Diakonos - Servant or Deacon
Posted May 27 | Rev. Jess Smith
Defining the ministries at Providence is an ongoing process of discovery and growth. Our desire is to develop teams of ministers (servants) who will implement in word and deed the essence of our purpose statement: “To declare the Sovereign Majesty of God through proclamation, exaltation and education, according to the revealed Word of God to the ends of the earth, by His grace and for His glory.” In order to accomplish this purpose, the whole church must be committed to serving faithfully out of her giftedness in submission to the Lordship of Christ, through the roles God has assigned to each in the power of the Holy Spirit. This exercise in defining diakonos is not an attempt to be dogmatic as much as it is an attempt to clarify and learn for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. Our end is to glorify the Lord and enjoy Him forever. The means to that end is to go hard after Him through the pages of the Scripture so that we might be a Bible-saturated, God-besotted people. Our prayer is that of David in Psalm 119:18, “Open my (our) eyes that I (we) may behold wondrous things out of Your Law.” Throughout church history there have been three principle forms of church government: congregational, hierarchical and by means of a presbytery. In this day of mega churches there appears to be a fourth form, that of viewing the pastor as a CEO and his staff as the Board of Directors. This form allows the congregation very little if any say in the actual governance of the church. In all of these models of church government deacons (diakonoi) have played vital roles. From the 2nd Century on, the role of deacon has been viewed as an office and thus a position of authority.v This tradition has stood since the days of the Apostolic Fathers and is widely accepted
among the church of the 21st Century. The question that needs to be raised in light of this tradition is a question that goes to the interpretation of the word diakonos. Is the word “deacon” the proper translation and if so, are there grounds for seeing this service (or ministry) as an office? The second question can be answered quite easily. The phrase “the office of” as found in the KJV is an addition inserted by the 1611 translators. There is no Greek manuscript that has that particular phrase. In the KJV the phrase is italicized to indicate that it is assumed, but is not actual. As a side note, the translators did the same thing with the word “unknown” in I Corinthians 14:2, 4 in
translating the word glossalalia as “tongues”. We know there may be undiscovered languages and
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dialects but there is no such thing as an “unknown” tongue that goes to an ecstatic prayer
language. For the Apostle Paul, “tongues” referred to a language. Back to the subject of diakonos,
translators have tended to translate out of their own historical and cultural bias when addressing
particular issues that the church faced in their day. With the fire of reformation burning brightly
the need for faithful, valiant men and women who would serve the church both in deed and word
was great. To heighten the importance and value of such service, the word “office” was included or
at least intimated in order to give weight to this particular ministry. The 1689 London Confession of
Faith, Chapter 26 Article 9, addresses this very issue. Deacons are seen in this article to be an office
as are bishops and elders. This is not surprising given the position of the KJ translators and the
extraordinary days of reformation.
However, is this the best definition and use of the word diakonos?
The word diakonos means servant-minister or servant. Only in Philippians 1:1 and I Timothy 3:8,
12, 13 is the word translated “deacon”. Those who translated the English New Testament from the
Greek simply put diakonos in its transliterated form “deacon” in those two passages. In all of the
other texts where diakonos or its verb form is found, it is translated “servant” or “minister”. It is
never used as a proper noun or a title for one who holds office. Diakoneo in its secular setting
meant to “wait table”. It could also carry the meanings “to care or provide for” or “to help,
support”. vi These meanings are embraced in the word diakoneo throughout the New Testament
and translated as “serve”. In the eyes of the Greeks, service was reserved for slaves and those who
were not rulers. In fact there was no merit in this term for the Greeks. They did not recognize it as
a true self-emptying for the sake of others. For a noble Greek, service was not one of the powers
which held heaven and earth together, nor did it lead to sacrifice (Kittel, Volume II, p. 82, Beyer).
The New Testament writers took this word and developed its meaning to represent one who serves
or ministers to both the Lord and others. Jesus’ view of service was predicated on the Old
Testament command to love one’s neighbor which issued from the command to love God. This was
the expected ethical conduct of Jesus’ followers. Christ saw in this service the very thing which
made men and women His disciples (Luke 17:7-10, 12:37, 22:26f; John 12:1). In fact, in the ministry
of Jesus, this service is emphatically displayed in the washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last
Supper (John 13:1-20). It is also demonstrated in Martha (Luke 10:40), Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark
1:31), in the angels’ ministry to Jesus (Matthew 1:13, Mark 4:11), and Timothy and Erastus’
assistance to Paul in the preaching of the gospel -diakovountes (Acts 19:22). See also II Timothy
1:18, Romans 15:25, II Corinthians 8:19 and Hebrews 6:10. This kind of service is depicted vividly in
Matthew 25:42-44 where Jesus spoke of those who served the “least of these” as having in fact
served Him. The aim of Jesus and His followers was not and is not to set up human orders in the
world, but to proclaim the kingdom of God to the glory of God through faithful, Christ-exalting
service. And the way to that goal leads through suffering and even death. For the follower of
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Jesus, the Christian, there is only one way to greatness. He/she must become a servant, indeed the
slave of all (Mark 9:35, 10:44). As Beyer remarked, “diakoveiv is not just about table service, but is
a full and perfect sacrifice as the offering of life which is the essence of service or being for others,
whether in life or death”. (Kittel Volume II, p. 86).
