Respect for God and for one another is good, right, and loving. Yet honoring God and others also requires upholding God’s revealed order for his church. Church leaders must therefore take care not to place women in ecclesiastical roles that Scripture does not expressly authorize.

When it comes to any matter related to the Christian life—which is, in fact, every matter—our first priority is to ask what God desires for his people. This is true not only in our personal lives but also in matters of God’s revealed order for his church.

In some conservative churches, there is renewed debate over whether women may serve in the church under the title “deaconess.” While various progressive denominations have ordained women as elders and deacons for decades, some conservative churches have more recently adopted the practice of “commissioning” deaconesses in a non-ordained capacity.

A growing narrative suggests that Scripture permits women to hold the title deaconess and that withholding this designation prevents some women from fully exercising their God-given gifts—thus signaling a lack of appreciation and respect for their contributions to the church.

Before going any further, it is important to acknowledge that some women genuinely feel unseen or undervalued in their churches—not because they lack titles, but because they lack meaningful relational connection, intentional pastoral care, clear pathways for service, and affirming reminders of their God-given dignity within the church’s biblical structure. Naming this helps us recognize the Christ-centered longing many women have to fully participate in the life of the church—a longing that may at times be mistaken for a self-centered pursuit of recognition or position.

I appreciate that many women who advocate for female deacons or deaconesses are motivated by a sincere desire to uphold women’s dignity and bless the church. Likewise, many women who have served—or currently serve—in such roles do so with a heartfelt desire to honor Christ and care for his people. Yet good intentions, however commendable, must always be tested and governed by God’s Word. What, then, does the Bible teach about whether women should hold the title of deaconess?

What does the Bible tell us about deacons in the first-century church?

We first encounter the office of deacon in Acts 6:1–6, where “seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” were selected to meet the practical needs of the church so that the apostles could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (vv. 3–4). These seven men were “set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them” (v. 6).

According to 1 Timothy 3:1–13, God has appointed the offices of elder and deacon for his church (see also Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 4:14; 5:22; and 2 Tim. 1:6). In this passage, Paul lays out specific qualifications for both offices:

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer [elder], he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Tim. 3:1-7)

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (1 Tim. 3:8-13)

From these qualifications, we can conclude that elders and deacons are to be godly men who oversee their households well. While many progressive denominations have concluded that 1 Timothy 3:1–13 does not exclude women from either office, even within conservative church denominations questions persist about whether Paul intended to restrict the office of deacon to men alone.

Appeals to the presence of deaconesses in church history are often used to support women serving as deacons or deaconesses today. For the sake of brevity, we will consider just a few key aspects of how the historical church understood women serving in a diaconal capacity.

What can we learn about deaconesses from church history?

Historically, the existence of deaconesses varied in numerous ways and often arose from specific practical needs—most notably assisting with the preparation of women for baptism, which in the early church involved complete nudity. The mere existence of deaconesses in certain times and places, though, does not mean the practice carried universal or enduring ecclesiastical approval. Historical practice does not equal orthodoxy. Indeed, it is difficult to arrive at a fixed definition of what church leaders throughout the centuries meant by the title deaconess. For a comprehensive and careful examination of this subject, see Aimé Georges Martimort, Deaconesses: An Historical Study, which documents both the diversity of deaconess practices and the positions of governing ecclesiastical bodies regarding whether deaconesses were understood to hold an office equivalent to that of deacons.

While some historians attempt to assert that deaconesses existed throughout the ancient church, Martimort observes that in the Western church—Rome, North Africa, and Spain—early sources describing church life and ministry make no mention of deaconesses.^[1] When women do appear in these records, they are identified as widows or consecrated virgins devoted to prayer or charitable care, rather than as holders of a distinct role. This silence stands in contrast to evidence from the eastern Roman Empire, where deaconesses are attested in the early third century (pp. 196–98). Yet, the deaconesses of the East were not viewed positively in the West, for

in Rome as well as in Gaul, from the end of the fourth century on, the fact of the existence of deaconesses in the East was neither unknown nor passed over in silence; deaconesses were mentioned expressly in order to be excluded.^[2]

Martimort also notes that during ordination ceremonies in the East, deacons and priests knelt (deacons on one knee and priests on both knees), whereas deaconesses remained standing and bowed their heads. Within the symbolic language of the Byzantine rite, this difference in posture suggests that the ordination of deaconesses was understood differently from that of deacons or priests.^[3]

References to deaconesses in other historical writings and doctrinal statements are likewise sometimes cited in support of women holding the office of deacon or the title of deaconess. Still, context matters. The Council of Chalcedon, Canon 15 (A.D. 451) regulates the practice of laying hands on qualified deaconesses without grounding the existence of deaconesses in Scripture. In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin denotes “two classes of deacons, the one serving the Church by administering the affairs of the poor; the other, by taking care of the poor themselves,” affirming women’s organized service in works of mercy while maintaining the restriction of ecclesiastical office to men.[4] As the Westminster Confession of Faith reminds us,

All synods or councils since the apostles’ times, whether general or particular, may err, and many have erred; therefore they are not to be made the rule of faith or practice, but to be used as a help in both. (WCF 31.4)

While studying the history of deaconesses in the church provides helpful perspective on how Christians have approached diaconal ministry over the centuries, such references do not establish biblical warrant. Only Scripture—not historical precedent, theologians, councils, synods, creeds, or confessions—is the final authority in all matters pertaining to God’s order for the church.

