The Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ

Studies in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans

Lesson 34 : APPENDIX: The Role of Women as Deacons

PUTTING THE LID ON A CAN OF WORMS … – A BASIC BIBLE STUDY PRINCIPLE: BIBLE COMMANDS VS. BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES AND EXAMPLES – A QUICK LOOK AT CHURCH GOVERNMENT – WHAT THE NT SAYS CONCERNING WOMEN DEACONS – THE WORD “DEACON” MEANS SERVANT, MINISTER – THE WORD “DEACON” WAS WIDELY APPLIED TO THOSE WHO SERVE – THE ORIGINAL OFFICE OF THE DEACONS WAS ONE OF SERVICE, NOT SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP – WHILE WE MUST REMEMBER THE “OFFICE” OF THE DEACON WAS IN A STATE OF FLUX AT THIS TIME, PAUL’S PHRASEOLOGY SEEMS TO INDICATE PHOEBE HELD SUCH AN “OFFICE” – OTHER RESPECTED OPINIONS CONCERNING PHOEBE’S ROLE AS A DEACONESS – HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF DEACONESSES – BRINGING CLOSURE: SHOULD THERE BE WOMEN DEACONS? – ANSWER #1 – WERE THERE DEACONESSES IN THE NT? PROBABLY YES – ANSWER #2 – SHOULD THERE BE DEACONESSES TODAY? THAT ANSWER DEPENDS UPON THE ROLE OF DEACONS IN EACH CHURCH