Read with Me
1 Timothy 3:11-13 (HCSB)
Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Listen with Me
Paul leans further into the requirements for deacons as well as deaconesses, both men and women who serve in ministry in the church. Unsurprisingly, the qualifications are not that much different from the qualifications for overseers (3:1-7).
Paul has already written that those who want to be deacons must be worthy of respect, not open to charges of hypocrisy, and not addicted to either alcohol or money (3:8-10). Now, he includes a brief side note that indicates that the women who want to be workers in the church (often termed deaconesses in this context, sometimes translated “wives”, the Greek word here simply means “the women”) also have requirements that they must meet.
Like the men, the women must be worthy of respect, living lives that are holy and righteous, not just while they are with Church people, but out in the world as well. In such a life there is no place for gossip or for addiction, as Paul points out here.
In verse 12, Paul requires that deacons, like overseers, be the husband of one wife, not conforming to the sexual license that was so prevalent in Roman society at that time. Instead, they were to conform fully to God’s original plan for both marriage and sexuality. And they had to be able to lead their own household well, because, as Paul pointed out in 3:5, if a person can’t manage his own household, a very small-scale organism, there is no way that they will be able to manage the Church, which had the potential to be far larger and far more diverse.
Far from trying to discourage people from participating in leadership by these stringent requirements, Paul closes this section on requirements with words of encouragement. Being a leader or a helper in God’s Church, though challenging and requiring a solid commitment to both God and to the kingdom lifestyle, is a very good thing. And it provides opportunities for spiritual growth that are not available in any other way.
Pray with Me
Father, this whole section has reminded me of the high stakes that the Church is pursuing. It is not a matter of merely providing a nice place for people to worship or encouragement in the middle of their trials. The eternal souls of men, women, and children are at stake. So, the caliber of leaders and ministers becomes not a matter of convenience or of popularity. It is not a stretch to say that these criteria are mission critical. The success of the Church in its soul saving mission will literally rise or fall on the character of its leaders. So, we really must use Your criteria instead of the world’s criteria, or even our own personal preferences, when we choose those who will carry the ministry and mission of the Church forward. Lord, give me wisdom to select leaders well, discernment to evaluate my own life according to these criteria, and humility to submit to You for correction in any area in which I fall short. Amen.