Given the political and religious environment of the 2nd Century and beyond, interpreting diakonos
as deacon seemed natural and practical. The word diakonos as deacon appears to have been read
by the 2nd century church back into the 1st century reading rather than allowing the word to stand
as written by the Apostle Paul. Paul was not advocating a church office or even attempting to set
forth a particular structure for the church as much as he was establishing an order for service and
ministry. Tradition seems to have trumped the meaning of the word diakonos in its context and
historical setting.
Now back to the first question, how does Scripture use the words diakoneo, diakonia and diakonos?
DIAKONEO is used thirty-seven times: to attend to, serve, provide a service. Nothing more! The kind of service
performed, for or upon whom, whether voluntary, or whether physical or spiritual, is not included in the meaning of
diakoneo, but can often be found in the context. Diakoneo is sometimes translated "minister," "administer" or "use
the office." But these words may give a false impression that the people performing such functions are part of an
ecclesiastical staff or clergy; which concept is foreign to the meaning in the text. Thus diakoneo should always be
translated as a form of "to serve," to preclude such misconceptions. In Rom.15.25-27, diakoneo (to serve) saints by
giving material things is contrasted to "sharing in spiritual things" (v.27), and is also contrasted to "serving
(leitourgeo) in fleshly things". Comp. "service" (diakonia) and "servant" (diakonos). Comp. "to slave" (douleo), the
meaning of which includes serving a lord or slavemaster.
SERVE Mt.4.11; 8.15; 20.28,28; 25.44; 27.55. Mk.1.13,31; 10.45, 45; 15.41. Lk.4.39; 8.3; 10.40; 12.37; 17.8; 22.26,27,27. Jn.12.2, 26,26.
Act.6.2; 19.22. Rom.15.25. 2Co.3.3; 8.19,20. 1Ti.3.10,13. 2Ti.1.18. Phm.13. Heb.6.10,10. 1Pe.1.12; 4.10,11.
DIAKONIA is used thirty-four times: a serving, service, ministry, the work of a servant (cf. Eph.4.12). The service can
be in either physical matters (Act.6.1), spiritual matters (Act.6.4), or can consist of material things (Act.11.29). The
kind of service, for whom, or to whom is not included in the meaning, but can often be found in the context. In
current English, "ministering" or "ministry" can mean something different than "service", and hence should not be
used to translate diakonia. Diakonia is used in context with "an attending" (leitourgia) in 2Co.9.12, and with
"attending" (leitourgikos) in Heb.1.14, where diakonia refers to angels providing a beneficial service to Christians.
SERVICE Lk.10.40. Act.1.17,25; 6.1,4; 11.29; 12.25; 20.24; 21.19. Rom.11.13; 12.7,7; 15.31. 1Co.12.5; 16.15. 2Co.3.7,8,9,9; 4.1; 5.18; 6.3; 8.4;
9.1,12,13; 11.8. Col.4.17. 1Ti.1.12. 2Ti.4.5,11. Heb.1.14. Rev.2.19.
SERVING Eph.4.12.
DIAKONOS is used twenty-nine times: one who serves or provides a service. The kind of service, who is served,
whether voluntary, or whether physical or spiritual, is not included in the meaning of diakonos but can often be
found in the context. Sometimes transliterated "deacon" or translated "minister," implying an office within a
religious organization or for "group of called-ones," but only "servant" is meant. If a male servant is called a
"deacon," then a female servant such as Phoebe in Rom.16.1 should be called a deaconess. Depending upon the
context, a servant can serve a household (Mt.22.13; Jn.2.5,9); civil government (Rom.13.4,4); God, Christ, the good
news (Rom.15.8; 1Co.3.5; 2Co.3.6; 6.4; Eph.3.7; 6.21; Col.1.7,23,25; 4.7; 1Ti.4.6); other Christians (Rom.16.1;
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Php.1.1; 1Ti.3.8,12); or the context may give instructions to those who would be God's servants (Mt.20.26-27; 23.11-
12; Mk.9.35; 10.43-44; Jn.12.26); or the context may describe false servants (2Co.11.15,15,23; Gal.2.17). In 1Co.4.7
being a servant in the Lord is compared to being a fellow-slave in the Lord. Comp. "slave" (doulos).
SERVANT Mt.20.26; 22.13; 23.11. Mk.9.35; 10.43. Jn.2.5,9; 12.26. Rom.13.4,4; 15.8; 16.1. 1Co.3.5. 2Co.3.6; 6.4; 11.15,15,23. Gal.2.17.
