All Christians are deacons to each other

There is another example in the New Testament where all the saints are called to be deacons to one another. In the city of Jerusalem, as the church began to spread throughout the ancient world, there was intense persecution. They came upon the church in Jerusalem, and the Apostle Paul made it his vision – almost his obsession – to go around to take a collection for the church in Jerusalem to provide for their needs. Something that you see all through the New Testament is Paul saying, Remember our brothers back there. They are suffering. They are hurting. Remember the saints in Jerusalem. And as the apostles did that, that in the New Testament is called, again, deaconing.

Acts 11:29: The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to [deacon] for the brothers living in Judea. There is this desire to serve. To not look at self and to have a desire to be served, but a desire to serve those that love Jesus Christ. Acts 20:24: However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task that Jesus has given to me – the task of testifying to the grace of God. It is this idea that you are putting the rest of the people in the church above yourself in desiring to serve those that are in the church. And this is a posture of humility that we are called to.

So as we are looking at these passages, I want you to consider that when we transition into calling a Deacon (a capital D Deacon), when we call somebody to that position and ordain them and install them to that office, they are to be the leaders among the servants. They are to be the ones that demonstrate humility and service and sacrificial love for others in the church of Christ. It is a very, very special office. Because the hands and the heart of Jesus need to be seen in a real way as compassion and mercy is brought on the church, and from the church unto the world.¹

Nathan Eshelman