QUALIFICATIONS OF DEACONS
By Editor
IN treating of the qualifications of church elders we have made frequent reference to evangelists or ministers, because their duties are so nearly alike in many respects. A local elder need not necessarily preach, yet he must be "apt to teach," because he will find abundant need for this gift, not only in meetings, but in his associations with the members. Their qualifications are much alike. And we shall find also that the QUALIFICATIONS OF DEACONS
Are, in several respects, the same as those of the elders. The deacon must also be A monogamist, the husband of one wife; not a polygamist. Not double-tongued. This word is not elsewhere used in the New Testament and of course is not contained in the rules concerning elders. They should be frank, not speaking ambiguously, but plainly just what they mean. It inculcates fair dealing in everything. "Not given to much wine." This is the same as the eighth point in regard to elders, but the word "much" is inserted. Wine beclouds the mind, and weakens the judgment; a sufficient reason why they who bear responsibilities in the church should not use it. And so the order was given to Aaron the priest: "Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations; and that ye may put difference between the holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them." This plainly implies that he who drinks wine cannot discern sacred things; cannot properly put a difference between the holy and the unholy; and is not qualified to teach the statutes of Jehovah. Wine drinking has no place among the servants of God. Not greedy of gain. It is fully as necessary that the deacon be free from the love of money, or gain, as the elder. Indeed, his danger in this respect is greater; because, as Judas, he often has to handle church funds, and he will be subject to peculiar temptations in this respect. Few people well consider the fact, which is a fact, that the possession of money is dangerous. The bare possession, without the ownership, has ruined thousands. Very many have borne spotless reputations for honesty until they were placed in trust of large sums of money, and they were reported as "defaulters," when, in plain language, they had become thieves. A sumptuous repast is not more pleasing to the gourmand, than the act of handling and counting his gold is pleasing to the miser. For a greed of gain all manner of crimes are committed. As the deacon has to do with the temporalities of the church, he must be a man as free as possible from danger of temptation in this respect. It may, indeed, be said that our deacons have so little money to handle, our church funds are so small, that there is no great need to be so strongly guarded on this point. But that is not so. We have known church officers to use the small sums which the churches placed in their hands, for their own business use or benefit, and fail to have the money when it was needed. Of course they intended to return it whenever it was needed; but that is exactly the excuse of all "defaulters." The money is not theirs, and they have no right to its use. The point needs to be strongly guarded; for many have found that the temptation is not small even in handling small sums. As the elder, so must the deacon have his children in subjection. The reason is not just the same, as the deacon has not the same care for the church. But the influence is much the same in both cases; hence, the requirement. Not a novice; he also must be proved. The responsibilities of a deacon are altogether too great, and too important, to be intrusted to inexperienced hands. Not only proved in regard to his integrity, but to his soundness in the faith; for the apostle adds: "For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith." A good degree—good rank, or standing, in the church, and boldness, or strength, assurance, in the faith. These words indicate that, although the deacon's office pertains specially to temporalities, he is not to be chosen with reference to his business qualifications only. The apostles said, when the first deacons were chosen: "Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." Great wisdom and prudence is required on their part. The first deacons were chosen because of complaints in the congregation of the neglect of certain widows. And it will be found, even unto this day, that there are no matters with which it is more difficult to deal, than with those pertaining to the needy. Some men are easily swayed; their judgments are moved by a plausible story, without their having knowledge of the facts. Such should not hold the office of deacon; because the most unworthy are the most assuming, and most ready to plead their own cause, and, therefore, they would impose upon such an officer, and lead him to act unjustly. The really deserving are generally unassuming, and diffident to speak of their own wants. Hence the deacon should be able to adopt the language of Job: "I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not I searched out." Job 29:16. The worthy poor are sensitive; to them it is a painful necessity to receive the liberalities of the church, and it requires a man "full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" to deal with them so prudently that their hearts shall not be wounded, and the cause not be dishonored. Moreover, he must have such discretion in business matters that he can decide when the poor should receive help from the funds of the church, and when the way should be opened for them to help themselves. Of a truth, he who uses the important office of a deacon well purchases to himself "a good degree." He proves himself well worthy of the high respect of the church. It is not our intention to indulge in criticisms which cannot be for the edification of the reader. Our attention has been called to the statement of a recent writer that in Acts 6 the officers elected to "serve tables," are not called deacons. The original is used with considerable latitude, literally signifying one who serves, a servant. The Cyclopedia of M'Clintock & Strong says: "The later church officer (Phil. 1; 1 Tim. 3) developed itself from the office in Acts 6, and may be traced back to it." And this is so evidently true that judicious commentators and critics, in their remarks on Acts 6, do not hesitate to call them deacons. Their duty was to serve the church in matters of a nature too secular to engage the time and attention of the apostles. And such was the office and duty of the deacons in the early Christian church. An important point to consider is that of the jurisdiction of the officers of the church. In order that our remarks on that subject may be connected, we reserve them for another number.