8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, (devious of speech) not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 3:8-13 English Standard Version

The New Testament book of Acts tells how in the early days of the Church a problem arose regarding the daily distribution of food amongst believers in need. The apostles said to the believers: “It's not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” (Acts 6:3-4) They encouraged the believers at that time to choose from among themselves “seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” to take care of that ministry. The word there for 'serve' is the same word from which we get the word 'deacons', which means 'a servant'. It seems that, years later, it became to be a word to describe men who served their fellow believers in what we today might call 'administrative roles'.

Now while the role of deacons was a supportive one to the elders, it was obviously still a position that required wise, Spirit filled men, of good reputation – as seen in vs 8. That verse describes well the sort of person one would be willing to trust with the handling of Church funds and other responsibilities. How were they to go about whatever task was entrusted to them? (vs 9)

They were to always act in a way that their conscience would be clear. No fiddling the books, no favouritism, no back-biting, and certainly no inappropriate behaviour. What was it, in that same verse, that would motivate them to such above board conduct?

They were to be men who had ‘a clear grasp of the faith’. They needed to be men who were not only truly saved, but men who had grown in their knowledge and understanding of what they believed. When Paul says 'let them be tested first' (vs 10) I'm sure he didn't mean to sit a written exam. The implication is probably more to hear what they believed before appointing them, and then letting them serve for a time to see how they coped. That's something Churches should still do today before hastily and permanently appointing someone because they have a financial background, or some other skill. This should be true of any prominent role in the Church.

Verse 11 has given rise to much discussion as some suggest the Greek could mean ‘female deacons’ rather than deacon's wives. Whatever view one might come to on that, the context here suggests Paul was speaking of the wives of deacons, because in the next verse he goes on to say: “Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.” The implication then of vs 11 is that if a deacon has a wife who loves to gossip and is overfond of wine, she will undermine his role.

But if a deacon is just a servant, and someone who is going to invest time and energy into helping others, of whom some will just take his help for granted and without any appreciation, is it something anyone would want to do? (vs 13)

I think what Paul wrote to Christians who were actual slaves or servants in those days would apply to the spiritual service of deacons as well. Paul wrote: “Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:22-24.

A faithful deacon knows that while he serves his Christian brothers and sisters, he is ultimately serving the Lord Christ. He will become more and more established in his faith, and others will know that he loves the Lord. Actually, that's not just for deacons – it ought to be true of everyone who calls Jesus their Lord.