Deacon

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Deacon . The Gr. word diakonos , as well as the corresponding verb and abstract noun, is of very frequent occurrence in the text of the NT, but in EV [Note: English Version.] is always translated ‘servant’ or ‘minister’ except in   Philippians 1:1 ,   1 Timothy 3:8-13 , where it is rendered ‘deacon,’ these being the only two passages where it is evidently used in a technical sense.

In the Gospels the word has the general meaning of ‘servant’ (cf.  Matthew 20:26 ||   Matthew 23:11 ,   John 2:5;   John 2:9 ). St. Paul employs it constantly of one who is engaged in Christian service, the service of God or Christ or the Church ( e.g.   2 Corinthians 6:4;   2 Corinthians 11:23 ,   Colossians 1:23-25 ), but without any trace as yet of an official signification. Once in Romans we find him distinguishing diakonia (‘ministry’) from prophecy and teaching and exhortation (  Romans 12:6-8 ); but it seems evident that he is speaking here of differences in function, not in office, so that the passage does not do more than foreshadow the coming of the diaconate as a regular order.

In Acts the word diakonos is never once employed, but   Acts 6:1-6 , where we read of the appointment of the Seven, sheds a ray of light on its history, and probably serves to explain how from the general sense of one who renders Christian service it came to be applied to a special officer of the Church. The Seven are nowhere called deacons, nor is there any real justification in the NT for the traditional description of them by that title. The qualifications demanded of them (  Acts 6:8 , cf.   Acts 6:5 ) are higher than those laid down in 1 Timothy for the office of the deacon; and Stephen and Philip, the only two of their number of whom we know anything, exercise functions far above those of the later diaconate (  1 Timothy 6:8 ff.). But the fact that the special duty to which they were appointed is called a diakonia or ministration (  1 Timothy 6:1 ) and that this ministration was a definite part of the work of the Church in Jerusalem, so that ‘the diakonia ’ came to be used as a specific term in this reference (cf.   Acts 11:29;   Acts 12:25 ,   Romans 15:25;   Romans 15:31 , 2Co 8:4;   2 Corinthians 9:1;   2 Corinthians 9:12-13 ), makes it natural to find in their appointment the germ of the institution of the diaconate as it meets us at Philippi and Ephesus, in two Epp. that belong to the closing years of St. Paul’s life.

It is in these Greek cities, then, that we first find the deacon as a regular official, called to office after probation ( 1 Timothy 3:10 ), and standing alongside the bishop in the ministry of the Church (  Philippians 1:1 ,   1 Timothy 3:1-13 ). As to his functions nothing is said precisely. We can only infer that the diakonia of the deacons in Philippi and Ephesus, like the diakonia of the Seven in Jerusalem, was in the first place a ministry to the poor. The forms of this ministry would of course be different in the two cases, as the social conditions were (see art. Communion), but in the Gentile as in the Jewish world it would naturally be a service of a responsible, delicate, and often private kind an inference that is borne out by what is said in 1 Tim. as to the deacon’s qualifications.

Comparing these qualifications with those of the bishop, we observe that the difference is just what would be suggested by the names bishop or ‘overseer’ and deacon or ‘servant’ respectively. Bishops were to rule and take charge of the Church (  1 Timothy 3:5 ); deacons were to ‘serve well’ (  1 Timothy 3:13 ). Bishops must be ‘apt to teach’ (  1 Timothy 3:2 ); deacons were only called to ‘hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience’ (  1 Timothy 3:9 ). That the work of the deacon and his fellow-servant the deaconess (wh. see) was of a house-to-house kind is suggested by the warnings given against talebearing (  1 Timothy 3:8 ) and backbiting (  1 Timothy 3:11 ). That it had to do with the distribution of Church moneys, and so brought temptations to pilfering, is further suggested by the demand that the deacon should not be greedy of filthy lucre (  1 Timothy 3:8 ) and that his female counterpart should be ‘faithful ( i.e. trustworthy) in all things’ (  1 Timothy 3:11 ).

J. C. Lambert.

Holman Bible Dictionary

diakonos  Philippians 1:1 1 Timothy 3:12 Romans 16:1 Colossians 1:23 1 Timothy 4:6 2 Corinthians 6:4 John 12:26

Although  Philippians 1:1 and   1 Timothy 3:1 clearly indicate that the office of deacon existed in New Testament times, no explicit Bible reference describes the duties of deacons or refers to the origin of the office. In   Philippians 1:1 and in numerous references in early Christian literature outside the New Testament, bishops and/or elders and deacons are mentioned together, with deacons mentioned last. Because of this order, and because of the natural connotations of the word diakonos , most interpreters believe that deacons, from the beginning, served as assistants of the church leaders. Certainly, that was clearly the role of deacons by the second century. Deacons continued to fill an important role in the ministry of the early church, serving the needs of the poor, assisting in baptism and the Lord's Supper, and performing other practical ministerial tasks.

The nature of the qualifications of deacons outlined in  1 Timothy 3:8-13 perhaps indicates the function of deacons in the New Testament period. In most respects, the qualifications of deacons mirror those of the “bishops,” the leaders of the churches. The high standards of morality and character expected of both demonstrates the church's serious regard for the offices and the importance of their functions. The requirements that deacons must have a clear understanding of the faith (  1 Timothy 3:9 ) and that their faithfulness already be proven ( 1 Timothy 3:10 ) indicate that their duties consisted of more than menial chores. The exclusion of those who are “doubletongued” ( 1 Timothy 3:8 ) may be evidence that the work of the deacons brought them into close contact with the everyday lives of the church members, as would occur in visiting the sick and ministering to the other physical needs of fellow Christians. Such service would both give them greater knowledge of items for gossip and allow them greater opportunity to spread such gossip, thus making it crucial that they should not be prone to talebearing. The requirement that deacons not be greedy may indicate that they were responsible for collecting and distributing church funds.

Whether the deacons' functions extended to leading in worship is not clear. Gifts for teaching, a requirement for “bishops,” are not mentioned in the qualifications for deacons. The connotations of table service in the word diakonos and the centrality of the Lord's Supper in the worship of the early church strongly imply that distributing the elements and, in the early years, serving the agape meal were important functions of deacons.

