1 Timothy 3:8-13
"What is a deacon?" - 1 Timothy 3:8-13
Or maybe a better question is, "WHO is a deacon?"
So, we will return to 1 Timothy and pick up where we left off, in Chapter 3:8. As Paul is telling Timothy how to identify and choose leaders for the church, we are following along in the process. Having already discussed the first kind of leaders - elders - now he is going to lay out the qualities of the second kind of leaders - the deacons.
If you are new to church life, all of these terms may be unknown and mysterious. But for those of us that have been around church awhile, "deacon" may be a familiar term. I would bet that, although familiar, if I pressed you to tell me what a deacon is supposed to do, that might be a challenge. Don't feel bad. It is a challenge for me too, and different churches view the role differently.
Why is that? Well, because the Bible actually gives us very little information to go on! And when Paul talks to Timothy about leadership in the church, he is way more concerned with the kind of people that fill the role, that the details of the role itself.
In a healthy group, it is important to know who is who. In terms of church leadership, the issue is not, "who does the church serve", but rather, "who is present to serve the needs of the church". We will also ask, and hopefully answer, "What about women in leadership?" If you want to know more, well then....
.....VIEW AND SEE!
Steve