Timothy, Faithful Helper Will Gain Respect in the Church and at Home (1 Timothy 3:12-13)

"A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus"
(1 Timothy 3:12-13, NIV)

As if repeating himself, Paul instructs that the helper (deacon) should have the same qualification concerning marriage given to the leader (bishop). He must be the head of the house with obedience children and a well-ordered home life (not perfect, but loving and orderly). I once read about a helper whose son was about to decide to "go his own way" in disobedience to his parents. The father informed the son that if he did so the father would have to resign his position as a helper in his church because the Scripture in 1 Timothy says that one qualification of a helper is that he must "manage his children and his household well." The son saw the father meant what he said and was so touched by his father's seriousness to honor God and His Word that the son submitted to the father's love and will. The young man repented of his sin.

A faithful helper is a great gain for the church. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:2 that "It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." To those who are faithful and "served well", God will give rewards (sometime in this lifetime) and the promise of eternal rewards. As for helper who fulfills his office faithfully will "gain an excellent standing," that is respect and standing in the church and home. This does not mean an ecclesiastic elevation of office but is simply talking about the admiration and respect rightly due for a faithful servant of God (this include the leaders and all those who serve in the church). How tragic that the opposite is also true. Listen to stories of churches near you, read newspapers, watch TV news and YouTube videos, how many men in the church have fallen from their high position and calling of respect? Shameful both to self, family, the church and the name of the Lord.

Again, a helper who serves well will be rewarded; and he will gain "great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus." He will be bold in proclaiming the Word of God and confidence in prayer. This assurance is not based on his performance but based on his faith in the finished work of Christ and the knowledge of a heart that is right with God and a faithful life.

Dear helpers (deacons), do you manage your households well?

Do you serve by the power of the Holy Spirit and faith in Jesus Christ?

If yes, may God’s rewards be with you.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, the Helpers Must Know The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 3:9-10)

"[Deacons] must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons"

(1 Timothy 3:9-10, NIV)

"The deep truths of the faith" also translated as "the mystery of the faith" (NKJV). There is no doubt, I believe, that this refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the gospel of salvation and grace – and all the doctrine it involves. A "mystery" in the New Testament is not something "mysterious" in today's sense of the word. Not like a mystery novel. A Bible "mystery" is something that was not previously revealed by God but has now been revealed in His own due time through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Paul, in Ephesians 6:19, wrote about the Gospel as revealed-mystery: "Pray also for me… so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…" I don't want to be too technical here, but the fact that the defining article ("the") is before the word "faith" shows that Paul is referring to the great body of Christian doctrine. It is the same faith "once for all entrusted to the saints" of which Jude speaks (Jude 3). Thus, deacons/helpers are to consider that their faith has been committed to them as a sacred trust; and they must "keep hold" of it "with a clear conscience." In the Book of Acts you can see that both Stephen and Philip who were first deacons (Acts 6:2-4) are also great students of the Scripture, who "hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience" (Stephen, read Acts 6:8-7:60; Philip, read Acts 8:4-8:40).

Then, the helpers "must first be tested." Like the leader/overseer, the helpers were not to be put into office immediately following their conversions. How many immature churches have suffered by assigning new converts in a place of leadership simply because the individuals may have been well-known, good in public speaking, had the money or for something other than spiritual maturity? Thus, they "must first be tested." How? This doesn't mean some sort of formal examination or trial or sent them first to seminary but simply that they have been Christians for some time and that they have had long enough to demonstrate before other Christians – at church and home, inside church and outside – that they meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:8 and 3:12. "If there is nothing against them, let them serve."

Dear helper, do you know the Faith – the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the whole counsel of God? Do you take hold of it as dear to your heart? Believing, walking and doing the Faith with clear conscious? Can you pass the test of verse 8 and 12?  If your answer is "Yes" to all of these questions, by the power of the Holy Spirit – serve!

"To serve God, to love God, to enjoy God,

is the sweetest freedom in the world" (Thomas F. Wilson)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Timothy, The Helpers Are to Held A High Standard (1 Timothy 3:8)

"Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere,
not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain"

(1 Timothy 3:8, NIV)

Deacon means "one who serves." I like to call deacons as "helpers" for the overseer, the same way the Holy Spirit is the Helper (John 14:26, not lower in position and power but different office) for the Lord Jesus Christ. The helpers were first created in Acts 6 when the apostles asked for seven men "who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom" to be selected to provide for "daily distribution of food" to the widows so that the apostles would give their "attention to prayer and the ministry of the word" (read Acts 6:1-7). This is the right kind of church organization! The bishop or elder or the leader is to focus primarily on the study, preaching, and teaching of the Word of God and prayer. Others are to be selected to care and help for mundane (but also important) matters that must be done.

The deacons or helpers are those who would serve in the work of the church and so these standards apply to all of them (1 Timothy 3:8-12). First, the helpers "are to be men worthy of respect" and "sincere" or as The Message puts it more plainly, they are to be "serious, not deceitful." This does not mean a false religiosity and poker-faced, but rather men who are served in all seriousness. Far from serving out of obligations, they ought to be joyful and sincere. And since their responsibilities require them to minister to those in need and therefore often involved in visitation among church members, they must keep their character (not gossipers or rumor-mongers) and attitude (serving rather than bossing) in check. In this way, they are "worthy of respect"!

Like the leader, the helpers must also "not indulge in much wine." Although wine was used as a common drink by the people in the Bible times, this historical truth cannot be used as justification for drinking today. A drunkard church helper is always bringing a bad image for the God that he is serving. In my culture, the Iban-culture, alcohol is the single greatest problem! Although there is no explicit prohibition of drinking wine or some sort of alcoholic drinks in the Bible, it did warn us about drunkenness and "indulging in much wine." To this issue, Paul elsewhere warned believers: "It is better NOT to eat meat [offer to idols] or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall" (Romans 14:21). Unbelievers expect Christians to show good examples.

One of the differences between the leader and the helpers is that the leader gets his financial need mostly from those he serves, the church (see Galatians 6:6) but the helpers are on their own. The helpers (all!) are subject to the same temptation concerning money as the leader – perhaps even more since they will be in the business world from day today. Thus, the helpers are commanded to "not pursue dishonest gain." The helpers also must be above reproach in money matters.

Dear helper, are you up to the standards above?

If yes, well done, good and faithful servant!

If not, ask God to show you in which area you should repent.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.