Should Women Be Deacons?
The Case Against It.
We’re discussing the issue of women serving as Deacons at my Church. Neither side of the debate denies that women serve the Church in many capacities and are well able to do this. The question becomes two-fold:
- Does Scripture Permit ladies to serve as Deacons?
- If not, is there an exigency demanding disobedience to the Clear Language of Scripture and Tradition?
The first issue is to determine which scripture controls. I view the King James Version as authoritative. If you do as well, we will agree. If you do not, we may agree. To further persuade readers that the adherence to orthodoxy is critical, I’ve included an example of the blessing adherence brings to both secular and theistic recipients.
Full Stop for a Moment:
If you believe the King James Bible is authoritative scripture and faithfully represents the word of God, you will vote no on Lady Deacons.
Some Church Members suggest we might contravene scripture by permitting women to perform Deacon tasks without the name. We could call them “Church Helpers,” “The God Squad,” “Women on a Mission,” or whatever. We’re not fooling God. Scripture tells us, “God Will Not Be Mocked.” Click Here
Some within the Church maintain they’ve personally discerned differences in older texts refuting currently accepted scripture, i.e., The King James Bible. They suggest their insights supersede the scripture we’ve read, studied, taught, and attempted to comply with for decades. Scripture speaks to this. We’re repeatedly warned of False Prophets. Click Here
If you find this argument persuasive, you’ll vote no on Lady Deacons.
If you’re still not convinced, please continue reading. I demonstrate that following God’s word benefits:
1. Secular Pursuits;
2. Theistic Pursuits;
3. Your Family.
Relevant Scripture asserting that Deacons are men is found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 KJV.
8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; 9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. 10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. 11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. 12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 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.
Verse 12 is crystal clear, “Husbands of one wife.”
Proponents of Lady Deacons point to Phoebe in a citation in Romans. Romans 16:1 KJV Says
“I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
These quotes are directly from the King James Version of the Christian Bible. Many people advocating Lady Deacons for their Church will point to other versions of the Bible. This is a grave error. The King James Version antedates those versions. Christians have not had Lady Deacons for hundreds of years. There is no reason to rewrite the Bible to permit your preferences. The King James Version of the Bible was completed in 1611 after seven years of translation work by a team of scholars commissioned by King James I of England.
Since 1700, the King James Bible has been revised at least 11 times. They can’t all be right. Click Here
Many of these revisions of the King James contain errors that tickle believers’ ears, permitting them to sin.
See how the verses have changed through the centuries:
- First Timothy: Click Here;
- Phebe in Romans 16:1: Click Here.
Without the rewrites of the original King James, the case against Lady Deacons is conclusive. In addition to acknowledging and honoring our past, there are other, scriptural and secular, reasons to adhere to Orthodoxy.
Reasons for Orthodoxy to Achieve Secular Success
Are the Same as Orthodoxy to Achieve Theistic Success
Secular Success Through Orthodoxy:
I served in the US Marines for most of the 70s. I’m proud of my service. I’ve told my Son many tales of daring-do, travel, camaraderie, sacrifice, and service. I liked the Marine Corps and was prepared to encourage him to serve. I changed my mind. When he turned 18, I told him not to. I wasn’t the only one warning their offspring away. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies collapsed recruiting across most demographics. No one wanted to join anything that did not use objective performance to award promotions and responsibility. I wrote my then-congressman, Congressman Burgess, spelling out exactly why I dissuaded my son from joining the Marines.
In the Marines, you’re constantly exhorted to maintain “Good Order and Discipline” in everything you do: appearance, action, conduct, physical fitness, mental acuity, and education. In the 70s, promotions and assignments were awarded based on merit and only on merit. I was confident that the man beside me was qualified, no matter who he was. You know you’re prepared to do whatever needs to be done, whenever and wherever you must. Adhering to orthodoxy yields a formidable fighting force.
Performance is the only thing that matters. Abandoning orthodoxy destroyed “Esprit de Corps,” tanked recruiting, and put our nation at grave risk.
Now the situation has reversed. Orthodoxy has returned to the US Armed Forces, and recruiting is through the roof.
Theistic Success Through Orthodoxy:
Christian Churches are now in peril. I attend a Men’s Bible Study. We’ve discussed why more men aren’t interested in joining the Church. It’s not a mystery. It’s because our standard shifts regularly. We ignore scripture when it’s inconvenient. What we’re contemplating doing by permitting Lady Deacon’s is voting to violate scripture. We, the “Body of Christ,” are considering voting against Christ in defiance of accepted scripture. Why? For what reason? There is no exigency. There is no danger. There is no purpose other than that we’re selfish.
Some suggest that Christianity is wrong because it requires robotic obedience. That’s not true. Both Christianity and secular law recognize short-term exigencies.
There’s a secular legal term, “Necessity Knows No Law” (Necessitas non habet legem). This principle justifies actions typically considered illegal if they are essential to prevent greater harm in extreme circumstances.
Scripture acknowledges this and permits it. An example would be when David took the showbread from the Temple. When David ate the sacred showbread (1 Samuel 21:1–6), he violated Levitical law (Leviticus 24:9), but his survival justified it. If not for that food, David would have died. It was later endorsed by Christ (Matthew 12:3–4).
Nothing we’re currently contemplating is necessary. We’re not preventing harm, we’re inflicting harm. The significant, identifiable, and irreversible harm we’re inflicting is presented below this segment. We will continue to alienate both believers and potential converts if we vote to reject the clear language of scripture.
Timothy writes about a Church that rejects doctrine.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Has Proven Catastrophic For the Faith
The Lord’s admonition from Genesis 1:28 (KJV), where God commands:
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Unfortunately, Christians, for the most part, are entirely secular; we consciously ignore Biblical admonitions to “Be fruitful and multiply.” We’re not reproducing ourselves. Many, if not most, believe Motherhood is a burden, not a blessing.
I believed that. I believed that procreation was what you did when you finally had it together.
My ex-wife and I were married for 25 years. We adopted my son in 2003, when I was 49. We have no other children. She was busy, and I was busy. Both of us worked and attended school for decades. We earned bachelor’s, master’s, and professional certifications.
Now we, and all of selfish Christendom, are “Reaping the Whirlwind.” There are no children. We don’t reproduce ourselves.
Our Church is about to make the same error the ex and I did writ large. We’re allowing women to undertake a task that directly contradicts scripture. If we intend to reproduce ourselves and raise strong families, we need Proverbs 31 ladies, not Lady Deacons. Click Here.
Churches should prioritize families. This action does not prioritize families. We’re complicating the lives of women who should be striving to care, love, and serve their families exclusively. If we permit Lady Deacons, our ladies will be further distracted from doing the only thing a man can’t do, i.e., bear children. Our families will be diminished, and our members will continue to decline.
Just because women can do anything, that doesn’t mean they should. The Apostle Paul tells us:
1 Corinthians 10:23:
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”
Violating scripture to serve our selfish wants does not edify. Permitting women to be Deacons is an unBiblical, unforced error that should be rejected.