Many interpreters believe that the account of the choosing of the seven in  Acts 6:1 describes the selection of the first deacons, although the term diakonos is not used in the passage and the term diakonia (“service” or “ministry”) is used only for the work of the twelve. The tasks that the seven performed, however, later seem to be principal functions of deacons. On the other hand, two of the seven, Stephen and Philip, are known to us as prominent preachers and evangelists, roles which may not have been common for deacons. The seven were set apart for their task in a ceremony in which the apostles “laid their hands on them” (  Acts 6:6 ). This ceremony may reflect the origin of later ordination practice. Other than this passage, which may or may not represent usual practice, the New Testament does not mention ordination of deacons.

The list of qualifications in  1 Timothy 3:11 requires that “women” must “likewise” (NAS) be similar in character to the men. Although this remark may refer to the wives of male deacons (Kjv, Niv ) it probably should be interpreted as a parenthetical reference to female deacons, or deaconesses (NIV footnote; NAS footnote; NRSV footnote).   Romans 16:1 refers to Phebe as a diakonos of the church at Cenchrea. Williams New Testament translates this as deaconess. The NRSV uses “deacon.” Other translations use “servant.” In this verse, Phebe's role as “helper” and Paul's obvious regard for her work seem to support the conclusion that she functioned as a deacon in her church. Deaconesses are mentioned prominently in Christian writings of the first several centuries. They cared for needy fellow believers, visited the sick, and were especially charged with assisting in the baptism of women converts.

Fred A. Grissom

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary

In the early days of the Jerusalem church, Christians shared their food and possessions so that all in the church had enough for their day-to-day needs. At first the apostles administered this daily welfare, but as the church numbers increased, new arrangements became necessary. To give the apostles more time for prayer and teaching, the church chose seven men whom the apostles appointed over the work. The words used to denote these men and their work were all related to diakonos, the common Greek word for servant or minister. It may be translated ‘deacon’ ( Acts 6:1-6; cf.  Romans 12:7;  2 Corinthians 11:8;  Ephesians 6:21;  Philippians 1:1;  Colossians 4:17;  1 Timothy 3:8).

As the early churches grew in number and size, they saw an increasing need to organize their affairs properly. In time the common practice was for a church to have a group of people called deacons who had certain responsibilities in the church.

The word diakonos had such a broad meaning and usage that the Bible nowhere attempts to define the role and duties of deacons. The deacons were, however, distinct from the elders (GNB: leaders) ( Philippians 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:1;  1 Timothy 3:8; see Elder ). Deacons had responsibility for a variety of ministries, but not the ministry of pastoral care and church leadership (cf.  Acts 6:3-4;  Romans 12:6-8).

Nevertheless, the story of the early Jerusalem church shows that a deacon’s service is not limited to routine or welfare activities. Two of the seven administrators were also very useful preachers ( Acts 6:5;  Acts 6:8-10;  Acts 8:5). Other examples show that the church needs women deacons as well as men ( Romans 16:1-2;  1 Timothy 3:11; cf.  Luke 8:1-3;  1 Timothy 5:10).

Deacons must be spiritual people, for right attitudes are necessary even in organizing practical affairs ( Acts 6:3). It is therefore important to check the character, behaviour and ability of people before appointing them deacons ( 1 Timothy 3:10). Their lives must be blameless, whether in the sphere of family, church or society ( 1 Timothy 3:8-13).

The case of the early Jerusalem church suggests a procedure for the appointment of deacons. The church elders invite the church members to select those they think suitable, then the elders, after due consideration, make the appointment ( Acts 6:3). All must realize, however, that people can do the work of deacons properly only if the Holy Spirit has so gifted them, and only if he works through them ( Romans 12:7;  1 Corinthians 12:4-7;  1 Corinthians 12:11;  1 Peter 4:11).

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The appointment of the seven was designed to remedy the "murmuring of the Grecians (Greek-speaking Jews) against the Hebrew, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration." The apostles said, "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve ("be deacons to"; Diakonein ) tables," i.e. secular business. It is an undesigned coincidence confirming the narrative, that, while no mention is made of their country, their names are all Grecian. The church's design evidently was that, since the murmurers were Grecians, their cause should be advocated by Hellenists. There was a common fund to which most disciples contributed by the sale of their property, and out of which the widows were relieved; a proof of the strong conviction of the truth of Christianity, which could constrain men to such self sacrifice. It is doubtful whether these seven correspond fully to the modern deacons of either episcopal or congregational churches.

On the one hand, the distribution of alms was the immediate occasion of their appointment; on the other the qualifications involved higher functions, "men ... full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." The result was, "the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith; and Stephen (one of the seven), full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people." Philip, too, was an "evangelist." They were probably commissioners to superintend the deacons in distributing the alms, so that the Grecian (Hellenist, Greek-speaking Jewish) widows should not be neglected, and at the same time to minister in spiritual things, as their solemn ordination by laying on of hands implies. The "young men" ( Acts 5:6;  Acts 5:10, Neoteroi ) imply a subordinate ministration answering to the "deacons" ( Philippians 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:8, etc.).