Is 1 Timothy 3:11 referring to the wives of deacons or women in general?

Next, we will consider several biblical passages commonly cited in support of the claim that women may hold the office of deacon in the church. One such passage is 1 Timothy 3:11, which reads,

Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

Some theologians and laypeople argue that 1 Timothy 3:11 refers to women serving as deacons rather than to the wives of deacons (for two examples, see here and here). One reason offered for this view is the absence of a possessive pronoun with the word γυναῖκας (gynaikas) in verse 11. As Martimort notes, “If the author had really intended to specify the wives of deacons, why did he not write τάς γυναίκας αυτών, instead of just γυναΐκας?”^[5]

When a biblical text presents interpretive difficulty because a term may carry more than one meaning, sound hermeneutical practice requires that clearer passages guide the interpretation of less clear ones. With that in mind, it is helpful to examine other places where Paul omits a possessive pronoun as the possessive sense is clear from context:

Ephesians 5:25

• Greek: “οἱ ἄνδρες, ἀγαπᾶτε τὰς γυναῖκας (wives)”(no possessive pronoun)
• ESV: “Husbands, love your wives”

Here, the possessive relationship is supplied entirely by context. No pronoun is required in Greek for the relationship to be understood.

1 Timothy 3:4

• Greek: “τέκνα (children) ἔχοντα ἐν ὑποταγῇ μετὰ πάσης σεμνότητος”(no possessive pronoun)
• ESV: “keeping his children submissive with all dignity”

Again, the possessive “his” is inferred from the subject under discussion—the overseer.

1 Timothy 3:11

• Greek: “Γυναῖκας (wives) ὡσαύτως σεμνάς, μὴ διαβόλους, νηφαλίους, πιστὰς ἐν πᾶσιν”(no possessive pronoun)
• ESV: “Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.”

As in Ephesians 5:25 and 1 Timothy 3:4, the possessive relationship in 1 Timothy 3:11 is implied by context rather than expressed grammatically. Since Paul at times omits possessive pronouns when the relational context clearly establishes possession, the absence of a possessive pronoun in verse 11 provides no decisive grammatical basis for interpreting γυναῖκας as referring to women holding the office of deacon.

Moreover, reading γυναῖκας as “women” in general rather than as the wives of deacons is contextually unlikely. Paul addresses men in verses 1–10, briefly mentions γυναῖκας in verse 11, and then immediately resumes addressing men in verse 12 (“Let deacons each be the husband of one wife”). A sudden shift to female officeholders—followed by an immediate return to male qualifications—would be abrupt and inconsistent with Paul’s orderly argument.

Calvin confirms this understanding in his commentary on 1 Timothy 3:11, writing, “Likewise the wives He means the wives both of deacons and of bishops, for they must be aids to their husbands in their office; which cannot be, unless their behavior excel that of others.”^[6]

Since Paul considered marital status sufficiently important to address explicitly for men holding church office, it would be reasonable to expect him to address the marital status of women as well if 1 Timothy 3:11 were referring to women under consideration for the diaconate. The absence of any such discussion weighs against that interpretation. This is especially significant in light of appeals to 1 Timothy 5 in support of female deacons. There Paul speaks with notable precision about widows, specifying age, marital history, and conduct for those eligible to receive church support. If Paul was willing to be so explicit in chapter 5, the silence of chapter 3 regarding women’s marital status strongly suggests that women were not in view as candidates for the diaconate.

Theologian Edmund P. Clowney offers a further argument in support of interpreting 1 Timothy 3:11 as referring to women in general. He contends that the verse does not refer to the wives of deacons because there is no comparable description of the wives of overseers in the preceding verses.^[7] Yet, for the sake of consistency, this reasoning would also need to be applied to other differences between Paul’s qualifications for overseers and deacons.

For example, overseers are instructed to be “not violent but gentle,” while no such qualification appears in the list for deacons. Conversely, deacons are required to “hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience,” a qualification not explicitly stated for overseers. These differences do not imply distinct moral standards. Rather, Paul’s broader point is that anyone holding ordained office in the church must be a godly man in every respect.

For these reasons, interpreting γυναῖκας in 1 Timothy 3:11 as referring to the wives of deacons—rather than to women holding the office itself—best fits the immediate context, the structure of the passage as a whole, and the clearer teaching of Scripture elsewhere.

What did Paul mean by “servant” in his commendation of Pheobe in Romans 16:1-2?

