From Deacons to Evangelists

.... God requires each of us to prove faithful in lesser things before we are given greater ones. In our previous postings we’ve looked at the succession from a teacher, who has the ability to understand and explain things to others, to the ministry of a prophet, where the same underlying ability finds deeper, stronger and more spiritually lively applications. Then finally, in some cases, the very same person will advance to become an apostle, where responsibilities grow and where those same underlying qualities shine more strongly still, as the proven maturity of his own life makes him more and more a living example of the godly character of Christ, whom he portrays to others.

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.... But now let’s use the same concept to examine another type of underlying ability: a very practical and sincere care for the welfare of others. As maturity and proven character develop in this way, a new path of promotion will follow. Let's examine this through the example of Philip the deacon.

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.... In Acts 6:1-7, a dispute had risen within the church because the widows of the Hellenists (the Greek speaking believers) were being neglected in the daily distribution of material needs. Therefore, the first deacons of the church were appointed to take charge over this type of ministry.

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.... The term ‘deacon’ means ‘servant’. These men were chosen on the basis of a proven faithfulness and a blameless life, as evidenced by the purity of their beliefs and their own family leadership:

.... "Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well."

(1 Timothy 3:8-12)

.... Deacons are actually part of a larger ministry called ‘helps’, which comes from the word Greek word for ‘relief’. The ministry of helps may include ushers, greeters, nursery workers, or many other areas in which a helpful Christian rolls up their sleeves and get involved with the logistics of church life, often in a charitable sense. In this particular application, we might say that deacons have one foot in the church and one in our worldly needs. And that is important to understand! For it allows them to act as a ‘bridge’ between the spiritual and materials worlds, and that is an important background for the promotion they may soon receive:

.... "For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

(1 Timothy 3:13)

.... In the case of Philip, the great boldness he obtained in the faith, plus his willingness to work half-in-the-church and half-in-the-world, would eventually bring him to the more vital ministry of an evangelist (Acts 21:8). As an evangelist he represented the Lord to those who were not Christians and helped bridge the gap for them, to bring them into the kingdom. Thus the training he received early on, as a deacon, was very pertinent to the ministry he would eventually receive.

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.... As another example, we might note that Timothy started out in the ministry of helps, assisting Paul and Silas on their missionary journeys (Acts 16:1-3). He took care of their materials needs, such as running errands or securing food and lodging, and in this way he freed the apostles for direct ministerial work (as in Acts 6:2-4).

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.... Like Phillip, Timothy had one foot in the church itself and one foot in its worldly needs, and eventually this led him to the ministry of an evangelist as well:

.... "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

(2 Timothy 4:5)

.... Afterward, the same faithfulness led Timothy to an apostolic ministry as Paul’s co-worker (see 2 Corinthians 1:1). Finally, when Timothy was much older and less mobile, he settled down to become the first bishop of Ephesus (or so church tradition has it). A bishop is an overseer who helps guard the spiritual well-being of a church, though another person, such as a pastor, may actually lead the church. Paul gives us the qualifications for a bishop in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

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Daily Bible Reading: Ephesians 6