First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

Chapter 5: Leadership

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God to select a deacon to act as God’s ambassador that he may rejoice along with them when they meet together and glorify the name. Blessed in Jesus Christ is the one who will be considered worthy of such a ministry, and you too will be glorified. And if you are willing, it is not beyond your power to do this for the sake of God. For the nearest churches have also sent bishops and others have sent elders and deacons. Now, as to Philo the deacon of Cilicia, a man of reputation, who still ministers to me in the Word of God, along with Rheus Agathopus, a chosen man who has followed me from Syria without regard for his own life—these speak on your behalf. And I myself give thanks to God for you, because you have received them even as the Lord. But may those who dishonor them be forgiven through the grace of Jesus Christ! P olycarp to the P hilippians 5 a : Knowing, then, that “God is not mocked” (Gal 6:7), we ought to walk worthy of His commandment and glory. In like manner, the deacons should be blameless before the face of His righteousness as the servants of God and Christ, not of men. They must not be slanderers, double-tongued, or lovers of money. Rather, they should be temperate in all things, compassionate, industrious, walking according to the truth of the Lord who was the servant of all. If we please Him in this present world, we will receive the future world according to His promise that He will raise us again from the dead. If we live worthily of Him, “we will also reign with him” (2 Tim 2:12), provided only that we believe.