As bishops and presbyters or elders are different aspects of the same upper ministry, so "young men" and "deacons" are different aspects of the same subordinate ministry. Clement of Rome (1 Corinthians 42) notices that the Septuagint ( Isaiah 60:17) prophetically use the two together. The synagogue had its "pastors" ( Paruasim ) and its subordinate "deacons" ( Chazzanim ) or ministers ( Luke 4:20). The church naturally copied from it. The deacons baptized new converts, distributed the bread and wine of the Lord's supper (Justin Martyr, Apol., 65-67), and distributed alms, at first without superintendence, afterward under the presbyters. The diaconate was not a probationary step (as now in episcopal churches) to the presbytery. What is meant by  1 Timothy 3:13 is, "they that have used the office of a deacon well are acquiring to themselves (not "a good degree" for promotion, but) a good standing place" against the day of judgment ( 1 Corinthians 3:13-14); not a step to promotion.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Διάκονος (Strong'S #1249 — Noun — diakonos — dee-ak'-on-os )

(Eng., "deacon"), primarily denotes a "servant," whether as doing servile work, or as an attendant rendering free service, without particular reference to its character. The word is probably connected with the verb dioko, "to hasten after, pursue" (perhaps originally said of a runner). "It occurs in the NT of domestic servants,  John 2:5,9; the civil ruler,  Romans 13:4; Christ,  Romans 15:8;  Galatians 2:17; the followers of Christ in relation to their Lord,  John 12:26;  Ephesians 6:21;  Colossians 1:7;  4:7; the followers of Christ in relation to one another,  Matthew 20:26;  23:11;  Mark 9:35;  10:43; the servants of Christ in the work of preaching and teaching,  1—Corinthians 3:5;  2—Corinthians 3:6;  6:4;  11:23;  Ephesians 3:7;  Colossians 1:23,25;  1—Thessalonians 3:2;  1—Timothy 4:6; those who serve in the churches,  Romans 16:1 (used of a woman here only in NT);   Philippians 1:1;  1—Timothy 3:8,12; false apostles, servants of Satan,  2—Corinthians 11:15 . Once diakonos is used where, apparently, angels are intended,  Matthew 22:13; in v. 3, where men are intended, doulos is used." * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, p. 91.]

 Matthew 22:2-14MinisterServant. Acts 6

People's Dictionary of the Bible

Deacon. The name of an office-bearer in the Christian church. It is generally connected with the appointment of the seven who were to relieve the apostles in the "daily ministration," the distribution of the funds, and of provision for the members of the early church.  Acts 6:1-6. The special name of deacon is not, however, given to the seven; the order called deacons was subsequently established, and founded upon or in imitation of the office committed to the seven. See Alford, The Greek Test ., note on  Acts 6:5. It has indeed been suggested that there was already a class called "the young men," which was the prototype of the diaconate.  Acts 5:6;  Acts 5:10. Different Greek words are used, however, in the two verses just referred to, and the specific duties of the two classes do not closely resemble each other. The Greek word for deacon often is used to indicate any person ministering in God's service. Thus it designates our Lord himself,  Romans 15:8; and Paul describes by it his own position,  2 Corinthians 6:4;  Ephesians 3:7;  Colossians 1:23; in all which places it is translated "minister." Then ft began to be used of a particular order in the church.  Philippians 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:8-10;  1 Timothy 3:12-13. The qualifications of deacons are described; from which in some measure their duties may be deduced. They were to hold a certain authority, and to show themselves patterns to believers. They were to be pure in faith; but it is not required, as it is of the bishop or overseer, that they should be "apt to teach." The inference undoubtedly is that, even if there were exceptions, teaching was not an ordinary part of the deacon's duties. Some of the seven, however, certainly joined teaching with the more secular "daily ministration." And though Paul does not affirm that it was part of a deacon's duty, his words constitute no proof that it was not. It has been questioned whether the diaconate was originally a step to a higher ecclesiastical office; and different interpretations have been given of  1 Timothy 3:13. It seems natural to understand that the honor there mentioned was gained in the position of deacon, and not in promotion to another office. Generally speaking, too, permanence in the diaconate seems to have been the rule in primitive times.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

from the Greek word διακονος , in its proper and primitive sense, denotes a servant who attends his master, waits on him at table, and is always near his person to obey his orders, which was accounted a more creditable kind of service than that which is imported by the word δουλος a slave; but this distinction as not usually observed in the New Testament. Our Lord makes use of both terms in   Matthew 20:26-27 , though they are not distinctly marked in our translation: "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your deacon; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." The appointment of deacons in the first Christian church is distinctly recorded,   Acts 6:1-15 . The number of disciples having greatly increased in Jerusalem, the Greeks, or Hellenistic Jews, began to murmur against the Hebrews, complaining that their widows were neglected in the daily distribution of the church's bounty.

The twelve Apostles, who hitherto had discharged the different offices of Apostle, presbyter, and deacon, upon the principle that the greater office always includes the less, now convened the church, and said unto them, "It is not reasonable that we should leave the ministration of the word of God, and serve tables: look ye out, therefore, among yourselves, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they (the multitude) chose Stephen, and six others, whom they set before the Apostles, &c.

The qualifications of deacons are stated by the Apostle Paul,  1 Timothy 3:8-12 . There were also, in the primitive churches, females invested with this office, who were termed deaconesses. Of this number was Phoebe, a member of the church of Cenchrea, mentioned by St. Paul,  Romans 16:1 . "They served the church," says Calmet, "in those offices which the deacons could not themselves exercise, visiting those of their own sex in sickness, or when imprisoned for the faith. They were persons of advanced age, when chosen; and appointed to the office by imposition of hands." It is probably of these deaconesses that the Apostle speaks, where he describes the ministering widows,  1 Timothy 5:5-10 .

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Deacon. The office described by this title appears, in the New Testament, as the correlative of bishop. See Bishop . The two are mentioned together in  Philemon 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:2;  1 Timothy 3:8. Its original meaning implied A Helper, An Assistant. The bishops were the "elders," the deacons were the young active men, of the church. The narrative of Acts 6 is commonly referred to as giving an account of the institution of this office.

The apostles, in order to meet the complaints of the Hellenistic Jews that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration, call on the body of believers to choose seven men "full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom," whom they "may appoint over this business." It may be questioned, however, whether the seven were not appointed to higher functions than those of the deacons of the New Testament.

