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9 They (Deacons) must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. 11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. ~ 1 Timothy 3:9-11
In today's text, the Apostle Paul addresses the heart of the deacon. In v.9 we read, deacons "must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience." The deacon is to be known as one who knows and understands the deep truths of the faith. As with anything worthwhile, it takes time and serious effort to know and understand the deep truths of the faith. The key is to be known by these deep truths. This means we must have the humility and the willingness to entertain and wade through the deep questions of life which is more painful than I can say. There is no knowing and understanding these deep truths without going through the dark moments which leave us with the Lord Jesus and Him only.
In Psalm 42:7 we read, "Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me." There will never be a substitute for a personal relationship with the Lord wherein He is becoming more and more important to us on a daily basis. As this happens, we will discover that we are being increasingly defined by Him. This is when we will be known by the deeper truths of the faith.
The Apostle Paul also tells us to hold to these deep truths with a
clear conscience. When we run to the Lord for His definitions of life, we discover that He defines us. It’s not
enough just to know the truth, we must be known by the truth which is the Lord Himself. And, of course, He knows all things, but as we avail ourselves to Him, we will be known by Him in an experiential way, in a way that He does not force on us. It is a way of being known by being vulnerable to Him. This type of knowledge he defines in that passage where He says to the goats, "Depart from me for I never knew you." (Matthew 7:21-23)
Throughout 1 Timothy the Apostle makes a major point out of
sound and accurate doctrine. And,
the spiritual character of the deacon is founded upon his affirmation of New Testament teachings. The key in doing this is discovered in Paul's words: "with a clear conscience." The deacon possesses a conscience that is clear because he is walking
with the Lord. The Lord is defining Him. Winston Churchill said it best when he said, "Mountaintops inspire leaders but valleys mature them."
The stronger our theology, the stronger our conscience will be. The
more we understand the Bible, God's definitions of things, the stronger our faith will be. When we have strong doctrine and theology, we will be very strong in our conscience. Strong conviction yields a strong
conscience. Conviction leads to the commitment to the truth which will yield a soul influenced and framed up by the truth. Then, that welcome mat before our hearts will render a love for the truth, for God and others.
Elders and deacons are models of what the rest in the church are to be. A pure
conscience only exists where a person lives out his biblical convictions
and knows no accusation against himself. And, by God’s grace and power
and the confession of forgiven sin, we can know this pure conscience. So a deacon
in the church is tested by personal trials which he encounters in his walk with the Lord.And, through the trials, he will be tested.
In v.10 we read, "They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons." The verb used here for tested is a present passive verb, which means it’s an ongoing
test. This means that those who are deacons are tested and proven people. They have tested the truth to discover its stability.
The words in the remainder of v.10, "and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons." introduces us to a word that means to be blameless. To be blameless is to have no blot on his life, without spot, without blemish, nothing for which he could be accused and therefore disqualified.
The difference between the elder and the deacon is in function. The elder is to be a skilled teacher and that is never a qualification of a deacon, because the function of the elder is uniquely the public teaching of the Word of God. Deacons may teach, they may teach very effectively, they may be on their way to becoming elders but the primary function that they serve is the carrying out or the application of the teaching being done by the elders.
In v.11 we read, "In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything."
This verse clearly shows a woman can be a deaconess. In Romans 16:1 Phoebe was called a deaconess. And, unlike the elder, the deacon can be a woman. God has been known to raise up women in the church who serve in many ways: caring for the poor, ministering to the sick, providing meals for families, counseling, and teaching little children.
The qualifications in v.11 are almost the same as in v.8. In v.11 the Apostle uses the word diabolos, the word for "devil" to describe what her speech is not to be. "The Deaconess' are not to be slanderers." The devil, of course, is the supreme slanderer. In other words, they’re to control their tongue and give no place for the enemy to bring havoc in our ranks. They are not to have a tongue that is not only gossipy but not also slanderous.
People who say the wrong things, whether gossip or slander, say it because of their lack of self value. And, only the Lord can give us our proper self value. The tongue speaks what the heart thinks, and the person who is not building others up are in no position to lead. Leadership is for those who have no self in the game. The leader must be wise in what he says and how he says it. Only that which is constructive should come out of the leaders mouth, never anything destructive for that which is destructive ultimately serves the kingdom of darkness.
