# Is Deaconess office Biblical?



## thistle93 (Oct 21, 2019)

Hi! I have recently come into discussions about deaconesses in the church I pastor. I am a reformed baptist in a SBC church. On the issue of elders there is agreement that that role is solely for qualified men. The question is about deaconesses. 
My understanding of Scripture from 1 Tim 3 is that a qualified man can become (a deacon) & his qualified wife (a deaconess). This does not mean a single qualified man would be prohibited from serving as a deacon. But it would prevent a single women from being a deaconess. Based on Scripture am I wrong? 

How many of your churches have deaconesses? Would this include single women or just those married to a deacon? 

Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew


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## KMK (Oct 21, 2019)

Do you already have deacons?


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## Regi Addictissimus (Oct 21, 2019)

Much digital ink has been spilled on this topic, especially here on the Puritan Board.

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/deaconesses-poll.55139/

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/deacon-deaconess-and-dizzy.73790/

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/excellent-thoughts-on-the-deaconess-issue.49945/

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/women-deacons.3222/

https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/deaconess-as-biblical-faithfulness.33000/

And you can find many more discussions by following this link:

https://www.google.com/search?q=dea...sJ4KHWCqDM0QrQIoBDAAegQIARAN&biw=1284&bih=867


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## timfost (Oct 22, 2019)

thistle93 said:


> Hi! I have recently come into discussions about deaconesses in the church I pastor. I am a reformed baptist in a SBC church. On the issue of elders there is agreement that that role is solely for qualified men. The question is about deaconesses.
> My understanding of Scripture from 1 Tim 3 is that a qualified man can become (a deacon) & his qualified wife (a deaconess). This does not mean a single qualified man would be prohibited from serving as a deacon. But it would prevent a single women from being a deaconess. Based on Scripture am I wrong?
> 
> How many of your churches have deaconesses? Would this include single women or just those married to a deacon?
> ...



Would women deacons have authority in church? If so, this would be a violation of 1 Tim. 2:12. If this is not a position of authority, why is it a special office when we are all called to be servants (διακονέω)? Similarly, not everyone called an elder (πρεσβύτερος) holds the office of elder. Indeed, even women are called elders in scripture (1 Tim. 5:2), though it does not follow they hold the office of elder. This is not because women are in any way inferior than men and unable to undertake this task, but rather grounded in the creation order (1 Tim. 2:13-14).

Both body and soul need to be _governed_, resulting in two offices that care for the _whole_ person, thereby upholding the _entire_ body of Christ.

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## Jake (Oct 22, 2019)

Out of NAPARC churches, the ARP Church, RPCNA, and ERQ allow women to be ordained to the office of deacon. The PCA also has female deacons in many congregations. 

I'm less familiar with the Baptist world, but as far as I know men like John MacArthur and John Piper support female deacons.


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## Dachaser (Oct 22, 2019)

thistle93 said:


> Hi! I have recently come into discussions about deaconesses in the church I pastor. I am a reformed baptist in a SBC church. On the issue of elders there is agreement that that role is solely for qualified men. The question is about deaconesses.
> My understanding of Scripture from 1 Tim 3 is that a qualified man can become (a deacon) & his qualified wife (a deaconess). This does not mean a single qualified man would be prohibited from serving as a deacon. But it would prevent a single women from being a deaconess. Based on Scripture am I wrong?
> 
> How many of your churches have deaconesses? Would this include single women or just those married to a deacon?
> ...


Phoebe was listed as being one of them.


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## Dachaser (Oct 22, 2019)

Jake said:


> Out of NAPARC churches, the ARP Church, RPCNA, and ERQ allow women to be ordained to the office of deacon. The PCA also has female deacons in many congregations.
> 
> I'm less familiar with the Baptist world, but as far as I know men like John MacArthur and John Piper support female deacons.


My Baptist Church permits then, as deacon have not the spiritual authority as Elders in our church.


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## Von (Oct 22, 2019)

In the light of MacArthur's firm stance on Beth Moore and her cronies, I thought that his view on the topic at hand would be of interest:
_"...So there are three distinct offices advocated in 1 Timothy 3—elders, deacons, and deaconesses. This is what Paul had to say about deaconesses: They must be “dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things”..."_


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## Phil D. (Oct 22, 2019)

Von said:


> _"...So there are three distinct offices advocated in 1 Timothy 3—elders, deacons, and deaconesses. This is what Paul had to say about deaconesses: They must be “dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things”..."_





Dachaser said:


> My Baptist Church permits then



Taken as a whole 1 Tim. 3:8-12 is certainly the strongest case that can be made for deaconesses. The question there is whether _gynaikas_ is referring in its most literal sense to women in general (and thus so translated by YLT, NASB, ASV ) or based on context to a deacon's wife (most all other translations). Given even this relative ambiguity our church does not sanction them - nor would I personally.

