Doctrine of the Church, Part One

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Doctrine of the Church, Part One</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id190.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Man, Sin, and Angels"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id246.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Doctrine of the Church, Part Two"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Article</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U>Biblical and Theological Studies</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U><B>Sermon Notes</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Doctrine of the Church, Part One</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>I. General Definitions</B></div> <div> A. Universal Church</div> <div>      The universal church is the company of believers baptized into the Body of Christ from the beginning of the church in Acts 2 to the future rapture of the church from this earth. All such saints from the first baptism in Acts 2 (the beginning of the church) to the return of Christ for his church (the rapture) are included in the universal church. This takes in saints who are in heaven and who are currently on earth.</div> <div>      What Paul has to say in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is significant for defending the reality of the universal church. Paul writes, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Paul, writing as an outsider to the congregation at Corinth, places himself in company with those saints, and any other person who has been baptized into the “one body,” a metaphor for the church. (In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul connects the church to the metaphor of the “body of Christ.”) In this case, it is clear that “church” does not refer to the Corinthian congregation alone. Instead, the body metaphor is applied to the universal church, all the saints having been baptized into Christ. </div> <div>      In Galatians 1:13, Paul reviews his time persecuting “the church of God.” He does not seem to be referring to an individual congregation, but to the single entity of the whole church, the followers of Jesus Christ collectively, groups of which were meeting different places (Acts 8:3, 9:1-2). </div> <div>      In Acts 9:31, Paul uses the singular “church” to refer to all the saints living in the region of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. This is different than a local church covering all of that area. While Paul does not speak of the whole universal church in this verse, he does speak of all the members of the universal church who live in a particular region who do not attend the same local church.</div> <div>      In several places in Ephesians, Paul makes reference to the church as a singular entity, with no thought in the context that he is referring to a particular local church (1:22-23, 2:15, 3:6, 3:10, 4:4, 4:12, 4:16, 5:25, 5:29-30). He seems to be speaking of the church in general, in the singular, but including all the believers baptized into the body of Christ, Jew and Gentile alike.</div> <bR> <div> B. Local Church</div> <div>      If the universal church is the company of all those who are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ, the church, local committed gatherings of those living on earth at any given time could be considered the local church. It is the members of the universal church gathered together around the purposes of the church, in mutual commitment to one another. It is living out together the realities of being a part of the body of Christ.</div> <div>      Most occurrences of the word <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >ekklesia</FONT> in the New Testament refer to local gatherings or congregations of those who have been baptized into the body of Christ (e.g., Acts 11:26, 15:22, Rom 16:1, 5, 1 Cor 1:2, 4:17 (“every church,” i.e., every local gathering), Phil 4:15, Col 4:16, 1 Thess 1:1, Philem. 1:2). In some cases, these references are to the whole company of believers in one city or area, which may or may not meet together often (1 Cor 1:2). In other cases, reference is made to a local gathering that regularly meets together in one place (Rom 16:5, Philem. 1:2, house churches).</div> <div>      The local church may be defined as members of the body of Christ, the universal church, gathering together regularly in a local or common area to carry out the work of being the “church,” the people of God baptized into the body of Christ. The work of this local gathering is to bring glory to God by fulfilling, at least in part, the purposes Christ has for his universal church. The main purpose is to make disciples of unbelievers in every part of the world (Matt 28:18-20; hence, “in part” above, since this responsibility is given in part to every local church). Purposes related to the general purpose of making disciples include evangelism, teaching, worship, prayer, and fellowship (Acts 2:41-47). Related to these are the essential practices (“ordinances”) of water baptism (Acts 2:41; public identification with the universal and local church) and celebrating the Lord’s Table (1 Cor 11:23-34; sharing worship in community around the central fact of faith for the church of Jesus Christ).