A Word About Deaconesses

103 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 1Ti 3:11 Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. It gets a little tricky here and there is dispute among biblical commentators about the word “wives.” Some take it to be the literal wife of a deacon, and others take it to be women in general and in context of the passage the specific office of deaconess. The Revised Standard version of the Bible states this passage as follows: “The women (rather than “their wives,) likewise must be serious, no slanderers, but temperate, faithful in all things.” In other words the women who “likewise” hold this office must meet the same qualifications listed in verses 8 thru 10. This makes more sense as, it would seem strange to have deaconesses mentioned in Scripture and no qualifications listed for them to hold the office. You can be sure that the Phoebe spoken of in Romans 16:1 met these qualifications! Ro 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae, Some of these qualifications are the same as for the deacons, but are repeated here for emphasis. Others are a little bit different and worth noting especially the one regarding slander. Slander is any kind of talk that can divide or separate. This is the heart of gossip and why it is so wrong. As a deacon and deaconess one becomes privy to information that others in the congregation don't need to know, and it is imperative that these details not be passed around to others, lest tongues begin to wag and a separation occur between brothers and sisters. Love of others is always diminished in the presence of slander (gossip) and this should not be so. Why are women singled out here and warned against gossip, whereas the men aren't? I mean isn't that a little bit of stereotyping? To be sure, men and women are both capable of gossiping, but if you listen carefully within their respective circles, there is a subtle difference in the way things are talked about. It's just the way we are wired. Deal with it, and the best way for women AND MEN to deal with it, is to put a sock in it. Stereotyping aside, let us all look for the good, not the bad in others and seek to bring that up in all conversations around the water cooler. Because the good unites in the love of Christ, and the bad tends to separate to the glee of the devil. Deacons are to distribute help....not hurt.