Why do the requirements for deacons in 1 Tim. 3 specifically include having a virtuous wife while the requirements for elder do not? This seems to be the strongest argument that 3:11 is talking about female deacons rather than the wives of deacons, and I do not know how best to answer it.

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Scott Roper
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA): "A bunch of hippie Calvinists"
Winston-Salem, NC

Must deacons have a virtuous wife? I don't, not because she's not virtuous, but because I'm not married.

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Andrew DeShazo, Deacon, Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Memphis, TN
"All of us stumble in many ways, but if anyone is never at fault in what he says, then he is mature, able to control his whole body."(James 3:2)

11Even so must their [deacon's] wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

12Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

13For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

What argument for female deacons are you talking about in regard to 3:11?

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Chris Mangum
Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte
student, GPTS
.357 Mangum

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27

There are several reasons given that verse 11 is talking about female deacons. First verse 11 starts with "likewise" which is how Paul introduced the office of deacon a few verses back. Now he is introducing female deacons. Secondly, the word translated "wives" should be translated "women." So it should read, "Likewise, women [deacons] should be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things." Third is the argument in my opening post.

I don't think that it's a good argument for several reasons, but I think the asymmetry between the requirements for elder and deacon is the hardest part of the argument to answer.

I don't think deacons must be married, but that is not in the scope of this thread.

Another consideration could be that since the requirements for elders are stricter, looking at a deacon's wife would be a good consideration for the role. The elder's role and the deacon's roles are different too.

My 2 cents - Grymir

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Timothy Johnson
First United Presbyterian of Moline
PCUSA (Yea, I know)
Theology/Philosophy Sunday School Teacher
Davenport, IA