</div> <div>      Ideally, all who a part of the universal church should be gathered with a local church (Heb 10:25). Also, not all who gather with the local church are truly a part of the universal church, though they may purport to be such (1 Jn 2:19). They may be deceiving themselves, or they may intentionally be deceiving others.</div> <bR> <div> C. Parachurch</div> <div>      The existence of the parachurch organization is a logical extension of the reality of the universal church. The parachurch is an organizational union of members of the universal church, meeting to carry out some support function of the church while not directly being a ministry of any one local church (being a ministry of one local church would put it in the category of the local church). The parachurch is not to replace the functioning of the local church, but to assist it and support it in the carrying out of its work. To that end, the parachurch must maintain a healthy relationship in partnership with local churches. In addition, the local church must not surrender its work to the parachurch. In other words, the local church must not abandon evangelism just because there may be a parachurch organization that is evangelizing in the locale of a particular local church.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. The Beginning of the Church</B></div> <div>      In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I <I>will</I> build my church.” This suggests a future beginning to the church from the time Christ spoke those words, that the church was not yet in existence. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, a key element of being a part of the church is being baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:22-23 and Col 1:18 link the “body” to the church). Everyone who is in the church has been baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ.</div> <div>      The occasion of the initial baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ was at Pentecost in Acts 2. While “baptism” is not used, it is clear that what is going on is a work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 38). Jesus had promised that they would “be baptized with the Holy Spirit” soon (Acts 1:5). It is clear that this is what the Apostles were to wait for, and that this is a drastically new experience that was launching something brand new, that which Jesus had envisioned. Later, Peter referred to this occasion as “the beginning” and he explicitly links it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:15-16). While the author does not use “church” in relation to the Pentecost experience, we find in Acts 5:11 that the church is in existence. “Church” here refers to this congregation, this new kind of gathering, this unified group of followers of Jesus Christ, the experiences of which Luke had been describing since Acts 2.</div> <div>       It is significant that Luke does not use “church” in his gospel, but he uses it several times (most of the time for this new entity) in Acts. This helps to suggest that the church was not in existence during the events that Luke accounts in his gospel, but came into existence early in Acts.</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. The Government of the Church</B></div> <div> A. In Relation to the Holy Spirit</div> <div>      Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, its ultimate authority (Eph 1:22-23). Paul told the church to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18), a key to “understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph 5:17). Government of the church must take into account the fact that Christ is the head of the church, and that every believer, every person in the church, has the Holy Spirit, and has been brought into the church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13). Thus the community of the church is a “priesthood” (1 Pet 2:5, 9) that has access to the Father through Christ and can be responsive to Christ’s leading through the Holy Spirit.</div> <bR> <div> B. Various Theories</div> <div>      A distinction must be made between external government of the local church and internal government in the local church. External government deals with the question of who has authority over the local church (for example, does the local church have to report to headquarters, or is it autonomous?). Internal government deals with the question of who has authority within the local church.</div> <div> 1. Episcopal Form of External Government</div> <div>      In the episcopal form of government, authority rests in a hierarchy of bishops (e<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >piskopoj</FONT>) who are over various congregations or groups of congregations. Bishops have the authority to choose other bishops – this is not a congregational decision. The Roman Catholic Church is the prime example of this system, as well as Episcopalian, Anglican and Methodist churches.</div> <div> 2. Presbyterian Form of External Government</div> <div>      In the presbyterian form of government, a hierarchy of “elders” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >presbuteroj</FONT>) leads the congregations. In a significant divergence from the episcopalian form of government, in this theory congregations and groups of congregations have the power to choose those who represent them at leadership levels. Presbyterians and Lutherans are examples of this form of external government.</div> <div> 3. Congregational Form of External Government</div> <div>      In the congregational form of government, each local assembly is autonomous. That is, there is no authoritative body that has control over the local church. The local church chooses its leaders, and final authority rests with the congregation. The church is independent from the authority of other churches or ruling bodies, and it is self-governing.</div> <bR> <div> C. New Testament Pattern     </div> <div>      Congregational authority is the pattern of government that best represents the pattern of the New Testament teaching on the church. There is an absence in the New Testament of any hierarchy between churches. There is no “headquarters” for the local churches. Apostles such as Paul held this kind of authority (2 Cor 13:10), and they left their teachings behind in the New Testament, and thus the New Testament is the only document of external authority that a local church has. </div> <div>      The local congregation has the authority in the New Testament. Significant congregational involvement in decision-making is seen in the following verses: Acts 6:1-7, choosing deacons; 13:1-3, sending out mission representatives; 1 Cor 5:4, dealing with church discipline; 2 Cor 8:19, appointment of messenger. Again, there is the absence of an external body, other than the Apostles, telling what each local church should do. The Apostles did not pass along this authority in a sort of apostolic succession. Instead, they passed along this authority in the form of their letters and documents. Men like Timothy and Titus had authority based not on their knowledge of Paul, but on the authority of what Paul wrote down. Timothy and Titus were commanded to pass along, not apostolic authority over churches, but the teaching which they had been taught, that is, the Word of God (2 Tim 2:2, 1 Tim 6:20, Titus 2:15).</div> <div>      The Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 is seen by some to denote external church authority imposed on local churches by “the council.” It is necessary to note that they congregation seemed to be involved in the workings of the council (Acts 15:3, 12, 22), and that the council had authority, not because it was the “mother church,” but because it was led by genuine apostles (Acts 15:6, 7, 13, 23).</div> <bR> <div> <B>IV. Officers of the Local Church</B></div> <div> A. The Identity of Elders, Bishops, and Pastors</div> <div>      The terms “elder,” “overseer” (bishop), and “pastor” all refer to the same office or person in the New Testament. In Acts 20:17-38, Paul addressed the “elders” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >tou.j presbute,rouj</FONT>) of the church (vs. 17). He noted that God had made them “overseers” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >evpisko,pouj</FONT>), and that they were to “pastor” or “shepherd” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >poimai,nein</FONT>) the church (vs. 28). Thus Paul links all three concepts with the same group of men. </div> <div>      In 1 Peter 5:1-4, Peter also links these concepts together. He exhorts the “elders” (vs. 1) to “pastor” or “shepherd” the flock (vs. 2). Some versions also include “exercising the oversight of” the flock (vs. 2). At any rate, the concept of oversight is implicit within the verse if not explicitly stated. </div> <div>      In 1 Timothy 5:17, elders are linked with the managing and teaching functions which are previously listed as qualifications (and thus functions) of overseers in 1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5. It seems that “elder” and “overseer” are two ways of describing the same office or person in 1 Timothy. It is interesting as well to note that the two offices which Paul gives qualifications for in 1 Timothy 3 are overseers and deacons. It is likely that Paul uses “overseer” to refer to “elder / overseer / pastor,” not just “overseer” in isolation from “elder / pastor.” In Titus 1:5-9, similar qualifications for one group are given, using both terms, “elder” and “overseer.” Finally in Ephesians 4:11, the noun “pastor” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >poime,naj</FONT>, related to verb “to shepherd, pastor”) is linked with the teaching function. The teaching function is not separated out among distinctly different groups of church officers, it is given to one group which is called by different designations – elder, overseer, and pastor.</div> <div>      These three terms, while referring to the same office or person, suggest both qualification and activities. “Elder” suggests a person of spiritual maturity and character. “Overseer” suggests one who leads, manages, and holds accountable (in doctrine and character), while “pastor” suggests one who teaches (“feeds”), guards, leads, and cares.</div> <bR> <div> B. The Qualifications of the Elder / Bishop / Pastor</div> <div>      Qualifications for the elder / overseer / pastor are given in 1 Timothy 3:2-7 and Titus 1:6-9. The key qualification is that he must be <I>“above reproach” </I>and <I>“blameless”</I> (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:6), not open to criticism of his moral lifestyle. This is the general qualification. The rest bring particularity to this main qualification. The overseer must be <I>“the husband of one wife”</I> (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:6). This refers to his unquestioned faithfulness to his wife. He must also be <I>“temperate”</I> (1 Tim 3:2), clear-headed and self-controlled; <I>“sensible”</I> (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 1:8) or self-controlled; <I>“dignified”</I> (1 Tim 3:2) or orderly and well-behaved; <I>“hospitable”</I> (1 Tim 3:2, Titus 3:8), that is, kind and loving, even to strangers. He must also be <I>“able to teach,”</I> (1 Tim 3:2), having the skills necessary to instruct in the faith and rebuke error. Related to this, he must be <I>“devoted to the word”</I> (Titus 1:9); he must possess an unwavering commitment to believing, living, and proclaiming the truth of God. He must <I>“not be addicted to wine,”</I> or a strong drinker (1 Tim 3:3, Titus 1:7); in our culture, given the multitude of drinks available, it is appropriate for the overseer to avoid alcoholic beverages of any kind. He must <I>“not be violent,”</I> but rather <I>“gentle”</I> (1 Tim 3:3, Titus 1:7); he must not be given to fighting, but instead should be gracious, kind and caring. He must <I>“not be quarrelsome”</I> (1 Tim 3:3) or <I>“quick-tempered”</I> (Titus 1:7); that is, he should not be quick to contend or argue with others, even when he is right. He should <I>“not be a lover of money”</I> (1 Tim 3:3) or <I>“greedy for gain”</I> (Titus 1:7); in other words, he should be content with what he has, and he must not being motivated by making money. He must <I>“manage his household well”</I> (1 Tim 3:4), including having “faithful, obedient children” (Titus 1:6); his wife and children must respect him and follow his leadership. He must <I>“not be a recent convert”</I> (1 Tim 3:6), that is, he must not be new to the faith; instead, he should have had some time for spiritual growth in his experience. He must have <I>“a good reputation among outsiders”</I> (1 Tim 3:7); in other words, people outside the faith must respect him and recognize his godly character. He must be <I>“a lover of what is good”</I> (Titus 1:8), that is, his heart must be occupied with goodness, not evil. He must be <I>“just”</I> (Titus 1:8), or upright. He must be <I>“holy”</I> (Titus 1:8), sanctified or set apart to God and his service. Finally, he must be <I>“disciplined”</I> (Titus 1:8), keeping his desires in check in favor of doing what is right.</div> <div>      It should be noted that the command to be “the husband of one wife” and to have faithful and obedient children does not suggest that the overseer must be married or must have more than one child. The issue of women as not being qualified for the office of elder / overseer / pastor will be dealt with at length later in this paper (part two). The use of male pronouns and the qualification to be the “husband” in these passages does not in and of itself imply that the elder / overseer / pastor must be male, anymore than the “husband” qualification implies the need to be married. Care must be taken to argue the issue of women as pastors based on stronger exegetical grounds.</div> <bR> <div> C. The Function of the Elder / Bishop / Pastor</div> <div>      Several roles or functions are attributed to the elder / overseer / pastor. The title “bishop” or overseer suggests a function of <I>oversight</I> (Phil 1:1, 1 Tim 3:1, Titus 1:7, 1 Pet 5:2). This suggests the role of guardianship and administration. The overseer is keeping watch over the church, both the organization aspect as well as the people of the church pertaining to their spiritual lives and doctrine (Acts 20:28-31).</div> <div>      The title “pastor” has some overlap with the concept of guardianship. “Pastor” is related to the task of shepherding (1 Pet 5:2), suggesting connotations of feeding, caring, and protecting. This metaphor emphasizes the role of <I>teaching </I>and<I> personal spiritual care</I>. Ephesians 4:11 links “pastor” with teaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 shows that elders are involved in teaching and preaching Also in 1 Timothy 3:2, the role of teaching is implied by the qualification of being able to teach.</div> <div>      1 Timothy 5:17 also highlights the role or function of <I>ruling </I>or<I> managing</I> (1 Thess 5:12, 1 Tim 3:4-5). The responsibility of leadership and management in the church falls squarely on the shoulders of the elder / overseer / pastor (though not in isolation from the congregation and others gifted to lead). The church is God’s, and the overseer is a steward or manager of something that does not belong to himself, but to God (Titus 1:7). The leadership model implicit in the metaphor of shepherd (pastor) should be kept in mind. The pastor’s leadership function is carried out with an attitude of caring and by modeling and encouraging, not by demanding according to self-interest.</div> <div>      Another role as defined by Ephesians 4:11-17 is the task to <I>equip the members</I> of the church for ministry, for service to Christ, so that the whole church is growing (adding people) and becoming more and more mature (growing up in Christ). In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul told Timothy to pass on what he had been taught by Paul to other faithful men who would be able to do the same for others.</div> <div>      Another role is that of <I>modeling</I>, or setting the example to others. This is clearly stated in 1 Peter 5:3, where the elder / overseer / pastor is to set the example rather than be domineering over the congregation. It is also implied by the command to be above reproach (1 Tim 3:2) and have a good reputation with those outside the faith (1 Tim 3:7).</div> <div>      Does the New Testament mandate that each local church must have a plurality of elder / overseers / pastors? This seems to be modeled in several places in the Scripture, but it is not mandated. Often “elders” are spoken of the plural, but in many cases it is possible, maybe even likely, that multiple elders in a city individually led “house” churches (house churches in Acts 8:3; the elders of Ephesus, Acts 20:17; “elders in every town,” Titus 1:5; “elders among you,” in the various areas to which Peter writes, 1 Pet 5:2). It is worth noting that in the qualifications for overseer in 1 Timothy 3:1, the overseer is mentioned in the singular; but in the qualifications for the deacons in verse 8, it mentions deacons in the plural. This may support the idea that multiple overseers are not mandated. However, the Bible is full of examples of team ministry. In Exodus 18, Jethro brought wisdom to Moses by challenging him to delegate some of the responsibility for leadership to others who could help him. The Apostles gathered a team of men to assist them in Acts 6. The Bible recognizes the principle of a single leader (Moses, James in Acts 15:13), but it exemplifies the wisdom that the leader should work as a part of a team, not in isolation. This does not suggest that a pastor has to be merely one of a “board of elders,” and equal to or “under them,” at that. A closer application of the biblical model is probably found in the church staff relationship, where pastors fulfill the functions of elder / overseer / pastor in the day-to-day functioning of the ministry. This leadership authority is conferred upon them by the congregation, who are to have significant participation in the matters and decisions of the church. Good leaders wisely employ teams at every level.</div> <bR> <div> D. The Identity of Deacons</div> <div>      “Deacon” refers to a second office in the New Testament church. The basic concept behind the word “deacon” is service. Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8 suggest the office of deacon as a complementary role to the elder / overseer / bishop. The concept of deacon as a office in the church seems to be in seed form in Acts 6:1-7. An administrative issue came up as to who was looking after the ministry to widows. Faithful men were chosen to “serve tables” (vss. 2-3) so that the Apostles could focus on prayer and the ministry of the word (vs. 4). It was later that the concept of deacon became an office in the church. The word group is used elsewhere for service in general (Rom 12:7, 16:1, 2 Cor 3:9, Eph 4:12).</div> <bR> <div> E. The Qualifications of Deacons</div> <div>      Qualifications for deacons are listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Many of the same qualities are the same for both overseers and deacons. The deacons must be “serious” (1 Tim 3:8), or dignified. They must <I>“not be gossips”</I> (1 Tim 3:8), but must be able to hold confidences. They must <I>“not be addicted to wine”</I> (1 Tim 3:8), but self-controlled in their choice of drink. They must <I>“not be greedy for gain”</I> (1 Tim 3:8). They must <I>“possess the faith with a clear conscience”</I> (1 Tim 3:9); in other words, they must be faithful to and convinced of what they believe, the truth according to the word of God. They must be “blameless” (1 Tim 3:10), a general term that encompasses their whole lifestyle. They must each be <I>“the husband of one wife”</I> (1 Tim 3:12), that is, he must be faithful in every way to his wife. They also must <I>“manage their households and children well”</I> (1 Tim 3:12); that is, their home life, including family members, must be in order.</div> <div>      Specific instructions are given to “the women,” the women deacons or the wives of the deacons (1 Tim 3:11). They must be <I>“serious,”</I> or dignified. They must <I>“not be slanderers,”</I> or accusers or gossips. They must be <I>“temperate,”</I> clear-headed and self-controlled. Finally, they must be <I>“faithful in all things,”</I> or trustworthy and dependable. </div> <bR> <div> F. The Function of Deacons</div> <div>      The function of deacons is established by the meaning of the word, as well as by linkage with Acts 6:1-7. The noun “deacon” (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >diakonoj</FONT>) means servant, and the verb form (<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Bwgrkl" >diakonew</FONT>) means to serve, to assist, to help. 1 Timothy 3:10 says that these men are to “serve” as “servants” or “deacons.” Deacons serve as assistants in the ministry to the elders / overseers / pastors. In Acts 6:1-7, certain men “served tables” (i.e., “deaconed”) so that the Apostles could continue to be free to focus on their role or function. While this is before deacon was considered an office, it gives insight into the functioning of deacons, and their role in relation to the overseers of the church (at that time the overseers were the Apostles; they seemed to pass on their oversight function to elders / overseers / pastors; Acts 20:17-38, 2 Tim 2:2, 1 Pet 5:1-4).