Qualifications and duties. Special directions as to the qualifications for and the duties of deacons will be found in Acts 6, and  1 Timothy 3:8-12. From the analogy of the synagogue, and from the scanty notices in the New Testament, we may think of the deacons or "young men" at Jerusalem as preparing the rooms for meetings, distributing alms, maintaining order at the meetings, baptizing new converts, distributing the elements at the Lord's Supper.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

διάκονος. This name is generally applied to the seven who were chosen to superintend the distribution of the funds of the church in  Acts 6:3; but they are not there called deacons, and though the name may be applicable to them, yet it cannot be restricted to such service. The term applies to any service not otherwise specified. The Greek word is more often translated 'minister' and 'servant' than 'deacon.' It twice refers to Christ,  Romans 15:8;  Galatians 2:17; also to Paul and others,  Colossians 1 :7,23,25; to magistrates,  Romans 13:4; and even to Satan's emissaries,  2 Corinthians 11:15 . The Epistle to the Philippians was addressed to the saints and to the 'bishops and deacons,' or overseers and servants. In  1 Timothy 3:8-13 the moral qualifications of the deacon or minister are given, but what his work was is not specified; it is evident that they carried out their service officially. The service of deacon must not be confounded with 'gift.' Phebe was Deaconess of the assembly in Cenchrea.   Romans 16:1 .

Charles Buck Theological Dictionary

A servant, a minister. 1. In ecclesiastical polity, a deacon is one of the lowest of the three orders of the clergy. He is rather a novitiate, or in a state of probation for one year, after which he is admitted into full orders, or ordained a priest. 2. In the New Testament the word is used for any one that ministers in the service of God: bishops and presbyters are also styled deacons; but more particularly and generally it is understood of the lowest order of ministering servants in the church,  1 Corinthians 3:5 .  Colossians 1:23;  Colossians 1:25 .  Philippians 1:1 .  1 Timothy 3:1-16 : The office of deacon originally was to serve tables, the Lord's table, the minister's table, and the poor's table. They took care of the secular affairs of the church, received and disbursed monies, kept the church's accounts, and provided every thing necessary for its temporal good. Thus, while the bishop attended to the souls, the deacons attended to the bodies of the people: the pastor to the spiritual, and the deacons the temporal interests of the church,   Acts 6:1-15 :

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) The chairman of an incorporated company.

(2): ( n.) An officer in Christian churches appointed to perform certain subordinate duties varying in different communions. In the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, a person admitted to the lowest order in the ministry, subordinate to the bishops and priests. In Presbyterian churches, he is subordinate to the minister and elders, and has charge of certain duties connected with the communion service and the care of the poor. In Congregational churches, he is subordinate to the pastor, and has duties as in the Presbyterian church.

(3): ( v. t.) With humorous reference to hypocritical posing: To pack (fruit or vegetables) with the finest specimens on top; to alter slyly the boundaries of (land); to adulterate or doctor (an article to be sold), etc.

(4): ( v. t.) To read aloud each line of (a psalm or hymn) before singing it, - usually with off.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The original meaning of this word is an attendant, assistant, helper. It is sometimes translated minister, that is, servant, as in  Matthew 20:26   2 Corinthians 6:4   Ephesians 3:7 . Deacons are first mentioned as officers in the Christian church in  Acts 6:1-15 , where it appears that their duty was to collect the alms of the church, and distribute them to such as had a claim upon them, visiting the poor and sick, widows, orphans, and sufferers under persecution, and administering all necessary and proper relief. Of the seven there named, Philip and Stephen are afterwards found laboring as evangelists. The qualifications of deacons are specified in  1 Timothy 3:8-12 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Acts 6:1-6 1 Timothy 3 812-12

King James Dictionary

DE'ACON, n. Gr., a minister or servant.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

Anglicized from the Gr. Διάκονος , Lat. Diaconus (usually derived from Διά and Κόνις , q. d. "one dusty from running;" but better from an obsolete Διάκω , or Διήκω , "to run," or hasten; kindred with Διώκω , to pursue: hence, strictly, a runner, i.e. messenger, Buttmann, Lexil. 1:218- 221), a servant (as often rendered),

1. properly, of those who attend on guests or at a table, a waiter ( John 2:5;  John 2:9; so Polyb. 31:4, 5; Xenoph. Mem. 1:5, 2). Among the Greeks these Διάκονοι were a higher class than the Δοῦλοι , or slaves (Athen. 10, p. 192 b).

2. Generally, and with the name of the master or person served, a minister (as it is usually rendered in the N.T.) ( Matthew 20:26;  Matthew 23:11;  Mark 9:35;  Mark 10:43; so Xenoph. Cyr. 8:3, 8). Also an attendant of Christ, a disciple ( John 12:26), of a king ( Matthew 22:13), and hence of God ( Romans 13:4).

3. Specially, in relation to the Gospel and the Church, a minister or teacher

(a.) of the person for whom one ministers ( 1 Corinthians 3:5;  2 Corinthians 3:6;  2 Corinthians 6:4;  1 Thessalonians 3:2;  2 Corinthians 11:23;  Colossians 1:7;  Ephesians 6:21 :  Colossians 4:7;  Colossians 1:25; and, by antithesis, of Satan,  2 Corinthians 11:15).

(b.) Technically, an officer of the primitive Church, a deacon ( Philippians 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:8;  1 Timothy 3:12;  1 Timothy 4:6; see  Acts 6:1-6).

I. Deacons In The N.T. —

1. "The office described by this title appears in the N.T. as the correlative of Ἐπίσκοπος , bishop or presbyter (q.v.). The two are mentioned together in  Philippians 1:1;  1 Timothy 3:2;  1 Timothy 3:8. The union of the two in the Sept. of  Isaiah 60:17, may have suggested both as fit titles for the officers of the Christian Church, or have led to the adoption of one after the other had been chosen on independent grounds. The coincidence, at all events, soon attracted notice, and was appealed to by Clement of Rome (1 Corinthians 42) as prophetic. Like most words of similar import, it appears to have been first used in its generic sense, implying subordinate activity ( 1 Corinthians 3:5) and afterwards to have gained a more defined connotation as applied to a distinct body of men in the Christian society."

