The English word "Deacon" is a word we got from the Latin DIACONUS, which in turn was translated from the Biblical Greek DIAKONOS. The word, properly defined, means "a servant". The early Greeks had a high regard for personal freedom, and looked down on those who were servants. Among the early Church society no one sought out the position of DIAKONOS in a bid for power, because to be a DIAKONOS was, in Greek society, repugnant. No, those who sought out this office did so because their hearts were devoted to Jesus Christ and His teaching:

Matthew 20:25-28  "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.   But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;   And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:   Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

John 13:12-16 "So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him."

Those who sought to be Deacons and Ministers did not do so because it was a position of authority (this is a Satanic doctrine that has infiltrated the Church over the years), but because their hearts were tender to Christ. They wanted to emulate Him in service, as He did in His life. The proper definition of a Deacon (and a Minister, for that matter) is a "servant to the children of God, the Church".

The first Deacons were chosen shortly after the early Church was established:

Acts 6:1-6  "And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.  And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:  Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them."

There are those who look at these passages and say that this is not a clear indication that the office of Deacon was established here because the word DIAKONOS, Deacon, is never used in the context. However, the related noun derivatives of DIAKONIA are used twice. These men were chosen out to "serve" (DIAKONEO) tables, so that the Preachers could be free to "serve" (DIAKONIA) the Word of God. These Deacons were set apart from the rest of the Church to function as ASSISTANTS to the Pastor. They were primarily needed to fulfill the physical needs of the Church (in this case, the serving of tables), though this was not the sole function of the Deacon. Stephen was a mighty minister of God, and went on to preach His word up to the point of his death (Acts 6.8-7.60). Philip was a great Evangelist (Acts 8.5-12) who preached the Word of God and baptized new believers (Acts 8.26-38). The Deacon, therefore, if this pattern is to be believed for today, also assisted in the spiritual ministries to the Church. Every Pastor worth his salt will not choose, or support the choice, of a Deacon lightly. An effective Deacon can help the Pastor minister to the Church joyfully. A poorly selected Deacon, a power mad Deacon can drive the Pastor from the flock, or be a unknowing minister of Satan to bring disruption into the assembly.

I have had the privilege of being both an ordained Deacon as well as an ordained Pastor, so let me share some of what you can expect as a Deacon. As a Deacon I was expected to fill the Pulpit in the Pastor's absence by either preaching the Word myself or by choosing a suitable "supply minister". In the Pastor's absence I was expected to maintain peace in the Body and protect the flock from spiritual disaster. As a Deacon I was expected to teach classes, wait on tables, help the Pastor visit the sick and hospitalized, and to keep a watchful eye on the Church facilities. The Pastor often asked me to go out and counsel rebellious members, to take other Deacons with me to rebuke them in love, and I once had to, at the request of the Church, pull a minister's license to preach when he fell into apostasy. At all times, ALL TIMES, I kept in mind that I was the Pastor's assistant, not his boss. It was the toughest job I ever held in the Church, second only to (now) being Pastor, and not one that the faint of heart or proud should take.

1 Timothy 3:8-13  "Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.   And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.  Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."

In 1 Timothy 3 the word DIAKONOS, Deacon, is clearly expressed as an office or position held in the local Church. The one who held that office, DIAKONOS, was, by the qualifications you see above, a man, not a woman. There are those who point to Romans 16.1 and Phoebe, a woman, whom Paul called DIAKONOS or Deacon and say that the intent of 1 Timothy 3 was man OR woman.

Let me quickly point out that the same one who wrote Romans was the same one who wrote 1 Timothy, and if he intended to characterize the office as one that could be held by man or woman he certainly would have said so. You see, I believe that the Scripture is inspired of God, and God doesn't make an "oops" in His Word. God certainly knew that we would be using these qualifications to choose Deacons in the Church, and if the qualifications were for either sex then He certainly would have made this distinction. The fact that He didn't is a clear indication that those who hold "the office of the Deacon" were men only. Was Phoebe a deaconess, a servant? Yes, but she held no official office in the Church. She was a voluntary servant, a DIAKONOS by her own choice, and not appointed to that position by the Pastor. Paul recognized her service, but not to the extent that he included women in the position of "office of the Deacon".

Since we're already well into this (and I've upset every women's libber in America) let's put the whole thing into perspective. Why aren't women "ordained Deacons" or "appointed Deacons"? The truth is, the answer to this question can only be found in Genesis.

