Is there\u00a0any scriptural evidence of\u00a0deaconesses?<\/p>\n\t
The word “deacon” is a derivative transliteration of the Greek word\u00a0diakonos<\/em>. The word is means a servant and it can be translated as servant, minister, deacon, or waiter. Typically translators try to use “minister” when\u00a0diakonos<\/em>\u00a0is being applied to a preacher. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?<\/em>” (I Corinthians 3:5). When it is applied to an office in the church, it is translated as deacon. “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons<\/em>” (Philippians 1:1). When it is clear that we are talking just about servants in general, then the word “servant” is used. “When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom<\/em>” (John 2:9).<\/p>\n There is one case where the word “servant” is applied to a woman. “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea<\/em>” (Romans 16:1). There have been a few translations that used the word “deaconess” to translate it because she was connected to the church. However, since qualifications for the office of deacon rules out women (“Let deacons be the husbands of one wife,<\/em>” I Timothy 3:12), the word “deaconess” would be misleading in English even while being technically correct. “Servant” makes a better translation in English even if the language doesn’t distinguish between male and female servants.<\/p>\n\t Oh, thank you very much for that response. I see it more clearly than I had before!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Is there\u00a0any scriptural evidence of\u00a0deaconesses? Answer: The word “deacon” is a derivative transliteration of the Greek word\u00a0diakonos. The word is means a servant and it can be translated as servant, minister, deacon, or waiter. Typically translators try to use “minister” when\u00a0diakonos\u00a0is being applied to a preacher. “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1568,82],"class_list":["post-32018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-deacons","tag-womens-roles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47680,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-new-testament-authorize-deaconesses\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":0},"title":"Does the New Testament Authorize Deaconesses?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 17, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"by Carrol R. Sutton via\u00a0Guardian of Truth, November 16, 1989 The question under consideration in this study is one about which scholars are divided. Some do not hesitate to say that deaconesses are authorized in the New Testament. Others say that it is questionable and still others suggest that there\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33913,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-mind-of-a-servant\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":1},"title":"The Mind of a Servant","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 4, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ross Ward Text: I Timothy 6:15 We are to have a mind of a servant - Luke 22:24-30 Mind of a servant Desire for preeminence Jew's culture Matthew 23:5-12 - Scribes and Pharisees Matthew 6:1-18 - rebuking works that are performed to be seen of men Apostles Luke 22:24-30\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29249,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/servants-of-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":2},"title":"Servants of the Church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 30, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Acts 6:1-6 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Early in the church\u2019s history, the number of brethren increased dramatically. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0With that increase came \u201cgrowing pains.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Circumstances caused the church in Jerusalem to have a large number of widows who needed care. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Some felt that preference was being given to native\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16170,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/may-a-church-without-elders-appoint-deacons\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":3},"title":"May a church without elders appoint deacons?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 26, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: May a church assign to a servant or servants (deacons) a specific task or tasks in which they will serve the congregation and for which they will be responsible and answerable to the congregation for performing if the church does not have elders. In other words, may they set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24683,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-preacher-and-a-teacher\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":4},"title":"What is the difference between a preacher and a teacher?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 2, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I've been wondering about this one for some time now, but still can't quite figure it. For all the similarities that one can see between \"preaching\" and \"teaching\" (and besides things like audience involvement), what is the real difference between the two? Focus? Delivery? Approach? I'm always thankful to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":29544,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-there-a-conflict-of-interest-if-a-man-is-both-a-preacher-and-an-elder-or-deacon\/","url_meta":{"origin":32018,"position":5},"title":"Is there a conflict of interest if a man is both a preacher and an elder or deacon?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 5, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question that I am struggling with. I can't find any scriptural reasons against what has been done at our local church but still have an uneasiness about it. We have a smaller church whose membership has been trending down the past several years since our minister\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32018\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Answer:<\/h2>\n