A deacon must be full of faith, and full of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues. (Acts 2:4; Acts 6:3, 5)
A deacon must be worthy of respect, sincere, not self indulgent, and not pursuing dishonest gain. (1 Timothy 3:8)
A deacon must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. (1 Timothy 3:9)
A deacon can serve only after he had been tested and proved that there is nothing standing as a hindrance towards his service in the ministry. (1 Timothy 3:10)
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife, and must manage his children and his household well. (1 Timothy 3:12)
A deacon's wife must be a woman worthy of respect, not a malicious talker, but temperate and trustworthy in everything. (1 Timothy 3:11)
Characteristics of an Effective Deacon
- An effective deacon is one who uses the freedom he has found in Christ Jesus to serve others in love while living a Spirit-filled life.
- The apostle Paul in Philippians 1:9-11 prayed that deacons may have the following characteristics:
- That their love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.
- That they may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.
- That they may be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.
- That they may make His joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and in purpose, doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but looking to fulfill the interests of others. (Philippians 2:2)