In the Garden of Eden the Lord created man, created woman, then placed man in charge in the Garden. Man expressed this dominance over creation by naming the animals (Genesis 2.19). Man expressed his headship over the family unit by naming Eve, his wife (Genesis 2.23). After the Fall (which was man's fault, by the way), God cursed Eve and said:

Genesis 3:16  "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

Again, God reiterated that man would "rule over" woman, or be in authority in the relationship between man and woman. These are not my words, people, but God's. This Edenic curse is still in effect, even today. There are those who quote "there is neither male nor female ... ye are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3.28)" in an attempt to say that salvation removed the Edenic curse. In other words, after salvation we're all the same, so women can be appointed to the office of Deacon. However, common sense tells you that this is not the case. God tied two things together in this curse: sorrow in childbearing, and submission to the man. Even with the advent of modern medicine, I know of no Christian woman who hasn't suffered in childbearing. Without the medicine, the pain killers, child bearing is probably one of the worst pains known to mankind. Don't even mention the 9 months of suffering, stretch marks, cramping, morning sickness, and so on. If this part of the Edenic Curse is in effect (and it is), then the second part, submission to man, is also in effect.

The very nature of the office of Deacon often demands that the Deacon take authority of the flock in the Pastor's absence. Paul (the same one who wrote Romans and 1 Timothy) also wrote:

1 Timothy 2:12-14  "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.  For Adam was first formed, then Eve.  And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."

Citing the same evidence that I just gave you. God's Word, in Genesis, forbids a woman to AUTHENTEO or dominate the man, and this extends to the function of teaching in the Church. The fact that Paul made this statement IMMEDIATELY before he discussed the qualifications for both the Pastor and the Deacon explains why he neglects mentioning a woman's qualification for this office. To put it bluntly, she's not authorized to that office by God! You can call this male chauvinism if you want, or disparage the Word of God as having been written by a bunch of chauvinists, but you can't have it both ways. The same alleged chauvinist that wrote Romans 16 (and thanked Phoebe) is the same alleged chauvinist that wrote 1 Timothy (and excluded women from the office of Deacon). This same chauvinist cited Genesis as his reason for refusing women to a position of authority over the man, and I guess the same alleged Chauvinist wrote the Edenic curse. Gives you pause to ponder, does it not?

God is not a male chauvinist. He designed men for one role, women for another, and does as He does according to His own will. The sooner we understand this, the quicker we follow His agenda (and not our own political "sensitivities") and prosper as His people. Can women voluntarily act, as Phoebe, as Deaconesses? Certainly, and this unordained position in the Church is a blessing to the Pastor. I use Deaconesses to teach Sunday School (within God's parameters), to host Children's Church, and to assist in Church fellowships. This is a voluntary, not an ordained office, and honors God every bit as much as the Deacon who is ordained to office.

I know we spent a lot of time on the qualification "Man, not Woman", so let's get back on track. The candidate for the office of Deacon must be "grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre".  Let's look at these words in detail.

First, the Deacon must be "grave", SEMNOS, an HONORABLE man. Not all men fit this qualification. Honor is something that has to be grasped and held inside, not a robe that you can put on and take off. For instance, an honorable man will carefully guard his reputation. If he tells you he's going to do something, he'll do it. If you make a deal with him and he shakes your hand on it, you can be certain that he'll follow through on the deal. He is not "of two tongues" (DILOGOS), but speaks the truth in love. To a Deacon honor is important. He holds himself in check lest he shame his Christ and his Church.

Second, the Deacon must NOT be addicted to drugs or alcohol. A drunkard cannot be trusted to help minister to the house of God. No (unrecovered) alcoholics need reply.

Third, the Deacon must not be greedy for money. Deacons often take care of the funds of the Church, and often act as treasurers for the assembly. Several years ago I was awarded a cash settlement for injuries I received in a car accident, so I decided to donate a tenth of that money to my Church. When I did so, I decided that I didn't want anyone to know that I gave such a large sum of money, so I got the money in cash and put it in a plain white envelope. When the collection plate was passed I quietly dropped that money in, and went on about my business. However, when our next month's business meeting rolled around and the Treasurer read the report of income, the large amount of money I donated was strangely not reported! After some quiet research we found out that one of the Deacons, who was assigned to "count the money" for that month, spirited that money off. I was a young Christian at that time, and I can't tell you how much that one negative event nearly destroyed my relationship with the Church. Men who are money grabbers do NOT need to be Deacons. Those who worship money and wear big diamond rings do NOT need to be Deacons. If you make them Deacons, expect to see problems in the Church.