2. The origin of the office of deacon in the Church is usually supposed to be described in  Acts 6:1-6. The Hellenistic Jews complained that "their widows were neglected in the daily ministrations." This neglect may be ascribed either to "the fact that their widows were not known, being as foreigners of a somewhat backward spirit, or possibly also to some jealousy existing between the proper Hebrews and their kindred from other lands. At first the apostles themselves, who had the charge also of the common fund ( Acts 4:35;  Acts 4:37;  Acts 5:2), superintended this service, employing intermediate agents, young men of the congregation probably ( Acts 5:6;  Acts 5:10), who had given cause for the complaint now mentioned. In proportion, however, as the Church extended, the more impracticable did it become for them to give themselves to such outward concerns without wrong to their proper spiritual work. ‘ It is not reason,' said the twelve, ‘ that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables' — that is, superintend the daily love-feasts and the distribution of alms. In order, therefore, that they might give themselves wholly to prayer and the preaching of the Gospel, and to provide against wrong and dissatisfaction by a fixed regulation, they proposed the election of seven men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost and of prudence, for this particular service, and set them apart to it solemnly, after they had been chosen by the people, with prayer and the imposition of hands. In the Acts, indeed, these officers are styled simply Οἱ Ἑπτά , the seven (21:8), and not deacons that is, servants or helpers; but that this was their character we know, partly from the terms Διακονία , Διακονεῖν Τραπέζαις , used of their office ( Acts 6:1-2), and partly from almost universal exegetical tradition. (The ancient Church even held the sacred number seven in this case of obligatory. force; and at Rome, for example, there were still as late as the third century only seven deacons, although the number of presbyters amounted to forty)" (Schaff, Apostolic Church, § 134).

Some writers (e.g. Mosheim, Comm.: cent. i, § 37) maintain that the "seven" were appointed, not to care for all the poor at Jerusalem, but only for the widows and poor of the Greeks or foreigners. This view supposes that similar officers had previously existed to discharge these functions for the general Church (so Conybeare and Howson, Life of St. Paul, 1:467; Whately, Kingdom of Christ; Hinds, Early Christianity). Stanley (Apostolic Age, p. 62 sq.) supposes that "the seven" were not deacons such as we find in the later period of the apostolic age, "though they may possibly have borne the name, and though there was in some respects a likeness between their respective duties." (Compare, on the other hand, Schaff, Apostolic Church, § 134). Dr. W. L. Alexander, in Kitto's Cyclopedia (s.v.), asserts that it is not easy to justify the assumption that the "seven" were deacons in the later sense. "Nothing can be drawn from the meaning of the word Διακονία as applied to their functions ( Acts 6:1), or the word Διάκονος , as if this title had been originally derived from such a ‘ serving of tables' as is here referred to, because these words are used in the N.T. with the utmost latitude of meaning, so as to include every kind of service rendered to the Church or cause of God on earth — the service of presbyters ( 2 Corinthians 11:23;  Ephesians 6:21;  Colossians 1:7, etc.), of evangelists ( 1 Thessalonians 3:2), of apostles ( Acts 20:24;  Acts 21:19;  Romans 11:13;  2 Corinthians 6:4, etc.), of prophets ( 1 Peter 1:12), of angels ( Hebrews 1:14), of Christ himself ( Romans 15:8), as well as service in temporal matters. Nor can much weight be attached to patristic testimony on this head, because we have no clear declaration in favor of the position assumed earlier than that of the sixth General Council (in Trullo), held A.D. 680; all the earlier witnesses speak of the diaconate in connection with spiritual services or the ‘ rites' of the Church. If, moreover, this was the institution of a permanent office in the Church, it seems somewhat strange that it should disappear entirely from the history of the Church for many years, and come up again, for the first time, in the form of an incidental notice in an epistle written in the latter half of the first century. Taking the narrative in the Acts in its connection with the history of which it forms a part, the appointment of the seven brethren has all the appearance of a temporary expedient to meet a peculiar emergency."

Some writers maintain that the office of the "seven" corresponded to that of the חִזָּן , Chazzan , in the Jewish Synagogue, the Ὑπηρέτης , or "minister," of the N.T. ( Luke 4:20;  John 7:32). This is the opinion of Vitringa ( De Syn. Vet . p. 895 sq.; Bernard's Condensed Tr . p. 87 sq.), whose principle, that the order of the Christian churches was constructed on the model of the synagogues, led him to press the analogy between the two in every possible way. But for this opinion there is no solid support. Vitringa's main principle is itself unsound, for nothing can be more evident than that the' apostles proceeded upon no prearranged scheme of Church policy, but instituted offices and appointed usages just as circumstances required; and, as respects the deacon's office, it cannot be shown that one of the duties pertaining to the office of chazzan in the synagogue belonged to it. As Hartmann remarks (Enge Verbind. des A. T. mit d. N. p. 281), the chazzan was a mere servant whose functions resembled those of our sexton or church officer (Kitto, Cyclopedia, s.v.; see also Neander, Planting and Training of the Christian Church, Ryland's translation, 1:34 sq.). (See Synagogue).

3. But, whatever view may be taken of Acts 6, it appears clear that the later church office (Philippians 1; 1 Timothy 3) developed itself from the office designated in Acts 6, and may be traced back to it. The functions of the deacon were primarily secular, but soon rose into spiritual importance. Hence the "moral qualifications described in 1 Timothy 3 as necessary for the office of deacon are substantially the same as those of the bishop. The deacons, however, were not required to be ‘ given to hospitality,' nor to be ‘ apt to teach.' It was enough for them to ‘ hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.' They were not to gain their living by disreputable occupations ( Μὴ Αἰσχροκερδεῖς ). On offering themselves for their work they were to be subject to a strict scrutiny ( 1 Timothy 3:10), and, if this ended satisfactorily, were to enter on it. It does not appear to have [necessarily] belonged to the office of a deacon to teach publicly in the church. The possession of any special Χάρισμα (spiritual endowment) would lead naturally to a higher work and office, but the idea that the diaconate was but a probation through which a man had to pass before he could be an elder or bishop was foreign to the constitution of the Church of the first century. Whatever countenance it may receive from the common patristic interpretation of  1 Timothy 3:13 (comp. Estius and Hammond, ad loc.), there can be little doubt (as all the higher order of expositors have felt, comp. Wiesinger and Ellicott, ad loc.) that when Paul speaks of the Καλὸς Βαθμός , or ‘ good degree,' which is gained by those who ‘ do the office of a deacon well,' he refers to the honor which belongs essentially to the lower work, not to that which they were to find in promotion to a higher." On the other side, Dr. Thomas Scott says ( Comment . on  1 Timothy 3:8-13), "The deacons were primarily appointed to dispense the charity of the Church, and to manage its secular concerns. Yet they preached occasionally, or taught in private, or were readers in the public assemblies, and pastors and evangelists were chosen from among them. This interpretation has been contested, yet it seems to be the apostle's meaning; and, without adverting to modern habits and controversies, it is evident that the due discharge of the primitive office of deacon must tend to qualify men for the ministry."

