Deaconess

[deputydog530]

Does anyone have any info or good books that address this issue of Deaconess?

My research is so mixed. Some sources say is a RCC doctrine others say RCC is the only ones who dont have deaconess. I know the Conservative Baptist use Deaconess. I know of a CBA church that has Deaconess on thier pulipit committee. Others say it is simply the wife of the deacon with no authority.

Ive been told some modern versions replace "servant" with "deaconess" The new living translation, and Todays NIV calls her a deacon (which is impossible)

anyone have any other info?

Thanks bretheren :saint

[blossom]

Sorry I don't know of any but would be interested to hear what you finally decide on.


Blossom

[PastorHarrison]

Try some reading at www.HolyBibleSays.org

Also - you should be able to find easily enough plenty of teaching on-line from reputable sources demonstrating that deaconess is a cute circuMVention of the word of God. Kinda hard for a woman to be a deacon in light of I Cor 14:34-35 and others.....

[1Timothy115]

1 Timothy 3:8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
1 Timothy 3:9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
1 Timothy 3:10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
1 Timothy 3:11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
1 Timothy 3:12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
1 Timothy 3:13 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.

How can this be a woman?

[deputydog530]

Thanks for the replies. I understand all you have said. I know what the requirements in scripture are.

I forgot to put the reference in. They use Romans 16:1 to say that Pheobe was a deaconess. which some versions use that word.

They also take the qualifications of deacon out of context when it mentions how the wife is to be.

To be more clear on my question, im looking for the source of when this false teaching started. Helps in the refutiation of it to show it started with man and not a teaching of our Lord.

Thanks

[1Timothy115]

Here is what JFB had to say about it...

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 16
Romans 16:1-27. CONCLUSION, EMBRACING SUNDRY SALUTATIONS AND DIRECTIONS, AND A CLOSING PRAYER.

1. I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant--or "deaconess" of the church which is at Cenchrea--The word is "Cenchre

[Anon]

We do not use that term....we have heard of good churches using it, but only in the context of being a deacon's wife rather than actually being an elected official in the church.

I believe it would be unbiblical as far as being an elected official...but in the context of just being a deacon's wife, of course following the qualifications in the Bible, it would be no different than a pastors wife being called "The Pastor's Wife" as a title of sorts.

"Deacon" is from a greek word meaning "servant" so a deaconess would be a female servant I suppose, or the servants wife...as the job of any deacon is to serve...not to regulate the pastor as so many churches think, today!

[deputydog530]

kitagrl wrote:
We do not use that term....we have heard of good churches using it, but only in the context of being a deacon's wife rather than actually being an elected official in the church.

Yes on study of the word I could be used as refering to the wife as a deacon. I too am not ok with that as it still implies authority of the office of Deacon. The CBA Church I know of has them in positons of authority that is not biblical.

Im still looking, trying to trace where and when the usage started for my own info incase I ever have to deal with it. I like to be ready for anything or any type of question to the best of my ability.

[1Timothy115]

Jaimison, Fausset, and Brown used as their reference...Pliny's letter to Emperor Trajan, c. A.D. 111.

I wonder how much reliability one should place on a Roman governor in Bithynia, a region in what is today Eastern Turkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:15th_ ... region.jpg No doubt, Pliny (Pliny the younger) would need to please the emperor to step into a more influential position (move up the ladder).

Here is the text of the critical part of the letter (translated of course :smile ):

"They stated that the sum of their guilt or error amounted to this, that they used to gather on a stated day before dawn and sing to Christ as if he were a god, and that they took an oath not to involve themselves in villainy, but rather to commit no theft, no fraud, no adultery; not to break faith, nor to deny money placed with them in trust. Once these things were done, it was their custom to part and return later to eat a meal together, innocently, although they stopped this after my edict, in which I, following your mandate, forbade all secret societies. "

"All the more I believed it necessary to find out what was the truth from two servant maids, which were called deaconesses, by means of torture. Nothing more did I find than a disgusting, fanatical superstition."
Fair use doctrine, codified by the Copyright Act of 1976 as 17 U.S.C.

[PastorHarrison]

Setting aside the tons of scripture prohibiting the very fundamental theory of a decon-ess (its hard not laugh while saying it) - I'd think if we're gone let that one under the fence we've got to embrace "pastor-ess", "preacher-ess", Pope-ess, Bisop-ess, et al Its a cute way to undermine the word of God. Remembering that all versions that use that term also delete the words of God and are not "real" Bibles.

[deputydog530]

Remembering that all versions that use that term also delete the words of God and are not "real" Bibles.

[1Timothy115]

Folks, I still don't see this as anything that is a terror to me or to us.

The word servant here some translate as deaconess doesn't bother me at all as long as the "deaconess" obeys the scripture, "full council." If the early Church had women willing to serve be servants to the leadership of the church I have no issue. If some 3rd rate governor in a province far from the emporer wanted to call them a deaconess...well, isn't that just like most things that have forever come from Rome and Roman Law.

Will I toss out my KJB if someone says they are correct in the modern translations, don't bother asking.

I suppose we could make light of it or, go out and determine what it's about. I say get these Greek translators in here. Is there a free Greek-English lexicon on line through a reputable source?

[trc123]

Go with the plain meaning...............a Deaconess was a saved, mature woman in the Church and served Christ.....what more does one need?

[deputydog530]

yes, but the cba church I know of has them in positions of authority and are not biblical. That is a danger area with titles. I like the word Servant in Romans 16:1. We are all to be servants, but not all are servants.

[1Timothy115]

yes' date=' but the cba church I know of has them in positions of authority and are not biblical. That is a danger area with titles. I like the word Servant in Romans 16:1. We are all to be servants, but not all are servants.[/quote']

It's in the ISBE but, I don't have an online copy and I'm not typing in all that information. Is there an online copy of the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia?