Deacon

The words SidKorot (-eu>-fa) refer to service rendered without regard to the quality of the person rendering it. Thus the SidKovot at a feast may be either bond or free ; and any one doing such service is a 5id/t. for the time being. Thus, in NT they are used — (1) of service gener- ally (Ac 12=», Ro 152», 1 Co 16") ; (2) of our Lord's work in particular (Mt 20^) ; (3) of the temporal ruler (Ro 13*) as deoO Siix. ; (4) of the work of the apostles (e.^.

Ac 1" 6', 1 Co 3», 1 Ti 1") : but in none of these places is there any trace of SidKovos as an official title. The transition is found Ro 12^, where the StaKovla in contrast with rpo<firiTela., SiSoffxaXia, TapaxXijcrii, seems to indicate specific services, though the Jk^kovos himself is not men- tioned. (Cf. Hort, Christian Ecclesia, 198 f.)

Where do we first find oflBcial StdKovoi T In Ac 6' oi veurrepoi are of course tacitly contrasted (as Lk 22-*) with ol rpea^vrepoi ; but the parallel riavlaKOi in 6'" seems to show that the contrast is only of age, not of o£Bce. Coming to Ac 6, were ' the seven ' deacons ? Permanent officials of some sort they probably were ; if we take account of St. Luke's way of recording ' beginnings ' of movements.

For the common identification of them with the later deacons, we have (1) The general corre- spondence of their duties. (2) The word JiaKo^fii' Tpair^fait used of them, though this is balanced by JiaKoc/a ToD Xii7oi' of the apostles themselves in the next verse. (3) Common opinion from Irenajus [ScBr. iii. 12. 10, iv. 15. 1 'Stephanus primus diac'l onward. (4) The number of deacons limited to seven at Rome (Cornelius ap. Eus. HE vi. 43 : also Soz. HE vji. 19, referring to Ac 6), and by Cone.

Neocses. Can. 15, also referring to Ac 6, though Cone. Trull. Can. 16 rejects it. Against it, (1) They are nowhere in NT called Smkovm, and Philip in Ac 21' is simply ' one of tb • Seven.' So neither is their work called Jia««Wa. (2) The qualitications laid down Ac 6' for the seven are higher than those required by St. Paul, 1 Ti 3', for deacons. (3) Of the Seven, Stephen was largely a preacher, and Philip in Ac 21" (some twenty-five years later) holds the much higher rank of an evangelist.

(4) The Seven evidently rank next to the apostles, and have much the same position at Jerusalem as the presbyters we find a little later. The arguments are not very strong either way ; but, upon the whole, the adverse one seems the stronger, for this is a ques- tion on which tradition (150 years to Irenaeus) would seem specially liable to slip.

The Seven, then, would seem to have been neither (a) deacons, nor (6) temporary officers (Weizsacker), and con- cern us no further if they were (c) almoners pure and simple (Cone. Trull, supra), or (d) presbyters (Ritschl), though they may have been (e) the original from which both the two later orders diverged, of deacons and presbyters (Lange). In any case, the first explicit mention of deacons (Ph 1') is at Philippi, about A.D. 63 ; and again (1 Ti 3') at Ephesus a few years later.

They are not mentioned with Titus in Crete, but afterwards every cliurch seems to have had its deacons. Concerning Jewish parallels to the office. The deacon has no likeness to the Le\'ite, who was rather a porter of the temple, who looked after the beasts, and sang in the choir. Neither do the deacons resemble the single no (Lk 4-'", vrripiT-qi) of the synagogue, who was more like oui verger, opening and shutting the doors, cleaning the building, handing the roll of the Law to the reader, etc.

The nearest Jewish parallel is the 'Kja n^-i-i or collectors of the alms. 'This phrase, how- ever, rather suggests the tax-gatherer (Kn'3JD koti KViNT KCV Si', 2 K 23^ Targ., with which compare Clement, Ep. 42, misquoting Is 60"), than the deacon whose duties lay so much among the poor. Upon the whole, the office was substantially new. Qualifications are laid down by St. Paul (1 Ti 3) first for the bishop, then for the deacon. Generi- caUy they are alike, but with clear specific difl'er- ences.

Each must be grave, temperate, and free from greed of money, the husband of one wife, and a good ruler of his own house. But while the deacon may serve, if there is no actual charge against him, the bishop must be iveTrLX-qpLTrros — one against whom no just charge can be made. The deacon's temperance and gravity are emphasized for the bishop, who is further reminded that if he cannot rule his o^vn house well, he cannot be trusted to rule the house of God.

The deacon is specially told not to be double-tongued or a lover of dirty gain, whereas it is enough to say generally that tlie bishop is not to be a lover of money. Then the bishop must have sundry qualifications for dealing with other men. He must be apt to teach others, whereas it is enough for the deacon to hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience.

He must also be a lover of hospitality, and a moderate and peaceable man, with some experience, and a good character even among the heathen. Dillurent qualifications point to ditt'erent duties. The deacon's work evidently consists very much in visiting and relieving the poor, where his special temptations would be in one direction to gossij) and slander, in the other to picking and stealing from tlie alms.

If he uses his office well, DEACONESS DEAD SEA B7S he may look forward to a good footing towards God, and much boldness towards men. On the other band, the teaching, the hospitality, and the general intercourse with Christians and heathens, which are so conspicuous in the bishop's work, ■eem no regular part of the deacon's. Of the appointment of deacons we are told very little.

In tne case of the Seven (Ac 6), first the apostles lay down the qualifications required, then tne Church elects seven, then the apostles approve and admit them. In the Pastoral Epistles St. Paul does not get beyond the first stage of laying down qualifications, though Timothy is plainly intended to approve the candidates, and there is no hint given that the Church did not elect them. The process wpuld most likely be the same as for the bishops or elders. H. M. Gwatkin.