II. In The Early Post-Apostolic Church . — That the duties of the seven deacons were not of an exclusively secular character is clear from the fact that both Philip and Stephen preached, and that one of them also baptized. It is strange, therefore, that the 18th Canon of the Council of Constantinople, in "Trullo," should declare, referring to Acts 6, that the seven deacons had no spiritual function assigned them. OEcumenius (a celebrated Greek writer of the tenth century) gives his testimony to the same effect (In Act. Revelation 6, p. 433). But opposed to this opinion is that of some of the fathers of the Christian Church. Ignatius, a martyr-disciple of St. John, and bishop of Antioch ( † 115), styles them at once ‘ "ministers of the mysteries of Christ;" adding that they are not ministers of meats and drinks, but of the Church of God (Ignat. Ep. ad Trall. n. 2). Again he says (Ep. ad Trall. n. 3), "Study to do all things in divine concord, under your bishop presiding in the place of God, and the presbyters in the place of the apostolic senate, and the deacons most dear to me, as those to whom is committed the ministry of Jesus Christ." Tertullian ( † 220) classes them with bishops and presbyters as guides and leaders to the laity. He asks (Tertull. De Fuga, c. ii): "Quum ipsi auctores, id est, ipsi Diaconi, Presbyteri, et Episcopi fuaiunt, quomodo Laicus intelligere poterit? — Cum Duces fugiunt quis de gregario numero sustinebit?" Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, A.D. 250 (while referring their origin to Acts 6), styles them ministers of episcopacy and of the Church (Cypr. Ep. 65, al. 3, ad Rogat.); at the same time he asserts that they were called ad altaris ministerium Ñ to the ministry of the altar. Though Jerome in one place speaks of them (Ep. ad Evang, et Com. Ezekiel c. 48) as servants of tables and widows, yet again he ranks them among the guides of the people: still he distinguishes them from the priests of the second order, that is, from the presbyters, by the title of Servites. And so, frequently, in the Councils, the names Sacerdos and Levita are used as the distinguishing titles of presbyter and deacon. The fourth Council of Carthage expressly forbids the deacon to assume any one function peculiar to the priesthood, by declaring, "Diaconus non ad sacerdotium, sed ad ministerium consecratus." (See also 18th Can. Con. Nic.)

His ordination, moreover, differed from that of presbyter both in its form and in the powers which it conferred. For in the ordination of a presbyter, the presbyters who were present were required to join in the imposition of hands with the bishop; but the ordination of a deacon might be performed by the bishop alone, because, as the 4th Canon of the 4th Council of Carthage declares, he was ordained, not to the priesthood, but to the inferior services of the Church. Duties. —

1. The deacon's more ordinary duty was to assist the bishop and presbyter in the service of the sanctuary; especially was he charged with the care of the utensils and ornaments appertaining to the holy table.

2. In the administration of the Eucharist, that it was the deacon's duty to hand the elements to the people, is evident from Justin Martyr ( Apol. 2, p. 152), and from Cyprian (Serm. v, "De Lapsis"). Not, however, that the, deacon had any authority or power to consecrate the elements; for the 15th Can. of the Council of Arles, A.D. 312, forbids this. And the 18th Can. of the Council of Nice orders the deacons not even to administer the Eucharist to priests because of their inferiority.

3. Deacons had power to administer the sacrament of baptism (Tertull. De Bapt . c. 17; also Hieron. Dial. Contr. Lucif . c. 4, p. 139). The Council of Eliberis, Can. 77, plainly acknowledges this right, although the author of the Apost . Constitutions , and Epiphanius also, would seem to deny it.

4. The office of the deacon was not to preach so much as to instruct and catechize the catechumens. His part was, when the bishop or presbyter did not preach, to read a homily from one of the fathers. St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, A.D. 380, says expressly that deacons, in his time, did not preach, though he thinks that they were all originally evangelists, as were Philip and Stephen.

5. It was the deacon's business to receive the offerings of the people, and, having presented them to the bishop or presbyter, to give expression in a Loud Voice to the names of the offerers (see Cypr. Ep . 10, al. 16, p. 37 (Hieron. Com. In Ezekiel 18 , p. 537).

6. Deacons were sometimes authorized, as the bishops' special delegates, to give to penitents the solemn imposition of hands, which was the sign of reconciliation (Cypr. Ep . 13, al. 18, Ad Eter .).

7. Deacons had power to suspend the inferior clergy; this, however, was done only when the bishop and presbyter were absent, and the case urgent ( Constit . Apost . 8:28).

8. The ordinary duty of deacons with regard to general Councils was to act as scribes and disputants according as they were directed by their bishops. In some instances they voted as proxies for bishops who could not attend in person; but in no instance do we find them voting in a general Council by virtue of their office. But in provincial synods the deacons were sometimes allowed to give their voice, as well as the presbyters, in their own name.

9. The Apostolical Constitutions (2. 57, p. 875) inform us that one of the subordinate duties ofthe deacon was to provide places in the church for persons as they entered — to rebuke any that might whisper, talk, laugh, etc. during divine service. This was a duty which, however, usually devolved upon the subdeacon.

10. But, besides the above, there were some other offices which the deacon was called upon to fill abroad. One of these was to take care of the necessitous, orphans, widows, martyrs in prison, and all the poor and sick who had any claim upon the public resources of the Church. It was also his especial duty to notice the spiritual, as well as the bodily, wants of the people; and wherever he detected evils which he could not by his own power and authority cure, it was his duty to refer them for redress to the bishop.

In general, the number of deacons varied with the wants of a particular church. Sozomen (7. 19, p. 100) informs us that the Church of Rome, after the apostolic model, never had more than seven deacons. It was not till the close of the third century that deacons were forbidden to marry. The Council of Ancyra, A.D. 344, in its 10th Can., ordains that if a deacon declared at the time of his ordination that he would marry, he should not be deprived of his function if he did marry; but that if he married without having made such a declaration, "he must fall into the rank of laics."

The qualifications required in deacons by the primitive Church were the same that were required in bishops and presbyters; and the characteristics of a deacon, given by St. Paul in his Second Epistle to Timothy, were the rule by which a candidate was judged fit for such an office. The second Council of Carthage, 4th Can., forbids the ordination of a deacon before the age of twenty-five; and both the Civil and Canon Law, as may be seen in Justinian, Novell. 123, c. 14, fixed his age to the same period.

The Council of Laodicea, A.D. 381, forbids a deacon to sit in the presence of a presbyter, and the 11th Can. of the first Council of Carthage regulates the number of judges at ecclesiastical trials-three bishops upon a deacon, six upon a presbyter, and twelve upon a bishop. This would mark the rank of each of the parties. Originally the deacons had been the helpers of the presiding elder of a given district. When the two names of the latter title were divided and the bishop presided, whether as primus interpares, or with a more absolute authority over many elders, the deacons appear to have been dependent. directly on him and not on the presbyters, and, as being his ministers, the ‘ eyes and ears of the bishop" (Const. Apost. 2:44), were tempted to set themselves up against the elders. Hence the necessity of laws like those of Conc. Nic. c. 18; Conc. Carth. 4, c. 37, enjoining greater humility, and hence probably the strong language of Ignatius as to the reverence due to deacons (Ep. ad Trall c. 3; ad Smyrn. c. 8).

III. In the Modern Church deacons are found as a distinct order of the clergy.

In the Roman Catholic Church there are subdeacons as well as deacons, both in orders. The subdeacon's duties are "to prepare the altar-linen, the sacred vessels, the bread and wine necessary for the holy sacrifice — to minister water to the priest or bishop at the washing of the hands at mass — to read the epistle — to assist at mass in the capacity of a witness, and see that the priest be not disturbed by any one during its celebration." To the deacon "it belongs constantly to accompany the bishop, to attend him when preaching, to assist him and the priest also during the celebration of the holy mysteries, and at the administration of the sacraments, and to read the Gospel at the sacrifice of the mass." . . . "To the deacon also, as the agent of the bishop, it belongs to inquire and ascertain who within his diocese lead lives of piety and edification, and who do not; who attend the holy sacrifice of the mass and the instructions of their pastors, and who do not Ñ that thus the bishop, made acquainted by him with these matters, may be enabled to admonish each offender privately, or, should he deem it more conducive to their reformation, to rebuke and correct them publicly. He also calls over the names of catechumens, and presents to the bishops those who are to be promoted to orders. In the absence of the bishop and priest, he is also authorized to expound the Gospel to the people, not, however, from an elevated place, to make it understood that this is not one of his ordinary functions" (Council of Trent, sess. 23, ch. 2). There are eighteen cardinal-deacons in Rome, who have the charge of the temporal interests and the revenues of the church. A person, to be consecrated deacon, must be twenty-three years of age (Council of Trent, sess. 23, c. 17).

In the Church of England and in the Episcopal communions in Scotland and North America, a deacon receives ordination by the imposition of hands of a bishop; in consequence of which he can preach, assist in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and, generally, may perform any sacred office except consecrating the elements and pronouncing absolution. By the statute 44 George 3, c. 43, it is enacted that no person shall be admitted until he shall have attained the age of twenty-three years complete; but this act is declared not to affect the right of granting facilities, exercised by the archbishops of Canterbury and Armagh respectively, viz. to admit at earlier ages; and by 59 George III, c. 60, sec. 1, the two archbishops of the realm, or the bishop of London, or any bishop authorized by any or either of them, may ordain as deacons any persons whom he or they shall deem duly qualified, especially for the purpose of officiating in his majesty's colonies or foreign possessions. But no person so ordained can afterwards hold any living or other benefice in the United Kingdom without the previous consent in writing, under hand and seal of the bishop in whose diocese such benefice, etc. shall be locally situated; nor without like consent of the archbishop or bishop by whose consent he was originally ordained, or of the successor of such archbishop or bishop, in case of his demise or translation; nor without producing a testimony of his good behavior during his residence abroad from the bishop in whose diocese he has officiated, or (if there be not any such bishop) from the governor in council of the colony wherein he may have resided, or from the colonial secretary of state (sec. 2). At the time when the liturgy of the Church of England was composed, it was the deacon's office, "where provision is so made, to search for the sick, poor, and impotent people of the parish, and to intimate their estates, names, and places where they dwell, unto the curate" (that is, to the rector or vicar having the cure or care of souls), "that by his exhortations they may be relieved with the alms of the parishioners or others" (Rubric in the form of Ordination). This was the more ancient office of a deacon, and this rule was made in England before the establishment of the poor-laws, in pursuance of which that care has now devolved upon the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, which last office was specially created for that purpose.

In the Methodist Episcpopal Church the deacons constitute an order in the ministry. They are ordained by the bishop, without the imposition of hands of the elders. According to the ordination service, "it appertaineth to the office of a deacon to assist the elder in divine service. And especially when he ministereth the holy communion, to help him in the distribution thereof, and to read and expound the Holy Scriptures; to instruct the youth, and, in the absence of the elder, to baptize. And furthermore, it is his office to search for the sick, poor, and impotent, that they may be visited and relieved." In the Presbyterian Church of the United States the "Form of Government" states that "the Scriptures clearly point out deacons as distinct officers in the Church, whose business it is to take care of the poor, and to distribute among them the collections which may be raised for their use. To them also may be properly committed the management of the temporal affairs of the Church" (chap. 6). In some Presbyterian congregations, and in the Free Church, there are deacons regularly ordained to have charge of the funds of the Church. In other Presbyterian churches the office is merged in that of ruling elders.

In German Protestant churches the assistant ministers are generally called deacons. If there be two assistants, the first of them is called archdeacon. In the German Reformed Church in the United States, the Constitution, ch. 3, art. 2, provides as follows: "The office of the deacons is to collect the alms and other contributions which are designed for the relief of the poor, or the necessities of the congregation; to distribute the alms willingly and conscientiously; and to provide for the support of the ministry of the Gospel." See also the form of ordination in the German Reformed Church.

Among Congregationalists, the deacons, besides attending to the temporal concerns of the Church, assist the minister with their advice, take the lead at prayer-meetings when he is absent, etc.

Literature. — Besides the works named in the course of this article, see Neander, Church History (Torrey's transl.), 1:184 sq.; Bingham, Orig. Eccles. bk. 2, chaps 20; Siegel, Chr.-kirchl. Alterthiimer, 1:498 sq.; Sawyer, Organic Christianity, chap. 13; Dexter, On Congregationalism, p. 134 sq.; Hooker, Eccles. Polity, bk. § 78; Howell, The Deaconship (Am. Bapt. Pub. Soc.), Philippians 1846, 18mo; Punchard, Congregationalism, 1844, part 3.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

This word in its more extended sense is used, both in Scripture and in ecclesiastical writers, to designate any person who ministers in God's service. In , the Apostle says, 'But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers (deacons)of God.' Again, , 'Whereof I was made a minister' (deacon); and in , he employs the same epithet to express the character of his office. In , St. Paul calls our Lord 'minister of the circumcision,' literally deacon of the circumcision; and, in his Epistle to the Philippians, he addresses himself to the bishops and deacons .

But it is in its more confined sense, as it expresses the third order of the ministry of the primitive Church, that we are to examine the meaning of the word Deacon.

In Acts 6 we have an account of the election of seven persons to the office of deaconship for the purpose of superintending the distribution of the church's bounty. That their duties, however, were not of an exclusively secular character is clear from the fact that both Philip and Stephen preached, and that one of them also baptized. Ignatius, a martyr-disciple of St. John, and bishop of Antioch, A.D. 68, styles them at once 'ministers of the mysteries of Christ;' adding, that they are not ministers of meats and drinks, but of the Church of God.

Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, A.D. 250 (while referring their origin to Acts 6), styles them ministers of episcopacy and of the church: at the same time he asserts that they were called to the ministry of the altar.

Tertullian, a celebrated Father of the second century, classes them with bishops and presbyters as guides and leaders to the laity.

The fourth Council of Carthage expressly forbids the deacon to assume any one function peculiar to the priesthood, by declaring the deacon as consecrated not to the priesthood but to the ministry.

His ordination, moreover, differed from that of presbyter both in its form and in the powers which it conferred. For in the ordination of a presbyter, the presbyters who were present were required to join in the imposition of hands with the bishop: but the ordination of a deacon might be performed by the bishop alone, because, as the 4th Can. of the 4th Council of Carthage declares, he was ordained not to the priesthood, but to the inferior services of the Church. We now proceed to notice what these services specifically were.

1. The deacon's more ordinary duty was to assist the bishop and presbyter in the service of the sanctuary; especially was he charged with the care of the utensils and ornaments appertaining to the holy table.

2. In the administration of the Eucharist, it was theirs to hand the consecrated elements to the people.

3. Deacons had power to administer the sacrament of baptism.

4. The office of the deacon was not to preach, so much as to instruct and catechize the catechumens. His part was, when the bishop or presbyter did not preach, to read a homily from one of the Fathers. St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, A.D. 380, says expressly that deacons, in his time, did not preach, though he thinks that they were all originally Evangelists, as were Philip and Stephen.

5. It was the deacon's business to receive the offerings of the people; and having presented them to the bishop or presbyter, to give expression in a loud voice to the names of the offerers.

6. Deacons were sometimes authorized, as the bishops' special delegates, to give to penitents the solemn imposition of hands, which was the sign of reconciliation.

7. Deacons had power to suspend the inferior clergy; this, however, was done only when the bishop and presbyter were absent, and the case urgent.

8. The ordinary duty of deacons, with regard to general Councils, was to act as scribes and disputants according as they were directed by their bishops. In some instances they voted as proxies for bishops who could not attend in person; but in no instance do we find them voting in a general Council by virtue of their office. But in provincial synods the deacons were sometimes allowed to give their voice, as well as the presbyters, in their own name.

9. But, besides the above, there were some other offices which the deacon was called upon to fill abroad. One of these was to take care of the necessitous, orphans, widows, martyrs in prison, and all the poor and sick who had any claim upon the public resources of the church. It was also his especial duty to notice the spiritual, as well as the bodily, wants of the people; and wherever he detected evils which he could not by his own power and authority cure, it was for him to refer them for redress to the bishop.

In general the number of deacons varied with the wants of a particular church. Sozomen (vii. 19, p. 100) informs us that the Church of Rome, after the apostolic model, never had more than seven deacons.

It was not till the close of the third century that deacons were forbidden to marry. The Council of Ancyra, A.D. 344, in its 10th Can., ordains that if a deacon declared at the time of his ordination that he would marry, he should not be deprived of his function if he did marry; but that if he married without having made such a declaration, 'he must fall into the rank of laicks!'

The qualifications required in deacons by the primitive church were the same that were required in bishops and presbyters; and the characteristics of a deacon, given by St. Paul in his Second Epistle to Timothy, were the rule by which a candidate was judged fit for such an office. The second Council of Carthage, 4th Can., forbids the ordination of a deacon before the age of twenty-five; and both the Civil and Canon Law fixed his age to the same period.

The primitive church had its archdeacon, though when the office was first instituted is a matter of dispute with learned men. He was not in priests' orders; but was selected from the deacons by the bishop, and had considerable authority over the other deacons and inferior orders.