From: Paul S. Dixon (dixonps@juno.com)
Date: Mon Dec 01 1997 - 21:59:41 EST
On Mon, 1 Dec 1997 08:16:40 -0500 "John R. Blakely"
<jblakely@i-america.net> writes:
>I am searching for information regarding the Biblical qualifications for
>being a deacon. In particular I want to gather the best interpretations
of
>the original Greek on "husband of one wife" and the ordination of
>women as deacons. Your help in specific material or locations where I
might
>find more information is greatly appreciated. John R. Blakely
If you check almost any reputable commentary, you will find 3 possible
interpretations for "husband of one wife" (MIAS GUNAIKOS ANDRES, 1 Ti
3:11):
1. married to one wife at a time, i.e., not polygamist,
2. a one-woman man, i.e., faithful to his wife,
3. married to one woman for his lifetime.
Does the Greek have any bearing on any of these positions? The only one
I have seen tends to support #3 above where in 1 Tim 5:9 one of the
requirements for the widow to be put on the support list is she has been
the wife of one husband. The construction hENOS ANDROS GUNH parallels
the construction found in 3:11, MIAS GUNAIKOS ANDRES. It does seem the
meaning here is that she was married to one man during her lifetime. My
gut feeling here, however, is that most interpretations are not based so
much on the Greek as on presuppositions.
What about the ordination of women as deacons? The key word, of course,
is GUNAIKAS in 1 Ti 3:11. It can be translated as "women" or "wives,"
that is, wives of the deacons. If it is "women," that is, women deacons,
then how do we deal with the exhortation in v. 12 where the deacons are
commanded to be husbands of one woman? Or, can it refer to a third
office, that of deaconess? That seems to be a possibility. If it is
"wives" of the deacons, then why didn't Paul say something about the
wives of the elders? Hmm.
Then there is Phoebe who was a DIAKONON of the church at Cenchrea (Rom
16:1). Of course, this is not conclusive either, as DIAKONON can be
either deacon or servant.
Paul Dixon
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