</div> <div>      In the carrying out of the work of the ministry, the elders / overseers / pastors are supposed to focus on their role, and they must have others around them who can assist them in the work, so that they are not weighted down with extra responsibilities. They must be able to focus on what God has called them to do. Others must assist them in service and administration (in Acts 6:1-7, the early “deacons” were functioning as administrators of a particular aspect of the ministry). While it is often assumed that deacons possess an authoritative role in churches, this is not the teaching of the New Testament. Deacons in the New Testament are significant servants, but they are not given a role of authority. Good leadership suggests that they must be given appropriate authority to carry out their tasks, but they are not put in place by God as the authoritative group over the whole church. (In fact, the concept of a once-a-month meeting of a board that makes most of the decisions for the church is foreign to the New Testament. Oversight is invested in those who are functioning in the leadership of the church day by day.)</div> <div>      It is interesting to note that deacons are not mentioned in Titus, while elders / overseers are mentioned, while deacons are included in the similar list in 1 Timothy 3. This may suggest that the office of deacon is a functional role that should be put in place at the appropriate time. The first priority is developing the elders / pastors / overseers as leaders in the church, and then following that up by developing deacons and implementing their ministry as assistants to the elders / pastors / overseers. This follows the model of Acts 6:1-7.</div> <bR> <div> G. Other Officials in the Church</div> <div>      The only additional office in the church <I>may be</I> that of deaconess. This is a debated point, and there is not much information to judge this one way or the other. It is pointed out that the masculine “deacon” or “servant” is used in reference to Phoebe, a woman, in Romans 16:1. This difference in gender may suggest the <I>office</I> of deacon. In 1 Timothy 3:11, in the middle of a list of qualifications for deacons, Paul addresses “the women,” with certain specific qualifications that they should be particularly mindful of (it is not that men can ignore these character traits, or that women can ignore the rest). These “women” could be either the wives of the deacons or women deacons (deaconesses). In many circles, the role of deacon is assumed to be authoritative, and those who believe this would not allow a woman such a place of authority. However, the deacon role is not one of authority, but one of service, and there is no such prohibition of women as servants or assistants, even in an official capacity. While the Bible does not “prove” the existence of deaconesses, it certainly does not disallow it. Women are prohibited from being elders / overseers / pastors, especially because of the teaching function (1 Tim 2:12), but they are not prohibited from being deacons.</div> <div>      While not dealing with specific offices in the church, all members of the church are to use their spiritual gifts in the ministry of the church (Rom 12:3-8, Eph 4:11-16, 1 Cor 12:4-31). The ministry is not to be left to the “professionals,” the officers of the church. All the members are to participate in the work of the church.</div> <bR> <div> H. The Restoration of Fallen Church Officials</div> <div>      The qualifications for overseers and deacons are very weighty. No one attains perfectly to the standard set forth. Yet these leaders must be held to a high standard. Therefore, there are occasions in which a church official can no longer be considered “above reproach” (1 Tim 3:2) or “blameless” (Titus 1:6, 1 Tim 3:10), and must step down or be removed from office. While it is difficult to discern the point at which one becomes disqualified in some areas (e.g., hospitality, relation to money), other areas are quite clear (e.g., faithfulness to spouse or lack thereof). All of the qualifications matter, and lines have to be drawn somewhere, whether it is easy or not.</div> <div>      But there are occasions when a former church official who became disqualified wants to be restored. Is such restoration a possibility? In most cases, it most certainly is. Christian growth implies that character deficiencies do not have to be permanent, that God can develop a person’s character over time, at which point one not formerly qualified for church office may become qualified (witness Paul’s view of Mark between Acts 15:38 and 2 Tim 4:11). Paul built his life and ministry on the transforming grace of God (1 Cor 15:10). But he also promoted these high character qualifications for people in ministry. The presence of grace does not equal qualification for ministry. All believers have experienced grace; not all are qualified for ministry. If one who was at one time qualified, and he became disqualified, in most cases, he may be able to requalify, given enough time (so that his life can be developed and then tested, 1 Tim 3:10).</div> <div>      Exceptions to this principle center around the issue of reproach or blame. Some transgressions bring about long-term or permanent reproach (adultery in Prov 6:33 brings permanent reproach). Leadership and ministry demand having trust invested by the people in the leader. If the leader has broken trust enough times, he might never regain it, and thus will not be qualified to be an officer in the church.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id246.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Doctrine of the Church, Part Two"><U>Part Two</U></A></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>