

Fourth, they report to the session, so that the elders can pray for her and care for her spiritually. The pastor visits to read Scripture with her.

Fifth, when she recovers, the deacons help her return to work. The church has served her body and soul, and its members have learned that mercy belongs to them all.

Summary

The church's care for the needy flows from the mercy of God and the command of Christ. The office of deacon is traced to Acts 6, where the church chose seven men, full of the Spirit and wisdom, to care for widows so that the apostles could give themselves to prayer and the Word. Scholars debate whether the Seven were deacons by title, but Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3 establish the office. Deacons serve under the oversight of the elders and have the care of the poor, the sick and the church's alms. Their work is guided by principles of care for the household of faith, family responsibility, honor for work, dignity, honest accounts and mercy joined to the gospel. Reformed churches differ on whether women may be ordained deacons, though all affirm their wide service. We answer the Baptist, scholarly, individualist and social-gospel objections with Scripture. The Deacon Family Ministry Plan course is a practical companion.

Further Reading

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Beveridge translation, 1845), Book 4 chapter 3.

• The Westminster Assembly, The Form of Presbyterial Church-Government (1645), on deacons.

• The Belgic Confession (1561), Articles 30-32.

• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566), chapter 18.

• Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology (1872-73), the section on the officers of the church.

• Chapala Theological Seminary, Deacon Family Ministry Plan, by Dr. Wayne Cook, a practical companion course.

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