Ambition to become … a servant
1 Timothy 3:8-13
8 In the same way, deacons m are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
12 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
The word translated as “deacons” (diakonoi) literally means servants, one step up from slaves. It’s significant that the qualifications to be a servant in the church are almost the same as the qualifications to be a “church leader” (verses 1-7). It reminds me of Jesus describing the upside-down hierarchy of God’s kingdom where the greatest is the greatest servant (diakonos again). Our highest goal is to imitate Jesus, God himself becoming one of us to serve (the verb form of diakonos) and give his whole life for us (Mark 10:42-45). It’s a great honour to be a servant of the church, like Jesus, in whatever form that takes whether its leading or looking after the most vulnerable members (the focus here).
It strikes me as interesting how women are included. It’s ambiguous whether Paul is talking about women who are deacons too, like Phoebe, a woman deacon in the church at Cenchreae near Corinth who took Paul’s letter to Rome and probably read and explained it to them (Romans 16:1). Or maybe he’s talking about deacon as a role where husbands and wives work in partnership together, like Adam and Eve working together to fulfill God’s purposes for humanity in Genesis 1 and 2. Or maybe both. Either way, Paul’s vision of men and women serving together speaks powerfully in his culture that devalued women, and in ours that still struggles to get it right.
The emphasis on respect in the community seems significant too. How we love and care for each other is a powerful testimony to people outside the church. Jesus said that our love for each other is how people will know we are his disciples (John 13:31). Stephen was one of the first deacons appointed to “wait on tables” and the evidence of God’s grace in his life was so significant in his community that he was the first person killed for being a witness to Jesus (Acts 6).
I want to imitate you today, Jesus. I want to be a servant like you. I want to be like you in how I love your other disciples, and those who aren’t your disciples yet. I want your grace and generosity in me to show people around me who you are and how great your love is for them.
Written by David Cornell