Fourth, Deacons must "Hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience", that is, they should be spiritually mature Christian believers. If you choose someone young in the faith as a Deacon expect trouble. If you choose someone prone to backsliding, expect trouble. If you choose someone who "skips Church" a little too often, expect trouble. Deacons should be examples of Godliness to the flock, otherwise they're not Deacon material.

Fifth, Deacons must be "husbands of one wife". Let's look at this in detail.

The Bible says "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.".  Why must the Deacon be married, and the husband of only one wife? Well, let's look at this from a practical viewpoint. While serving as a Deacon, and now a Pastor, there have been many instances where I have had to counsel women of all ages and for numerous reasons. It has always been my policy that I never counsel a woman alone, but that my wife attend the counseling session as well.

Spiritual management of a Church, whether you are a Deacon or a Pastor, requires that the representative of God be flexible enough to minister to ALL of the people regardless of their sex. Furthermore, we are all sadly and irrevocably human. I have know several good Deacons and Pastors who foolishly began counseling women in private, and then, after a time, were caught in sexual misconduct with these same women. When someone comes to the Deacon for counseling they are in a fragile condition, confused, and especially vulnerable. It has always been a good policy for any who minister in the House of God to "avoid the very appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5.22). It is hard to avoid this appearance if the Deacon chooses to counsel young women behind closed doors. A wife, who supports her husband in ministry, is therefore a practical necessity for the Deacon. When a woman of any age comes to me for counseling I offer her a choice: she can counsel with my wife alone, or with me while my wife is in attendance. Over the past twenty years this policy has been a good one, and I have never had a lady "walk out in a huff" because of it. In fact, the women that I've counseled have all been appreciative of the fact that this policy dispels any sexual tension that could exist between the counselee and the counselor. When we "avoid the appearance of evil", we are free to focus on the problem at hand and not digress into another unsavory avenue.

Again, let's look at this from a practical viewpoint. When choosing out a Deacon for service, the Pastor wants to choose one who has shown orderly conduct in the management of his own household. If the prospective Deacon's wife is unsaved, or saved and acts like a heathen, then the prospect's household is in disarray. Such a person should not be ordained into the office of Deacon for two reasons. First, if his house is in disarray he will be focused on his own problems, not on the ministry to the Church of God. If a Deacon has a wife who is a drunkard, or whorish, his attention will be on this problem area and how to correct it. If his children are hellions, totally out of control, the Deacon will be focused on this - and so will the Flock. People are not stupid by any means. If your house is in disarray, the Church will not support such a candidate to the office of Deacon. You may press his ordination through the Church based on your strength as a Pastor, but he will be as effective as a wart on the end of your nose. A distraction, but certainly not used by the Flock.

Second, if the Deacon is polygamous (which is illegal in our day, but was entirely legal under ancient laws) he shows a lack of commitment. God originally designed one man for one woman, and presented this design for all of us to see in the Garden of Eden. This is God's design, not man's. If the prospective Deacon has more than one wife, or chases after women, or has frequently been unlawfully divorced, then his desire is not to God's Plan and Church, but his desire is to his sex drive. To let such a wolf loose in the Flock will destroy the Church. Therefore Paul specified "husband of one wife" to insure that the prospective Deacon was a committed individual, a sexually pure individual, who ruled his household according to the plan and purpose of God's Word. If he can't rule himself and his house, he certainly can't minister order in God's house.

There are those who read "husband of one wife" and interpret it as meaning "having only one wife at a time", and others interpret the passage more severely as "the man could never have been divorced". How should we interpret "the husband of one wife" as it is related to the Deacon? Well, let's see what the Scripture says:

Matthew 19:3-12  "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?  And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,  And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?  Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.  They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?  He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.   His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.  But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.  For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

Jesus gave us the most complete teaching on Biblical divorce law in our above passage. The Pharisees came to Jesus to see if the could cause Him to make a doctrinal error, and asked Him "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?". I want you to focus on those last three words, "for every cause". This is the Greek PAS AITIA, which literally means "for all accusations". This is a legal term, and the Pharisees asked Jesus this question expecting a legal answer. Among the ancient Jews if a man wanted to divorce his wife, he went before the elders of his tribe and brought a AITIA, a charge against her. The elders then considered the charge and the man's request to divorce, and based on the AITIA rendered a verdict of divorce or no divorce.

