Building on the Foundation

We’ve covered this particular topic previously on the blog , but I’m studying through the subject of church leadership again, so I thought I’d take the time to do a quick overview of the subject of deacons. There are a few major questions that pop up to create division in the body, the calendar and Holy Days being two of the main ones, ironically.    Now, as far as the leadership structure in the church goes, there is really only one level of government: the elders, who do the work of oversight.  We’re not getting into that today; we’re only going to look at what a deacon is, because many Churches have made the role of deacon into a rank above the rest of the body or a title, which it is not.  First, every man and woman should be God’s deacon. It may surprise you to hear me say that, given what I’ve written about men and women in the past, but it’s true.  John 12:26 NKJV - "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. ...

Yes, this headline is a parody of Internet clickbait articles. Nevertheless, the Word of God is unmistakably clear that not only can women become deacons and ministers, but that they should do so! The English word "deacon" descends from the Greek diakonos  (Strong's #1249), which means, "one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a servant, attendant, minister…." In other words, a "deacon" or "minister" is not a position of authority, but a servant! Throughout the New Testament, diakonos is most commonly translated as “minister,” but also often as “servant.” The differences in translation are irrelevant, though, for a minister, a deacon, and a servant are all one and the same thing! Jesus Christ, Yeshua the Messiah, used diakonos several times to teach that if anyone desired to be great, he should become a deacon or minister, that is, a servant. For example, we read in Mark 9:35, "And He sat down, called the twel...