History A BRIEF HISTORY OF DEACONS IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH The First Deacons Deacons began serving the church shortly after Pentecost. According to the Book of Acts in the New Testament, the first deacons in the church were selected by the Holy Apostles themselves to assist them with widows: Now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, ‘It is not desirable that we should leave the world of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, who they set before the apostles; and when they had prayer, they laid hands on them. (Acts 6:1-6) The seven chosen men became known as The Seven, and St. Stephen First Martyr is considered the prototype for the diaconate. With the Apostles’ recognition that they needed assistants to help with the growing church, the diaconate as a ministry in its own right was begun with the appointed Seven and continued to flourish and grow with the help of both dedicated men and women. St. Paul extolled the ministry of St. Phoebe Equal to the Apostles, the prototype for women deacons, in Romans 16:1: “I commend to you Phoebe, our sister who is a deacon of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saint, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many of myself also.” DEACONS IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE – FIRST CENTURY Diakonia: Service in Humility In all its glory and mystery, the precious Body of Christ has been manifested for two thousand years in the faithful who comprise the church (i.e. what Orthodox theology refers to as the “Church Militant”). These faithful constitute the royal priesthood of laity, deacons, priests and bishops who are called to serve their God and each other for the life of the world. The Greek word for service, diakonia (from which the words deacon and diaconate are derived), has rich connotations in the Orthodox Church, referring first and foremost to the service at the Last Supper by Christ himself in answer to his disciples who wanted to know who among them should be considered the greatest. Christ answered: “he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs, as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the one who serves.” (Luke 22:26-27) In his humility, Christ then is the first deacon or minister, “one who serves.”
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 10:23:25 +0000