1 Timothy 3:8

Likewise must the deacons be grave,.... The apostle proceeds to give the qualifications, and so the rules for choosing another sort of officers in the church, deacons; whose work and business is, not

Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Deacons.

Likewise must the deacons be grave: the term deacon signifies the same with one that ministereth, and is applicable to any that have any service in the church. But it is also a term peculiar to the office of those who serve tables, that is, took care of the poor, for which purpose these officers were first instituted, ; and thus the term is taken, ,8 Philippians 1:1; and so it here must be interpreted, being distinctly mentioned from the other officers, whose qualifications were before expressed, nor is it required of these officers that they should be didaktikoi, apt to teach. Indeed both Stephen and Philip did preach, but the latter was an evangelist, and it was a time of persecution, when even the more private brethren went every where preaching the gospel. Of these officers he requires, that they should be persons not of light, airy tempers, but serious and composed, men of a modest, seemly carriage. Not double-tongued; not excessive talkers, or men that regarded not what they said, but talked any thing, according to the place or company they were in or with. Not given to much wine; not too much attending taverns, and places where wine was sold or drank. Not greedy of filthy lucre; not greedy of gain, any sordid, base way.

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Ver. 8. Not doubletongued] διλογους. That can turn their tales, and tune their fiddles to the base of the times, saying as the company says, being as the planet Mercury, good in conjunction with good, and bad with bad. Lingua in vitulis marinis duplex est, Sea calves are double tongued. Ministers must neither be sea calves nor moon calves; double tongued, nor unstable, or double minded, James 1:8. Tyriosque bilingues. Virg. Bartholin. in Anatom.

(8) Likewise must the deacons.—We possess scattered and at the same time casual notices of this lower order of deacons dating from the very first days of the faith. The order clearly sprang out of the needs of the rapidly increasing church. Some two years after the Ascension (A.D. 34-35) the seven deacons were appointed to assist the Apostles as almoners of the brethren; as the Church’s life developed, the functions of these primitive subordinate ecclesiastical officers were enlarged. The history of the career of Stephen and Philip supply ample evidence of this. Out of his first apostolic appointment in the year 34-35, no doubt, was developed that great inferior order in the Church, respecting which these definite rules and authoritative regulations were laid down by the Apostle Paul in his instructions to Timothy in the matter of church government and order. These primitive deacons were evidently assistants to and probably in many cases supplied the place of the presbyters. The great similarity of the directions of St. Paul respecting the qualifications to be looked for in both, implies this; still their original employment as administrators of the Church’s funds and distribution of her alms remained to them. We can trace the existence of the order through and beyond the Apostle’s time:— Jerusalem. . .A.D.34-35.Original foundation of order by the Apostles at Jerusalem. Acts 4:1-6.Corinth. . .A.D.55.1 Corinthians 12:28.Rome. . .A.D.58-9. Romans 12:7.Philippi. . .A.D.63. Philippians 1:1.Ephesus. . .A.D.66.1 Timothy 3:8; 1 Timothy 3:13.Asia Minor. . .A.D.63-69 1 Peter 4:11.. . .A.D.138-40 Justin Martyr. Apology, i. 65, “Those with us who are called deacons,” and Apology, i. 67.Corinth.—Deacons apparently alluded to under ἀντιλήψεις—“helps” (1 Corinthians 12:28). See also 1 Timothy 3:5 of same chapter: διαιρέσειςδιακονιῶν. Rome.— είτεδιακονίαν, ἐν, τῆδιακονία. Reference lost in English translation, “or ministry, (let us wait) on our ministering” (Romans 12:7). Asia Minor.—είτιςδιακονεῖ. Reference lost in English translation, “if any man minister” (1 Peter 4:11). Thus in the first half of the second century we find the order regularly and apparently universally established, constituting an acknowledged part of the Christian system of ecclesiastical government. The scattered notices of the diaconate in the New Testament, dating almost from the Ascension—over a period exceeding thirty years—show us how, out of the needs of the Church, arose this subordinate order, which was rapidly developed as the Catholic Church increased. The differences between the deacon of the Pastoral Epistles, and the deacon of the writings of Justin Martyr, are exactly what we should expect would result from the seventy years of gradual but progressive organisation under men like St. John and his disciples and the immediate successors of the Apostles. Be grave.—St. Paul again repeats the need for this feature of character being found in the lower order of ecclesiastical officers. The reverent decorum, the quiet gravity, which never interferes with the innocent, childlike happiness (see Note on 1 Timothy 3:4), is especially to be looked for in a deacon, who ought to show an example of every-day Christian life. Not doubletongued.—Bengel well paraphrases it, ad alios alia loquentes.

