Paul’s Teaching on Bishops, Elders, Deacons
Paul’s Teaching on
Bishops, Elders, Deacons
It is not clear what kind of
leadership existed when ecclesias were first started. There is no New Testament
mention of elders or overseers in Corinth or Rome or Syrian Antioch. On their return journey
to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, Paul and Barnabas “appointed elders for them in
every church, with prayer and fasting” (Acts 14:23), probably copying the
organisation of the synagogues where elders were responsible for seeing that
the Law was observed and for representing the Jewish community in any dealings
with the local Roman magistrates. When Paul addressed the elders of Ephesus, he
advised them:
Take heed
to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers (episkopoi), to care for
the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. (Acts
20:28)
Paul asked Titus to appoint elders in Crete. Presumably the
ecclesias there had not had elders previously and he considered that the lack
of responsible leadership was at the root of the problems there.
I left you
behind in Crete for this reason, that you should put in order what remained to
be done, and should appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. (Titus 1:5, NRSV)
In Philippians 1:1 he wrote to
... all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at
Philippi, with the bishops (episkopoi)
and deacons....
The word for “elders” is presbyteroi,
which gives us the English words “presbytery”, “presbyterian” and “priest”.
Paul described the elders as “overseers” (episkopoi),
the word translated as “bishops” in Philippians; so too in Titus 1:7 the word episkopos (“overseer”) is used in describing
the character of elders. Paul lists either overseers and deacons or elders and
deacons, which suggests that elders and overseers were, for the most part,
interchangeable terms.
The elders at Ephesus had not successfully heeded Paul’s warning
about men (andres) arising from their
number who would lead them astray. Paul, therefore, in 1 Timothy 3, had to
spell out to them the qualities of character necessary for those who held
positions of authority within the ecclesia. The specifications for elders or
overseers in 1 Timothy 3:2-6 and Titus 1:6-9 indicate a considerable background
problem of drunkenness, greed and lack of self-control. That they are men is
shown by the comment “husband of one wife”. Since the elders would have a
public profile in dealing with authorities, we would not expect a woman to be
appointed among them.
The deacons in verses 8-10 are also men (verse 12 “the husband of
one wife”), but verse 11 can be read in two ways as many translations indicate.
It can be translated as “their wives” (i.e. the wives of deacons). There is
good reason, however, to translate it as “the women deacons”. The behaviour of
the wives of elders would be as important as the behaviour of the wives of
deacons, but no comment is included on the wives of elders (verses 3-7). This
section of 1 Timothy is specifically about office-bearers in the ecclesia,
rather than the behaviour of believers in general. There is no word for “their”
attached to the word “women”. If there had been, there would have been a strong
case for translating “women” as “wives”. Translations often add “their”, but it
does not exist in the Greek text. The specifications are almost exactly
parallel, except that “not greedy for gain” is omitted for the women:
Deacons (verse 8) must be:
(a) serious,
(b) not double-tongued,
(c) not addicted to much wine,
(d) not greedy for gain;
(e) they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear
conscience.
The women likewise (verse 11) must be:
(a) serious,
(b) no slanderers, but
(c) temperate,
(d) —
(e) faithful in all things.
The adjective “faithful” can mean “reliable, trustworthy” but it
regularly means “believing” which is similar to the phrase used of the male
deacons. The women should be “believing in all things”.
The two descriptions are therefore closely parallel. This
parallelism, introduced by the word “likewise” (verse 11), and the fact that
the whole section in verses 8-13 is about deacons, strongly suggest that we
should understand Paul to be giving instructions here about women deacons
rather than the wives of deacons.
The REB translates “Women in this office”, and many modern
translations add a footnote which says “or,
deaconesses”. TNIV (2004) puts the footnote: “Probably women who are deacons,
or possibly deacons’ wives”. Since Phoebe in Romans 16 was described as a
deacon, there is precedent for this. So too later. When Pliny wished to acquire
information on the Christians about 112 AD in Bithynia, he interrogated two
slave-women who were described as ministrae,
the Latin translation of “deaconesses”.
The word “deaconess” (i.e. a feminine form of “deacon”) is not
used in the New Testament. Phoebe is called a diakonos, “deacon”. When, therefore, the word “deacon” occurs, as
in Philippians 1:1, it is quite probable that some of the deacons were women,
such as Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3). It is easy, but incorrect, to
assume that the word diakonos does
not include women.
The Work of Bishops,
Elders and Deacons
There is little direct information on the precise duties of an episkopos (translated “bishop” or
“church leader”), presbyteroi
(“elders”) and diakonoi (translated
“deacons” or “church helpers”). Nor is it known how those described as
“workers” and “fellow workers” fitted in. Did their work overlap, coincide, or
was it additional?
Teaching was part of the work of overseers/bishops. It was important that an
overseer (“God’s steward”, Titus 1:7) should be a good teacher (didaktikos, 1 Timothy 3:2), because of
the false teachers.
...he must
hold firm to the sure word as taught, so that he may be able to give
instruction in sound doctrine and also to confute those who contradict it. (Titus 1:9)
The elders had a pastoral responsibility to “care for the church
of God” like shepherds looking after a flock (Acts 20:28). They are described
as ruling, but not all were involved
in preaching and teaching (1 Timothy 5:17). They also are described as acting
collectively to lay their hands on Timothy, a way of dedicating someone to a
God-approved task, as happened to Barnabas and Saul in Acts 13:2-3.