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## Smeagol (Oct 22, 2019)

Jake said:


> The PCA also has female deacons in many congregations.


Can you please support this with a quote from the PCA's Constitution?

If not, then the congregations you mention are out of accord with their own constitution if they are _ordaining_ women to any type of office requiring ordination. I too know of some who _label_ some female members as "d"eacons, but I am not aware of any actually ordaining them to that Office. Calling someone a "servant" and actually ordaining them to the authoritative Office of "Servant" are two different things. To show my own cards, I would steer clear of both, but I think you needed to be more clear in what you said about the PCA.

@timfost gives some excellent thoughts.

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## Dachaser (Oct 22, 2019)

Phil D. said:


> Taken as a whole 1 Tim. 3:8-12 is certainly the strongest case that can be made for deaconesses. The question there is whether _gynaikas_ is referring in its most literal sense to women in general (and thus so translated by YLT, NASB, ASV ) or based on context to a deacon's wife (most all other translations). Given even this relative ambiguity our church does not sanction them - nor would I personally.


We allow for them , but all currently are male in my church.


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## Jake (Oct 22, 2019)

Grant Jones said:


> Can you please support this with a quote from the PCA's Constitution?
> 
> If not, then the congregations you mention are out of accord with their own constitution if they are _ordaining_ women to any type of office requiring ordination. I too know of some who _label_ some female members as Deacons, but I am not aware of any actually ordaining them to that office. Calling someone a "servant" and actually ordaining them to the authoritative Office of "Servant" are two different things. I would steer clear of both, but I think you needed to be more clear in what you said about the PCA.
> 
> @timfost gives some excellent thoughts.



I intentionally put individual PCA churches in a separate category from the NAPARC churches which allow them as part of their constitutions. The reality is, based on various reasons I have heard, many PCA churches do have women who are called deacons or deaconesses. I've never been a member of the PCA and frankly I'm not sure the why or how even after trying to read about it, so I won't speculate.


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## Jie-Huli (Oct 22, 2019)

The Authorised Version, like the other Reformation and Puritan era English translations, does not contain any reference to “deaconesses”, but rather to deacons’ wives.

This demonstrates the mind of our forefathers on the subject.

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## Logan (Oct 22, 2019)

Jie-Huli said:


> This demonstrates the mind of our forefathers on the subject.



Not entirely. The KJV supplies "must their" before translating that particular Greek word as "wives". Even someone as respectable as Poole (contemporary with the Westminster divines) said:

"*Even so must their wives be grave:* _must their_ is not in the Greek, but supplied by our interpreters, and, as some think, ill, judging that he speaks here not of deacons’ wives, but of deaconesses, of such women as had the deacon’s office conferred on them, such a one was Phoebe, Romans 16:1; but it may be understood of either, both ought to be not light, airy, tattling persons, but composed, serious, grave people."

Poole didn't come down one way or the other and it's not so obvious to me which is the correct interpretation. Certainly the literal Greek rendering of "Even so [women] be grave" gives me pause to question my assumption that it is speaking of wives.

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## Bill The Baptist (Oct 22, 2019)

Phil D. said:


> Taken as a whole 1 Tim. 3:8-12 is certainly the strongest case that can be made for deaconesses. The question there is whether _gynaikas_ is referring in its most literal sense to women in general (and thus so translated by YLT, NASB, ASV ) or based on context to a deacon's wife (most all other translations). Given even this relative ambiguity our church does not sanction them - nor would I personally.



And if this passage is taken to allow for female deacons, why are the deaconesses also not commanded to be the wives of one husband?

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## Contra_Mundum (Oct 22, 2019)

There is as much or more to be speculated about: that Paul used the word "women/wives," but didn't mean wives of the officers or women generally (as the term/tenor of the language naturally indicates); as that he used a general term, rather than employing such specific designation as Rom.16:1 is assumed by some to mean.

In other words, if you have available such a term as "deaconess," then in this passage that is supposed to lay out qualifications for office-bearers, why not use it? Why has the apostle shunned so clear an expression?

