# David Dickson on deacons and ruling elders



## Reformed Covenanter (May 18, 2021)

Commenting on 1 Corinthians 12:28, David Dickson made the following remarks about deacons and ruling elders:

After this _sixthly,_ he names ordinary offices and gifts, _viz. helps,_ or the office of Deacons, whose work it was to see to the maintenance of Ministers, and the necessities of the Saints, and the dispensation of the public revenues of the Church: which office, though it may seem the meanest, it appears to be in no small account, and imposed not upon men of inferior rank, but upon those that were of tried fidelity, and the more able, or men of fairest estate, as _vers._ 22, 23, 24.

And that for the necessary use of it; for without the help of this office, the work of the Ministry would be much hindered, for had there not been helps or Deacons, who undertook the care of collecting the stipends, that the Ministers might more freely attend the work of the Lord: It is necessary that the Ministers with the Levites, _Nehem._ 13. to whom a designed portion was not given, should betake themselves to their fields, and their work, or secular businesses, and also to Law-suits, being debarred of their due allowance, they might lose their zeal of labouring in the Lord's Vineyard, or the fruit of their labours. ...

For more, see David Dickson on deacons and ruling elders.

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## Jeri Tanner (May 19, 2021)

I had never considered this, that the duty of deacons includes seeing to the maintenance of their ministers. That adds even more sobriety to the office.

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## ZackF (May 19, 2021)

Jeri Tanner said:


> I had never considered this, that the duty of deacons includes seeing to the maintenance of their ministers. That adds even more sobriety to the office.


Yeah sometimes elders need a pan of Stouffer's lasagna too!

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