AV1611
Quote:
The minority report makes some interesting points regarding Acts 6:
A. Acts 6:1-6
1. What "office" is being established here?
Some might question the use of the term "office" here at all. It does seem, however, that the appointment (v. 3) of seven to fulfill a specific task (to be "over this business," v.3), which seven then have the apostles' hands laid upon them (v.6), sufficiently justifies our using this term, even if we conclude that the office was ad hoc, with no succession.
That conclusion seems to be the consensus of the majority of those writing on the passage at the present time. (See the summary statement on p. 147 of the survey which appeared in the Biblical Theological Bulletin, 111:2, June 1973, and James Monroe Barnett, The Diaconate (Seaburg, 1981): "Their office was unique and was not continued in the Church" [p. 30].)
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I realize you are quoting a minority report here.
I do not think it is anything like a majority opinion that the office of Deacon was not continued. The vast majority of Christian denominations have had the office of Deacon over the centuries. Philippians 1:1 refers to the office again:
"Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the sints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:"
Right below the surface of the issue of qualifications for the office are very important questions of:
1)valuation of the office of Deacon
2)valuation of ordination
3)church government generally
It has been well established Presbyterian polity since the Reformation that the office is perpetual.
The "surface issue" of can women serve as deaconesses has right below the surface in many arguments, something of a devaluation of the office of Deacon, (e.g. after all, it's not really an "office" or part of the government of Christ's Church, it is merely a term for servants or serving). It's also being said "ordination" is not really needed to set these officers apart, they can be "commissioned," a diluted form of installation. The implications of this are fundamental to Presbyterian and Reformed church governance of Christ's church.
That's why getting this right biblically is so important.