Eph.3.7; 6.21. Php.1.1. Col.1.7,23,25; 4.7. 1Ti.3.8,12; 4.6. vii
All of these texts overwhelmingly set forth diakonos as the ministry of service. There is no hint of
an official position that carried authority or rule. If “deacon” is the choice for describing this
service, then both men and women must be included, for there is no distinction as to gender when
describing the service of believers. Paul’s qualifications go to character not gender. George Grant
captures this thought well in the following statement from an article in the May 2008 Tabletalk:
“In addition to the elders though, those early fellowships were also served by deacons – or more
literally, servants. They were to translate the truth of the Word into very practical deeds. They
were to make evident the beauty of human relationships transformed, reconciled, and restored by
the Gospel. They were to provide abundant evidence of true koinonia (community). At the same
time, they were to ensure that covenantal relationships would show forth selfless service crafted in
tenderness, empathy, excellence, intelligence, and glory.” This was the sentiment of Paul who
commended the service of Phoebe to the church at Rome in Romans 16:1 where the word used is
diakovov.
What conclusions can be drawn from our brief study? First, the word “deacon” as found in the
English Bible, especially the KJV with its insertion of “the office of” is not the definition of the word
chosen by Paul. He used the word that simply referred to and meant “servants”. To transliterate a
word from one language to another is not necessarily to translate the word. Obviously the
expediency of defining this word as office was found to be necessary from the 2nd Century on. But
does that tradition preclude us from taking a closer look at the word group and its meaning? It is
interesting that the word is only translated “deacon” in two places in the New Testament
(Philippians 1:1 and I Timothy 3:8, 12, 13) out of all texts where it is employed.
Second, Paul’s list of characteristics and qualifications for servants only emphasizes the great need
for godliness and holiness among those who serve the Lord and His church. His more detailed list
does not reflect a change from the exhortations of Jesus concerning those who serve Him. There is
no double-standard in the New Testament. Those who lead, pastors and elders, are NOT called to a
higher standard of holiness than those who would serve in other capacities. Certainly there is
greater responsibility, but not greater accountability. To list the qualifications for servants was
absolutely necessary given the political, spiritual and cultural climate in which Paul lived. The
standard of a one wife husband does not speak against a woman serving. Paul did not need to say
a one husband wife because the married status was established with the husband. There were
many widows in that day who were wonderful servants of King Jesus. Paul’s admonition concerning
the marital status was to ensure the proper order for marriage in the church. Since the husband is
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the head of his wife (Ephesians 5:23) there was no need to address the wife of one husband. The
church at Ephesus was at war with pagan philosophies and doctrinal heresies and needed men and
women who understood the nature of service and whose lives evidenced godliness lived out under
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The same holds true for our day! Too often in the modern day history
of the church, the service of deacon has been interpreted as office and thus accompanied by a
privileged status of ruling and authority. This misinterpretation has led to great abuse and trouble.
But in all fairness, the pastorate and eldership have also been abused. The issue then for all
servants, regardless of their title, is the cross - a daily giving of themselves over to the Lordship of
Christ. Diakonoi (servants) are to exhibit the character of God in every area of their lives to the
glory of God as they go after Him with all their hearts.
Third, as a church we have attempted to answer the question of diakonos by establishing ministry
teams. In reviewing this text and taking this word in its lexical and biblical meaning we are satisfied,
at this point, that this is the place we need to be. We are in no way disparaging the term deacon.
We are simply attempting to understand it in the contexts in which the word was written and apply
it to those who serve. We believe this does fairness to the faithfulness of women who serve the
Lord such as Phoebe who was called a “deaconess” (diakovov). If the word in I Timothy 3:11,
gynaikas, can be translated “women” as well as “wives”, this helps clarify the role of women in the
church as to their service. This goes well with the admonition that women are not to lead or
exercise authority over men but are called to serve the Lord as fellow-heirs of the grace of life.
Fourth, we welcome continued dialogue and discussion on this question. We encourage everyone
at Providence to serve out of their giftedness and to go hard after God daily. Service is the
responsibility of every believer, even if one does not know their particular gift. Service is the
privilege and honor of every believer. The moral, ethical and social characteristics and
responsibilities defined in I Timothy 3 by the Apostle Paul relate to every believer in every
generation.
Our desire is always and in all things to glorify Christ and edify the church. May all of us serve our great and awesome God with great fervency and zeal, pursuing Him as the treasure of our lives in a world that has minimized service and thus diminished the real Treasure.
Serving as a slave of King Jesus,
Bro. Jess
i Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 1979.
ii Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Edited by Gerhard Kittel, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1964.
iii The Greek and English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, William Bauer, 2nd Edition Edited and
Augmented by Fredrick Danker and F.W. Ginrich. University of Chicago Press, 1958. (BAGD)
iv J. B. Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer, The Apostolic Fathers, Baker, Grand Rapids, 1994.
v Ibid, p. 108 Ignatius wrote to the church at Philadelphia, “Pay attention to the bishop and to the presbytery and deacons.”
See also his letter to the Trallians, p. 98 and to the Smyrneans, p. 114. Though Ignatius referred to the deacons as “my fellow-servants”,
he included them in the same list with the bishop and presbytery. His letter to Polycarp finds this statement, “I am a ransom on behalf of
those who are obedient to the bishops, presbyters and deacons...”, p. 116. See also the Didache, p. 147, 157 and the Shepherd of Hermas,
p. 204. The 2nd Century writings of the Apostolic Fathers indicate an early acceptance of the deaconate as an office.
vi BAGD
vii Eric W. Traut, ntwords.com