The actual application of v11 to wives of _both _elders and deacons is well-suited to the passage, and not at all arbitrary (as some allege). There is a parallelism of this expression to the previous elder-focused passage, v4, in that it hints at a "family" perspective apt for the selection of all officer-bearers: i.e. 1) are the children well behaved, "having _his_ children in submission with all reverence," and 2) is the wife a model of Christian womanhood, "wives reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful?" There is an overarching unity to the passage, in addition to office-specific or -emphatic considerations. The deacon's children should be properly reverent, and the elder's wife should be gracious.

This treatment of the wives actually lends credence to the purpose for the _resumption_ of a few further words on the deacon, v12, where the title is repeated. A degree of parallelism is maintained as in the earlier section, 2 more vv here just as above, vv5-7. There is more than a hint (appropriating some of the same language as before with the elder) here of one _ministry _in the church, and that the deacon may be prepared in his initial role for greater duties to come.

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## Phil D. (Oct 22, 2019)

Bill The Baptist said:


> And if this passage is taken to allow for female deacons, why are the deaconesses also not commanded to be the wives of one husband?



That is presumably one contextual reason, along with those noted by Rev. Buchanan, why most translations render _gynaikas _"wives" in v.11. That is obviously what it has to mean in verse 12.


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## Edward (Oct 22, 2019)

Grant Jones said:


> but I am not aware of any actually ordaining them to that Office.



From a decade ago:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/redeemer-nyc-officer-nominations-deaconesses.55075/

Here's an article of about the same vintage on the ordination of female deacons at Redeemer http://baylyblog.com/blog/2009/11/redeemer-explains-its-ordination-women-big-innocent-mistake

Of course, there was back pedaling and spin when it became more widely known.


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## Phil D. (Oct 22, 2019)

The NET Bibles has "wives," but includes this translational note.

Or “also deaconesses.” The Greek word here is γυναῖκας (gunaikas) which literally means “women” or “wives.” It is possible that this refers to women who serve as deacons, “deaconesses.” The evidence is as follows: (1) The immediate context refers to deacons; (2) the author mentions nothing about wives in his section on elder qualifications (1 Tim 3:1–7); (3) it would seem strange to have requirements placed on deacons’ wives without corresponding requirements placed on elders’ wives; and (4) elsewhere in the NT, there seems to be room for seeing women in this role (cf. Rom 16:1 and the comments there). The translation “wives” - referring to the wives of the deacons - is probably to be preferred, though, for the following reasons: (1) It would be strange for the author to discuss women deacons right in the middle of the qualifications for male deacons; more naturally they would be addressed by themselves. (2) The author seems to indicate clearly in the next verse that women are not deacons: “Deacons must be husbands of one wife.” (3) Most of the qualifications given for deacons elsewhere do not appear here. Either the author has truncated the requirements for women deacons, or he is not actually referring to women deacons; the latter seems to be the more natural understanding. (4) The principle given in 1 Tim 2:12 appears to be an overarching principle for church life which seems implicitly to limit the role of deacon to men. Nevertheless, a decision in this matter is difficult, and our conclusions must be regarded as tentative.​The NET note on Romans 16:1 reads:

Or “deaconess.” It is debated whether διάκονος (_diakonos_) here refers to a specific office within the church. One contextual argument used to support this view is that Phoebe is associated with a particular church, Cenchrea, and as such would therefore be a deacon of that church. In the NT some who are called διάκονος are related to a particular church, yet the scholarly consensus is that such individuals are not deacons, but “servants” or “ministers” (other viable translations for διάκονος). For example, Epaphras is associated with the church in Colossians and is called a διάκονος in Col 1:7, but no contemporary translation regards him as a deacon. In 1 Tim 4:6 Paul calls Timothy a διάκονος; Timothy was associated with the church in Ephesus, but he obviously was not a deacon. In addition, the lexical evidence leans away from this view: Within the NT, the διακον- word group rarely functions with a technical nuance. In any case, the evidence is not compelling either way. The view accepted in the translation above is that Phoebe was a servant of the church, not a deaconess, although this conclusion should be regarded as tentative.​

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## Jeri Tanner (Oct 22, 2019)

I haven’t read or don’t remember reading this in any commentary, but wonder why “women” couldn’t be correct and be a reference to women like Phoebe, a woman recognized for her helpfulness to the church, but not ordained to an office. Many people are referred to as “diakonos” in the NT- Christ himself, the apostles, and others. Obviously they didn’t serve in that official, set-apart office. 

It seems to me the controlling Scriptures for the ordained office of deacon belonging to a man, filled with the Spirit, are Acts 6 and then the qualification limiter in 1 Timothy 3:12– there’s just no escaping the fact that ordained deacons are qualified men.

