DEACONS’ QUALIFICATIONS
Greek Definition
Deacon diakoneo
meaning servants; those who serve
Scripture References
I Timothy 3:8-13:
“likewise” –
hosautos meaning in the same manner or way as (the
bishops/elders/pastors)
“deacons” –
diakoneo meaning servants; those who serve
“grave” – semnos
meaning serious; honorable, worthy of respect
“not double tongued” -
dilogos meaning double talk, saying a thing twice; one way
to one person and another way to another person; false speaking
“not given to much wine” –
poluss meaning much or many oinos
meaning wine
“not greedy of filthy lucre”
–aischrokerdes meaning craving wealth; shameful gain;
motive of personal profit, questionable or dishonest moneymaking
“holding” - echo
meaning steadfast adherence; mental conception or account
“the mystery” -
musterion meaning hidden truth; spiritual truth; that which is
known to the initiated, revealed in the Christian sense by the Holy Spirit
our Teacher
“of the faith” –
pistis meaning Christian belief and teachings
“pure conscience” -
katharos meaning clean or cleansed; suneidesis
meaning a knowing with oneself “let
these also” – (as bishops in verse 6)
“first be proved” –
dokimazo meaning examined; to test, investigated to try with
the expectation of approving
“then let them use the
office” – (The word office is not in the Greek text)
“of a deacon” –
diakoneo meaning to serve; servants
“being found blameless” –
anenkletos meaning not accused or called in, nothing
laid to one’s charge as a result of public examination
“even so must their wives” –
gunakas meaning women; a wife
“be grave” –
semnos meaning serious and with dignity
“not slanderers” -
diabolos meaning false accusers, finding fault, spreading
gossip and criticism
“sober” –
nephalios meaning self-controlled in mind and actions
“let the deacons” –
diakoneo meaning servants or those who serve
“be the husband of one wife”
mias gunaikos meaning a one-wife man; faithful to his
one wife; not a bigamist; no immorality
“ruling” –
proistemi meaning to stand before, hence lead with care and
diligence
“their children and their
own house well” – kalos meaning rightly
“for they that have used the
office of deacons” – office not in the Greek text; meaning served or
ministered as deacons
“well purchase” –
kalos meaning rightly peripoieomai meaning
to acquire; gain; to get for oneself
“a good degree” –
kalos meaning rightly; good; bathmos meaning
step, stair or position of trust and influence “and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” – polus
meaning much; abundance; great parrhesia meaning
absence of fear in speaking; confidence and courage in speaking
pistis meaning Christian life and verbal witness unto Christ.
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