As men of integrity, one of the deacons’ most important
tasks is “to hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” What in the
world does that mean? Do you, like me, sometimes wonder about the language Paul
used? How in the world did he come up with these things? We have to remember
that this was a Jewish man writing in Koine Greek that has been translated into
modern day English. There are some words that easily crossover between the
languages, but cultural issues and specific idioms do not always travel well.
Such is Paul’s use of the word mystery which he used multiple times. When he
used the word, he was referring to a truth that has been previously hidden but now
is revealed. He used the concept to refer to Jesus coming to earth to take on
the form of a man – a mystery that most people cannot comprehend even today but
that was revealed to all of us in the gospels. He used it to refer to the Holy
Spirit’s indwelling of believers, the unity of Jews and Gentiles in the church,
the gospel itself, lawlessness, and the rapture. All of these things just don’t
make sense to the human mind; we cannot comprehend them outside of God opening
our eyes to the truths.
With that in mind, we tackle Paul’s use in this verse, and
to be honest, it is impossible to identify a specific item that he called a
mystery. So perhaps he was referring to all of the mysteries. Think about it
this way. Paul was giving to us the qualifications for men to serve as deacons,
so everything he had to say focuses our minds on the deacons’ overall response
to Jesus’ message of salvation and what it means to be a Christian – not just a
deacon. However, it is absolutely imperative that the deacon has a proper grasp
of biblical doctrines and their application. As we see in this list, the deacon
is not required to have the ability to teach, so he doesn’t have to worry about
standing in front of a class and expounding on these doctrines like the pastor
does. But he must hold on to those doctrines with a pure conscience meaning
that he doesn’t just understand the teachings – he lives them out. Yes, it is
first about believing the teachings of the apostles but it is also about
obeying every aspect of God’s Word. You see, this is a heart issue at the
deepest level. It isn’t enough to know the truth of God’s Word in his head; the
deacon must hold it in his heart. In essence, this verse speaks directly to the
deacon’s personal relationship with Jesus.
Notice what Paul said in v. 10: “…let these also first be tested….”
A better way of translating these words would be “evaluate the men who would
serve as deacons before they become deacons and while they serve as deacons.”
The verb tense indicates that the testing should be ongoing meaning that every
deacon must be constantly evaluated in the areas of character and service by
the church. Again, Paul was not specific, but it is likely that he was
referring to the deacons’ beliefs and practices, both of which are important to
the church. The testing may have been informal, but the deacon had to convince
the church that his faith was genuine and that his life was blameless – again meaning
that no charges of misconduct could be leveled at him. I wrote down a quote a
long time ago from a man by the name of R.W. Ward. I don’t know where I read
it, but this is what it said: “In one sense, all Christians are blameless
through Christ; in another sense, all are unworthy to serve; but in the mercy
of God, some men, though they feel their unworthiness, are adjudged fit by
their fellow believers. God uses men before they are completely sanctified….”
And I am glad He does.
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