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## Contra_Mundum (Oct 22, 2019)

Jeri Tanner said:


> I haven’t read or don’t remember reading this in any commentary, but wonder why “women” couldn’t be correct and be a reference to women like Phoebe, a woman recognized for her helpfulness to the church, but not ordained to an office. Many people are referred to as “diakonos” in the NT- Christ himself, the apostles, and others. Obviously they didn’t serve in that official, set-apart office.
> 
> It seems to me the controlling Scriptures for the ordained office of deacon belonging to a man, filled with the Spirit, are Acts 6 and then the qualification limiter in 1 Timothy 3:12– there’s just no escaping the fact that ordained deacons are qualified men.


Jeri,
I truly think if that possibility was the best rendering of γυναῖκας, if it was the most suited-to-the-context method of reading 3:11, it would have won the day. But, then we would have actually more and greater questions, not least for which we'd be left wondering why the presentation of the M/F diaconate was disjointed. It definitely would not flow, and the passage would lose the balance that it does possess on the more common translation. V12 would compel the conclusion that deacon's wives were natural members of this class, deacons being the husbands of one (just such) γυναικὸς; if not, it would needs be an exceptional condition.

1Tim.3 is focused on the church's ministry; the description flows into mention of the Source of the church's ministry, Christ, the Mystery of Godliness. Timothy is to take up the duty of being an instructor of the brethren (4:6) as a "minister of Jesus Christ," a minister of Godliness, and to be godly himself (4:8) as God gives him grace. I agree with those who regard godliness as the chief attribute or trait of the ministry, and especially of the minister (pastor).

There is a separate passage that deals with the roll (and role) of the "widows," N.B. 5:3ff. As a class of women who were not distracted with mundane aspects of family life, and were being supported by the church: they had opportunity to dedicate themselves to special functions in the church that women were uniquely called and qualified to exercise. But, this service is _separate from _the church's ministry, i.e. its government and discipline. This class of church-servants are not dealt with in the same section _for that reason_.

Phoebe _could be_ a member of this class, although I suspect she was probably younger than the stated widows' age (5:9, 60yrs), and for that cause would not be. I regard her as I believe Paul did, a most capable and useful member appointed to a special task on behalf of the church, on behalf of its ministry. She might have been a church-officer's wife (with the character defined in 1Tim.3:11), but she need not have been in order to have the trust of the church.

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## De Jager (Oct 23, 2019)

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.

11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

-----------------------------

I really don't know how you get female deacons out of that. Seems pretty clear to me that if you're the husband of one wife, you can't be a lady. Seems also pretty clear that another qualification for a deacon is that his wife is an exemplary believer. For example, if I have a man who is qualified but whose wife is a gossip and backbiter, that man cannot be a deacon.

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## Dachaser (Oct 23, 2019)

De Jager said:


> 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
> 
> 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
> 
> ...


Think many would see Phoebe as being called a female deacon, but I do not see her in that light myself.


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## De Jager (Oct 23, 2019)

Dachaser said:


> Think many would see Phoebe as being called a female deacon, but I do not see her in that light myself.



She was a deacon, but she wasn't a Deacon.

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## Nomos (Oct 27, 2019)

Dachaser said:


> Think many would see Phoebe as being called a female deacon, but I do not see her in that light myself.



Doesn't that contradict your earlier post where you alluded to Phoebe as being listed among the deacons?

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## greenbaggins (Oct 27, 2019)

The word "diaconia", as has been pointed out, has a semantic range such that saying "Phoebe was an ordained deacon in the church" (as an attempt to paraphrase the verse) is a claim that narrows the semantic range of the word. There are several modern scholars (including Thomas Schreiner) who think that "courier" might be the idea in view here. In other words, that she was a courier of letters. This I find quite plausible.

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## OPC'n (Oct 27, 2019)

I think women have a natural tendency to take over areas in which they work. They are more organized and systematic than men in general. For example,being mothers they are able to multitask well and they have to dominate that area in which they work to be successful. This natural tendency overflows into everything thing they do. The MDs I work with show this example well. The female MDs are much more organized and calm than their male counterparts. So while they can start off being a great asset to an organization they can quickly take over and you just don’t want that happening in the church. Plus I don’t see any Biblical support for deaconess.


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## Dachaser (Oct 27, 2019)

Nomos said:


> Doesn't that contradict your earlier post where you alluded to Phoebe as being listed among the deacons?


I was just suggesting that she was listed as being a deaconese, but that did not have same meaning as male deacon.


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