Let’s now consider the word the apostle Paul uses for “servant” in his commendation of Phoebe in Romans:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant (διάκονον) of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. (Rom. 16:1-2)

The Greek noun διάκονος is a general term for service, whose specific sense is determined by context. In the original biblical texts, the Greek noun διάκονος appears with different endings that indicate its case, number, and grammatical gender—that is, how the word functions within a sentence. Despite these variations, all 30 occurrences refer to the same Greek word διάκονος and must therefore be interpreted according to context rather than grammatical form alone.

Below is a complete list of occurrences of διάκονος in Scripture, with the corresponding ESV and NASB translations alongside the Greek text (Nestle–Aland 28th edition). For clarity, the occurrences are grouped into contextual categories based on how διάκονος functions in each passage.

Category 1: General service (non-office, non-authoritative) — διάκονος used in a broad sense of service or assistance, without ecclesiastical office markers

Matthew 20:26

• ESV: “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant…”
• NASB: “…whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant…”
• Greek: ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος

Matthew 22:13

• ESV: “…the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot…’”
• NASB: “…the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot…’”
• Greek: τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν τοῖς διακόνοις

Matthew 23:11

• ESV: “The greatest among you shall be your servant.”
• NASB: “But the greatest among you shall be your servant.”
• Greek: ὁ δὲ μείζων ὑμῶν ἔσται διάκονος

Mark 9:35

• ESV: “…he must be last of all and servant of all.”
• NASB: “…he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
• Greek: καὶ πάντων διάκονος

Mark 10:43

• ESV: “…whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”
• NASB: “…whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.”
• Greek: ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος

John 2:5

• ESV: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’”
• NASB: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’”
• Greek: λέγει ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ τοῖς διακόνοις

John 2:9

• ESV: “…though the servants who had drawn the water knew…”
• NASB: “…though the servants who had drawn the water knew…”
• Greek: οἱ διάκονοι οἱ ἠντληκότες τὸ ὕδωρ

John 12:26

• ESV: “…where I am, there will my servant be also.”
• NASB: “…where I am, there My servant will be also.”
• Greek: ἐκεῖ καὶ ὁ διάκονος ὁ ἐμὸς ἔσται

Romans 13:4 (first occurrence)

• ESV: “…for he is God’s servant for your good…”
• NASB: “…for it is a minister of God to you for good…”
• Greek: θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονος ἐστίν

Romans 13:4 (second occurrence)

• ESV: “…for he is the servant of God, an avenger…”
• NASB: “…for it is a minister of God, an avenger…”
• Greek: θεοῦ γὰρ διάκονος ἐστίν

Romans 15:8

• ESV: “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised…”
• NASB: “For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision…”
• Greek: Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι

Romans 16:1

• ESV: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church…”
• NASB: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church…”
• Greek: Φοίβην … οὖσαν διάκονον τῆς ἐκκλησίας

1 Corinthians 3:5

• ESV: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed…”
• NASB: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed…”
• Greek: τί οὖν ἐστιν Ἀπολλῶς; τί δέ ἐστιν Παῦλος; διάκονοι

2 Corinthians 6:4

• ESV: “…as servants of God we commend ourselves…”
• NASB: “…commending ourselves as servants of God…”
• Greek: ὡς θεοῦ διάκονοι

2 Corinthians 11:15 (first occurrence)

• ESV: “…if his servants also disguise themselves…”
• NASB: “…if his servants also disguise themselves…”
• Greek: οἱ διάκονοι αὐτοῦ

2 Corinthians 11:15 (second occurrence)

• ESV: “…as servants of righteousness.”
• NASB: “…as servants of righteousness.”
• Greek: διάκονοι δικαιοσύνης

Galatians 2:17

• ESV: “…is Christ then a servant of sin?”
• NASB: “…is Christ then a minister of sin?”
• Greek: ἄρα Χριστὸς ἁμαρτίας διάκονος;

Category 2: Gospel ministry (commissioned service, still not an ecclesiastical office) — διάκονος describing gospel labor or apostolic ministry, without technical office indicators

(Note: although English translations often render διάκονος here as minister, these passages lack the contextual markers Scripture elsewhere uses to identify ecclesiastical office.)

2 Corinthians 3:6

• ESV: “…who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant…”
• NASB: “…who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant…”
• Greek: ἱκάνωσεν ἡμᾶς διακόνους καινῆς διαθήκης

2 Corinthians 11:23

• ESV: “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one…”
• NASB: “Are they servants of Christ?—I more so…”
• Greek: διάκονοι Χριστοῦ εἰσιν;

Ephesians 3:7

• ESV: “Of this gospel I was made a minister…”
• NASB: “of which I was made a minister…”
• Greek: οὗ ἐγενόμην διάκονος

Ephesians 6:21

• ESV: “…Tychicus… a faithful minister…”
• NASB: “…Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister…”
• Greek: Τυχικὸς … πιστὸς διάκονος

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