Moses allowed this to go on in Israel, not because it was righteous or good, but because the Israelite men were SKLEROKARDIA, hard hearted. In other words, they were apostate, and had moved away from God's will and into their own insofar as marriage was concerned. After a time the Jewish men began abusing the system of divorce that Moses allowed. When a younger or prettier woman came along, these wolves went to the elders and brought various AITIA, accusations, in order to divorce their faithful wives. Perhaps they did as many of our pitiful men do today, and go to divorce court saying "I don't love my wife anymore", or "she just doesn't understand me", or "she's not taking care of me the way that she should". The elders, who were also SKLEROKARDIA, apostate, would then give the man a "bill of divorcement" that he would serve to his wife just before he threw her out on the street.

Jesus put all this back into God's perspective by reminding us that God designed man and woman to join, and stay joined. God does NOT condone divorce. He says, "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder". Divorce divides the union of man and wife, a union that God ordains. It places the children under severe stress. In fact, it is an ungodly epidemic, one that struck Israel and one that strikes America today. Three out of every four Americans are divorced, or are going through a divorce, often for PAS AITIA, every accusation. This is not God's way, nor does He condone it. Marriage should not be a suit of clothes that we put on, then take off when it's wrinkled.

Jesus went on to clarify the one AITIA that was justifiable in God's eyes for divorce. He said:

"Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

The Pharisees came to Jesus asking Him the legal reason for Divorce (PAS AITIA), and now our Lord gives the one valid reason in all of God's Kingdom for divorce - sexual immorality in your mate. Focus on these words: "except it be for fornication". This is the Greek EI ME PORNEIA. PORNEIA is the a word used in Scripture for all acts of illicit sex: harlotry, incest, sex between other women or men. Jesus said the ONE exception to God's Plan of eternal marriage was if the wife engaged in illicit sexual activity, sexual activity outside of that with her lawfully married husband. IF a man has a wife engaged in PORNEIA, IF he can prove this charge, IF he has caught her with another man in a compromising position, IF she has cheated on him sexually, THEN AND ONLY THEN can the man lawfully (within God's will) give her a divorce. In God's Plan of marriage only the husband has power over his wife's body sexually (1 Corinthians 7.4), and she has power over his body sexually. When either party gives that power to another person outside of their spouse, God recognizes that the union of marriage has been broken, and a divorce can be lawfully granted.

Paul the Apostle went on to further illustrate God's design on marriage:

1 Corinthians 7:12-15 "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace."

There were many in the Corinthian Church (as there is today) who were saved, but their spouses never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. Based on this the Corinthians wondered if, since they were saved, should they divorce or separate from their unbelieving mates? Paul shows that God's design for marriage extends to all mankind, not just to the saved. If you are saved, and your wife is not, then you are not to put her away under divorce as long as she remains sexually faithful to you. As long as the unbelieving wife wants to remain in the marriage, then she is authorized, by God Himself, to stay in that marriage. The man should pray for her, try to win her to Christ, but not "put her away". Jesus only authorized PORNEIA as a righteous cause for divorce - no other reasons exist, nor can they be found in Scripture.

Be aware, though, that Paul did say "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases". If the unbeliever CHOREO, decides of his or her own free will to leave the marriage situation, then the Christian is not under bondage, DOULOO, not enslaved to the marriage in such an instance. By using DOULOO, a word used in Scripture for enforced service, Paul recognizes that the marriage contract between man and wife is a BINDING thing. When you said "I Do", you gave up your life to that woman or that man. You came under a covenant, a contract that God considers inviolable with only two exceptions. Again, if your wife is sexually unfaithful, this is a valid reason for divorce. The second valid reason, revealed by Paul, is if your unbelieving spouse divorces YOU.  Now, mind you, this does not give the Christian license to create a living hell at home in order to force the other unbelieving spouse to serve you a bill of divorce. Divorce in such cases would be unrighteous, and as evil as divorcing the wife for PAS AITIA. If you divorce you wife under such machinations you are still guilty, as Jesus said, of fostering adultery.

