Bible Verses about Deacons. Share Tweet Save. Chapter Parallel Compare. Philippians Acts We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.
The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Romans Titus We will turn this responsibility over to them.
John Ephesians One implication concerning this distinction could be that those who hold the office of elder are more susceptible to pride because they possess leadership over the church. On the contrary, it is not as likely for a deacon, who is in more of a servant role, to fall into this same sin. Beyond what we can glean from these differences in qualifications, the Bible does not clearly indicate the function of deacons.
Yet based on the pattern established in Acts 6 with the apostles and the Seven, it seems best to view deacons as servants who do whatever is necessary to allow the elders to accomplish their God-given calling of shepherding and teaching the church. Just as the apostles delegated administrative responsibilities to the Seven, so the elders are to delegate certain responsibilities to the deacons so that the elders can focus their efforts elsewhere.
As a result, each local church is free to define the tasks of deacons based on their particular needs. What are some duties that deacons might be responsible for today? Such duties might include:. That is, they are to care for the physical or temporal concerns of the church. By handling such matters, deacons free up the elders to focus on shepherding the spiritual needs of the congregation.
Purchase a Print Edition. Our work is possible by the generosity of our readers. Give Today. Read Now » Ask a Question ». Resources Donate. The Biblical Qualifications and Responsibilities of Deacons. Article Who should be a deacon? What does the Bible say deacons should do? Need more resources? The Reason for Deacons. In addition to this letter from Paul, we are also given guidance from Luke in Acts regarding the reason for deacons.
In this passage, we read that the church was growing and very active in caring for people in need, especially widows. You remember that the godly Jewish people of old and the early Christians were very concerned about widows and orphans and those who were in need who were part of the believing community.
They were deeply concerned to minister to them. And the Christian church in Jerusalem was apparently doing a pretty good job. However, a controversy arose. Specifically, in verse 1, Luke says, "a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. The reason for this is because Christ's love needed to be tangibly manifested in the congregation. And the elders needed to devote themselves to the shepherding work of teaching and praying and leading the congregation in discipleship.
So, the elders say to the people, "Here are the qualifications for the men that are going to lead in the mercy ministry in our congregation. Now you pick some men that meet those qualifications. In the church today, the deacons' work is to complement the elders' ministry of the word and prayer, and the deacon is to lead in the local congregation's ministry of mercy to those who are in need in the local church.
It is an office of service and deed, and it is an office that embodies Jesus' example in ministry. The Job of Deacons. For Paul, the job description of a deacon is that of a man who wants to concretely and tangibly show the love of Christ in the body of Christ.
The office of deacon is emphatically an office of service, not just in some generic sense, but really and specifically. The deacon is not out for power or prestige. He is a man who wants to serve; he wants to help when the people of God are hurting; and he wants to aid them.
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