Bible Phrasing: 1 Timothy 3:8–13

1 Timothy 3:1–13 has been well-considered Paul's instruction on leadership in the life of the church. The first section (3:1–7) is a description of the qualities God requires elders/overseers/pastors to have in order to manage God's household. The next section (3:8–13) focuses in on the office of deacons and their wives. 

The section is structured in A-B-A' where A explains the qualities of deacons, B considers a deacon's wife, and A' revisits the quality of a deacon related to his family life. 

In section A, Paul describes seven characteristics beginning with the heading "dignified" (using the same word to describe their wives). The hapax "double-tongued" is a compound word (the prefix δι- and -λόγους). likely having the meaning of deceitful. Deacons are not to be deceivers. 

The phrase "addicted to much wine" is self-explanatory. An addict will likely not be dignified. Similarly, the phrase "greedy for dishonest gain" communicates at least three prohibitions: 1) deacons cannot be greedy, which implies lack of control, 2) deacons cannot pursue dishonest gains, which implies immorality, and finally, Paul prohibits the marriage between the two, 3) deacons cannot be so greedy that they will pursue money, possessions, and opportunities dishonestly. 

The next phrase has a caveat: deacons must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.  Paul adds that deacons should be tested first, but he does not give a particular set of tests. Most obviously, he means that the deacon's character should be tested, for that is what "dignified" implies. But a deacon's actions--his speech, his drives, his motivations--are closely linked to his character. Only after observing their character and actions should deacons serve. The conditional "if they prove themselves blameless" is another indication of Paul's wedding of spiritual and practical dimensions that should be a part of a deacon's test. Paul does not indicate a timeline for the testing, implying the freedom of each church to decide. Nevertheless, the testing period should happen organically in the life of a church. 

A brief section on the qualifications of wives/women (Γυναῖκας) makes clear that Paul saw women as a vital part of the ministry of deacons in the local church. Whether to view Γυναῖκας as "women" or "wives" has been a major source of debate among Christians for centuries. Some translators prefer the more general "women" citing other examples in the New Testament and church history as the grounds for such a translation. The "likewise" allows women, whether wives or single, to serve as deacons, or "deaconesses," and puts their status on equal footing to the men who serve this way. Women would be considered as part of the category of deacons. 

Others prefer "wives" because of the way the adverb "likewise" functions in relation to verses 8–10. Proponents of this view also argue that verse 12 gives a strong indication that Paul views the deacon ministry as a husband-wife team for those male deacons who have wives. He does not prohibit single men from being deacons. Many argue that Paul's lack of inclusion of wives under the qualifications of pastors limits the role of pastors to qualified men; but here, it is evident that Paul freely allows women to serve in non-teaching, and primarily service-oriented roles. These wives would be considered inextricably linked to the functions their husbands perform as deacons. 

Finally, a less popular option, but one that has taken much ground more recently is the notion that some women fulfill another office not linked to deaconship (perhaps a third women-only office?). This last view is hardly supported by the context. 

In any case, whether wives or women in general, they should be dignified, like the men who serve as deacons. Besides these overarching qualifications, other parallels exist between verses 8 and 11:

not double-tongued --> not slanderers

not addicted to much wine --> sober-minded

not greedy for dishonest gain --> faithful in all things

Paul's final qualification for deacons relates to their domestic life. They are to be the husband of one wife, manage their children well, and manage well the entirety of their households.

The grounding of these qualifications is verse 13. Here Paul gives two reasons or motivations for deacons to serve well. First, those who serve well gain a good standing for themselves. Second, those who serve well gain great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Serving well has ramifications for the deacon's horizontal relationships (those who are around them), as well as their vertical relationship to Christ.