Taking all these things into consideration, can a divorced man be a Deacon? Yes, if he was lawfully divorced. If he caught his wife in PORNEIA, he could legally divorce her. If she decided, of her own volition, to divorce him because he was a Christian and she couldn't tolerate it, then she would be initiating the divorce and in that case he would not be under bondage. These are two VERY narrow exceptions, and those who consider a man for the office of Deacon should carefully weigh their decision in the light of God's Scripture on divorce. But does divorce automatically disqualify a man from being an ordained Deacon? No, only if the reason for divorce did not meet the qualifications that Jesus Christ established for us in Scripture. But let me hasten to warn you: Jesus said that a man who was unlawfully divorced was an adulterer. Yes, God forgives sin (1 John 1.8-10), but God never condones it. The ramifications of unlawful divorce not only effect the man, but the woman as well. For this reason we need to carefully weigh the ordination of divorced Deacons as to whether their divorce was lawful or unlawful. If an unlawfully divorced man is ordained as a Deacon, we are guilty of ordaining an adulterer as a Deacon. This is not God's will. On the other hand, to exclude every man from consideration because he has been divorced is unfair, and not according to God's Word. Research the background, talk with his ex-wife, and allow God to be your guide.

When we look at the uses of DIAKONOS and its derivatives in Scripture we see how broad in scope the office of Deacon is.

1. The Deacon renders service to others and to the Lord. The Deacon should voluntarily render service to Christ and His Church, following Jesus' own example of service (Matthew 20.26-28; Mark 10.45). Jesus said:

Matthew 20:26  "But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (DIAKONOS, Deacon)"

Service from the Deacon should not be forced, but should spring naturally from a heart that truly wants to serve the Lord. The good Angels act as Deacons to the saved (Hebrews 1.14), acting as "guardian angels", serving and protecting us. The Deacon, in the same way, should be constantly looking for ways to serve and protect the Flock of God. He should be an example of love in action, not someone who pompously sought the title "Deacon" so he could be honored among his peers as a "super-Christian".

2. The Deacon renders service to the Church in money matters: The fact that the DIAKONOS can not be one who is greedy for money emphasizes the fact that Deacons often watch the purse of the Church. They take up offerings, count funds, and help oversee expenditures.

2 Corinthians 8:4  "Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering (DIAKONIA = rendering service as a Deacon) to the saints."

Paul often attributed the service of collecting money and carrying it to other needy Churches as DIAKONIA, the service of the Deacon. To extend this, Deacons are over the physical needs of the Church. Just as in Acts 6.1-6, they are chosen out to render physical aid to the Body of Christ, to include the collection and disbursement of funds.

3. Deacons are often called on by the Pastor to minister to the spiritual needs of the Church. Paul often used Deacons as his assistants:

Colossians 4:17  "And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry (DIAKONIA = to render service as a Deacon) which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it."

Ephesians 6:21  "But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister (DIAKONOS = Deacon) in the Lord, shall make known to you all things"

And often recognized Pastors who served him as DIAKONOS, those who rendered service as a Deacon would:

Colossians 1:7  "As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister (DIAKONOS = Deacon) of Christ"

Paul expected the DIAKONOS to "make known the word", preach the Scripture that he sent, so all Deacons should be careful to understand that they may be called on to preach, if necessary, in the Pastor's unexpected absence.

4. The Deacon should exemplify Christ Jesus:

Romans 15:8  "Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister (DIAKONOS = Deacon) of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers"

Mark 10:45  "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered (DIAKONEO = served by Deacons) unto, but to minister (DIAKONEO = serve as a Deacon) , and to give his life a ransom for many."

In His earthly ministry Jesus Christ was a Deacon par excellence. He set the example for all Deacons, for all believers to follow. If you want to be a good Deacon, serve as Jesus served (John 12.26). Jesus was willing to die to self for the greater good of His Flock. In the same way, the Deacon must be willing to die to himself for the greater good of the Flock of God. No Deacon nor Pastor has the privilege of pumping himself up or promoting his own self or his agenda over the house of God. God's Word and Will must be our charge, the protection of the Flock from Satan's devices must be our every thought. When any Deacon or Pastor forgets God's calling then we are no longer Deacons or Pastors, but "men with titles". Unless we serve as Jesus served, we have no right to the title "Deacon" or "Pastor". The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology states (pg. 548): "The DIAKONOS is always one who serves on Christ's behalf and continues Christ's service for the outer and inner man; he is concerned with the salvation of men". It is a demanding and a consuming service, but it has Christ's sure promise of reward:

John 12:26  "If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor."