What does First B Jackson teach about deacons?

At First B Jackson, the teaching on deacons starts with the list in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and what that list is actually asking for. Pastor Josh is deliberate about calling these attributes rather than qualifications, because the intention is not a checklist that disqualifies nearly everyone who reads it. The words describe the kind of person someone generally is: dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. The closeness of this list to the elder list is intentional, and the addition of dishonest gain carries weight because deacons often handle the practical and financial affairs of the church.

The phrase that drew the most sustained attention was "hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience." Pastor Josh explained that in the New Testament a mystery is not something unknowable but something that can only be known through revelation from God. The conscience piece connects directly to character: holding onto grievances, saying one thing to one group and something different to another, the kind of pandering that double-tongued describes, all of it works against the clear conscience a deacon is meant to carry.

On the question of women in verse 11, whether "women likewise" refers to the wives of deacons or to women who serve as deacons themselves, Pastor Josh was straightforward that the text is genuinely ambiguous. The Greek does not have the possessive that would settle it, and he left that honesty on the table rather than forcing a resolution the text does not provide. The whole section closed with communion, as a reminder that none of us meets the standard on our own.

Taught from 1 Timothy 3:8-13 · Philippians 1 · Romans 16:1-2 · Titus 1 · Ephesians 3