In this week’s word studies article we will be looking at another Greek word for “servant” and that is the word διάκονος – diakonos.
Most of us would associate the word diakonos to the church office of a deacon. The word diakonos occurs in the New Testament a total of 28x, however only 3x is the word specifically refering to the office of a deacon. The remaining 25x the word is translated as either servant or minister.
Diakonos vs Doulos
DIakonos carries the basic nuance of personal service. Diakonos views a servant in relationship to his work; doulos views him in relationship to his master. In the days of Jesus, both types of service were considered shameful. The duty of the Greek person was to himself, to achieve his potential for excellence. To be forced to subject his will or surrender his time and efforts for the sake of others was intensely distasteful, even humiliating.
Jesus Christ the Diakonos
“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” - Matt 20:28
“For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.” - Luke 22:27
Jesus came to serve, not to be served. Jesus, the Son of God, the Creator of the universe, if anyone has the right to demand service, it’d be Him. Yet, Jesus chose to put on human flesh to come among His creation to serve. And the greatest act of service Jesus did for His people was to give Himself for them. Jesus set the pattern for a transformed value system.
The church Diakonos
Among the body of believers, there are a few who are chosen to serve in the office of the deacons. 1 Timothy 3 lists the qualifications that these men must meet to serve in this specific office. They are not deacons therefore they serve, but are first servants who possess the qualifications who are then chosen to be deacons. To these men, who serve well in their office, are given the promise that they will be greatly esteemed in God’s kingdom.
“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.” - 1 Tim. 3:13
Every believer a Diakonos
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” - 1 Pet 4:10-11
There is also a sense in which every believer is called to be a diakonos to one another. The Apostle Peter exhorts us, in his first epistle, to use our gifts to serve and edify one another. This is so that God might receive the glory because it is He who granted us the gifts that we possess through our Lord Jesus. It is in this sense where the majority of the times the word diakonos occurs in the New Testament.
Not all of us hold the office of the deacon, yet Jesus has called us to serve (diakoneo) one another. Are we sensitive to the people in our church who may have specific needs? Are we actively using our gifts for other people?
Let us serve one another to the glory of God.
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