Question
Should I be concerned that there a women deacons in my church? I am just beginning to search Scriptures for the answer. I have posed this question to others and have been sited scripture that seems to support both points of view (Women should not be deacons vs Women can be deacons). I am >also curious as to what a “Deacon” is suppose to do. Perhaps my church uses the word “Deacon” incorrectly and the Women “deacons” are in fact not “Deacons” as defined in the Bible. (???)
Answer
Your question begs an even bigger question, and that is, How strictly does God expect me to obey His Word?
The simple answer is that God does not allow women to hold the position of deacon in the church. A quick look at the pertinent scriptures proves that. For example, one of the qualifications of a deacon is that _he_ is to be the _husband_ of one _wife_ (my emphasis) (1 Timothy 3). Further, “their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things” (1 Timothy 3:11).
If these are qualifications of deacons, how can a woman be a deacon? A woman cannot be the “husband of one wife.”
Another relevant scripture is 1 Timothy 2:8-15 where Paul clearly states “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.”
How can a woman be a deacon if she is to be silent in the service of the Lord and in submission? if she cannot teach or have authority over a man (in the worship service, according to the context of this passage)?
The truth of the matter is that people turn to passages such as Romans 16:1 and say, “Here is support for deaconesses!”, but those passages are either misunderstood or taken out of context. The qualifications for a deacon are laid out very clearly in 1 Timothy 3, and no where does that or any other passage give a woman the authority to be a decon.
People who argue in favor of women as deacons misuse the Bible, just as Peter said they would (2 Peter 3:16).
By Michael Molloy
