1 Timothy 3:13
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Paul's requirements for church leadership are extended to deacons, placing them fully within the standards for church service. Those entrusted with God's work must practice God's word, with godliness and faithfulness in home life as well as in church responsibility. They are to establish obedience and order in their households and in the church, with faithful service in office belonging to the character required of them.
Neglect of home duties undermines a deacon's example and his ability to set the church in order. No one is to be placed in a position of trust without first being tested and tried. Deacons who use the office well and serve faithfully gain for themselves a good standing and great boldness and confidence in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Within 1 Timothy 3:10-16 the verse stands as added instruction to be read and obeyed by laborers together with God. Their work is aggressive, yet it must be done on Bible principles with Christlike simplicity, patience, forbearance, and love. They are to convince rather than condemn, to uplift Christ rather than hurl thunderbolts at those in error, and to avoid harsh methods, satanic weapons, and strong personal feeling when dealing with unreasonable and wicked men. They are to exalt God's law and reveal love for souls.
The passage through this verse gives the standard for choosing men and women to carry responsibilities in sanitarium work, especially at the beginning when no mistake must be made. Those chosen must understand the Lord's will and be able to discern what needs to be done and prayerfully do it, so that the mistakes and errors of the past are not repeated. The one placed as business manager must daily be managed by the Lord, possess dignity and knowledge with a clear sense of how to use authority, reveal Christ in life, give religious instruction and exert a spiritual influence, and know how to deal with minds while his own mind is controlled by the Spirit. He must speak wisdom in words of encouragement, discern and correct mistakes, harmonize with fellow workers, possess adaptability, speak the different points of faith as occasion requires, and reveal justice, judgment, and the love of God in word and act.