Do not
neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophetic utterance when the
elders laid their hands upon you. (1 Timothy 4:14)
A single word (presbyterion
= “presbytery”) is translated here as “the elders”, suggesting that they
especially assembled together for the purpose. In James 5:14 the elders were
encouraged to gather together to anoint a sick person and pray for him.
The institution of deacons is often attributed to Acts 6:1-4 where
Stephen and six others were chosen to help with the daily distribution (diakonia) to widows, so that others
could devote themselves to prayer and “the ministry (diakonia) of the word”, rather than serve (diakonein, the verb) tables. But Stephen also preached, and since diakonia was used either of practical
service like providing food or of “the ministry of the word”, which is
preaching and teaching, or of the work of Jesus (Mark 10:45 – diakonein, again), the work of the
deacons should not be thought of as restricted to practical activities. In
later centuries the work of deacons tended to be more practical, but this is
not indicated within the New Testament. When financial support was sent to
Jerusalem, it was to the elders it was delivered (Acts 11:30), not deacons.
Deacons are not mentioned in the Jerusalem church, despite Acts 6:1-4, though
“absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” (to quote a saying from
archaeology).
Some commentators consider that the instructions about widows in
1 Timothy 5:3-15 do not refer simply to welfare but to a particular
arrangement where, in return for support, the widows would undertake certain
duties for the ecclesia. Good character is particularly specified, as in the
case of bishops, elders and deacons:
Let a
widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the
wife of one husband; and she must be well attested for her good deeds, as one
who has brought up children, shown hospitality, washed the feet of the saints,
relieved the afflicted, and devoted herself to doing good in every way. (1
Timothy 5:9-10)
“Teachers of What is Good”
In Titus 2 Paul tells Titus that he is to “teach what befits sound
doctrine”. This “sound doctrine” is explained in the instruction he then gives
about the behaviour and character of the “older men” and the “older women” in
the ecclesias. Older sisters, though not included as “elders” (presbyteroi), are given an important
teaching part. The instructions to the older men (presbytai) are:
Bid the
older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in
steadfastness. (Titus
2:2)
Similar instructions are given to the older women (presbytides), but with the significant
addition that they are to be “teachers of what is good” (kalodidaskaloi), or the word may be translated as “good teachers”.
It is often assumed (and translations sometimes give the impression) that they
are to teach what is good only to the young wives, and as a consequence they
are not to teach brothers.
Bid the
older women likewise to be reverent in behaviour, not to be slanderers or
slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, and so train the young women
to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind,
and submissive to their husbands.... (Titus
2:3-5, RSV)
The word “so” does not appear in the Greek, nor is there any
particular reason to put a semicolon after “drink” and to add the words “they
are”. These have been added because the RSV translators have decided to presume
that the older women were to be “teachers of good things” solely in order to
train the young women. Paul’s actual command is that the older women are to be
four things:
(a) “reverent in behaviour”
(b) “not slanderers”
(c) “not enslaved by drink”
(d) “teachers of good things”
These are qualities of character in their own right, and need
diligent attention and careful application to achieve. The older women are to
be all these things, for two reasons: firstly, as given in Titus 2:1, because
this “befits sound doctrine”, and secondly so that they can train the young
women “to love their husbands and children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic,
kind, submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be
discredited.” Only if they have the qualities described, are they in a position
to train the young women. The KJV and the NIV indicate this better than the
RSV:
The aged
women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false
accusers, not given much to wine, teachers of good things; that they may teach
the young women to be sober….
(Titus 2:3-4 KJV)
Likewise,
teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers
or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the
younger women.... (Titus 2:3-4 NIV)
“Teachers of good things”
suggests a wider teaching role than to the young sisters. How do they become
“teachers of good things” other than by actually teaching? And there is no
reason to suppose that brothers may not also in the process be taught “good
things”. This passage does not support the commonly held view that sisters may
not teach brothers but may only teach other sisters or children.
In some households women were
kept separate from the men. Teaching by brothers would be difficult in such
circumstances, and therefore teaching by older women would be the most
acceptable way for them to be taught.
Obviously the young wives are to
be engaged in a domestic role (Titus 2:5), but this does not exclude other
roles of service within the ecclesias for sisters in general. The young women
would eventually become older women, and in turn, it would be hoped, “teachers
of good things” – to the benefit of all who would listen to their teaching.
Paul’s concern was that the leaders in the ecclesias should behave
in a sober, upright manner. His stress was constantly on behaviour, not the gender of the leaders, which was incidental to
the main aim of good quality service. It is not stated that women should not be
leaders, and it is not stated that only men should be leaders. In view of the
general male leadership which existed in society in the first century, and in
view of the problems in Crete which Paul was aiming to tackle, it is not
surprising if the elders there were all male, for believers had to conduct
themselves in a manner which was, as far as possible, beyond reproach in the
opinion of pagan society. One reason given why wives had to submit to their
husbands was “that the word of God may not be discredited” (Titus 2:5). Titus
was told to be “in all respects a model of good deeds ... so that an opponent
may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us” (2:7-8). Slaves were
told to obey their masters “so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Saviour” (2:10). The intention expressed is that Christian
commitment should be seen as creditable, a positive help towards the
smooth-running of society. Specific organisational arrangements were therefore
made as necessary in the male-dominated environment of the first century, but
these should not be thought to be setting the scene for ecclesial arrangements
for all time.