Verse 8. Likewise must the deacons] The term deacon, διακονος, simply signifies a regular or stated servant: from δια, through or emphatic, and κονεω, to minister or serve. See it explained in Clarke's note on "Matthew 20:26". As nearly the same qualifications were required in the deacons as in the bishops, the reader may consult what is said on the preceding verses. Grave] Of a sedate and dignified carriage and conduct. Not double-tongued] Speaking one thing to one person, and another thing to another, on the same subject. This is hypocrisy and deceit. This word might also be translated liars. Not given to much wine] Neither a drunkard, tippler, nor what is called a jovial companion. All this would be inconsistent with gravity. Not greedy of filthy lucre] See note on 1 Timothy 3:3.

8–13. The duties and characters of Deacons, both Men and Women8. the deacons] There is no article; for ‘deacons’ in the accusative we must supply from 1 Timothy 3:2 the remainder of the construction ‘it is right that deacons be.’ This elliptical abruptness is among the characteristics of the style of these Epistles. See Introduction, p. 31. The title ‘deacons’ is only used in this special sense here and Philippians 1:1. But the title ‘deaconess’ is given to Phœbe, Romans 16:1. In other passages such as Romans 13:4; 1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Peter 4:10 the word still retains the general sense explained on 1 Timothy 3:1. Both in Philippians 1:1 and Romans 14:1 we may trace a fitness in the mention from the office of almoner, the original function assigned to the deacons, Acts 6:1. In writing to the Philippians St Paul, as Bp Lightfoot points out, mentions the officers, since the contributions were probably sent to him in their name as well as of the Church generally. In commending Phœbe to the Roman Church he speaks of her as ‘a succourer of many and of mine own self.’ Though the duties were now enlarged, St Paul still lays stress here on fitness for their first charge; they of all men must be ‘not greedy of filthy lucre.’ He had not mentioned this in speaking of the presbyters; though in Titus 1:7 he does.grave] Considering the emphasis laid on purity of life and bearing in the case of the presbyters ‘pure,’ ‘orderly,’ we see in this epithet the corresponding qualification of ‘seemly morals and propriety,’ cf. 1 Timothy 2:2,not doubletongued] Or, better, not talebearers. The word is used here only in N.T. Xen. de Equestri, viii. 2, uses the noun of repeating gossip. Polycarp has this very rare word, ad Phil. c. v., of the deacons. Bp Ellicott attributes the interpretation of Theodoret ‘saying one thing to one and another to another’ to Theodore; who has however a singular explanation of his own, ‘non bilingues’; ‘si enim deferunt illa quae mandantur a presbyteris sive viris sive mulieribus ad quos et mittuntur, iustum est eos sincero arbitrio sicut convenit implere quae sibi mandantur quae per eos mandantes audiunt.’not given to much wine] The word for ‘given’ is used five times by St Paul in these Epistles, and nowhere else by him except in Acts 20:28 to the elders of Ephesus, ‘take heed to yourselves.’ Lit. ‘giving heed.’

Likewise must the deacons - On the meaning of the word “deacons,” see the notes on Phi 1:1. On their appointment, see the notes, Acts 6:1.

8. Double-tongued—The liability of subordinates, to be obsequious to superiors and supercilious to inferiors. Greedy—So as to be tempted to embezzle the church funds.