1 Timothy 3:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He speaks as though saying this: those who have shown themselves sober in the lower ranks will soon attain the others also.

Degree means advancement. Those who have shown themselves sober in lower offices will soon attain higher ones also, so as to have great boldness in the faith. That is, they become more illustrious not in worldly honors or wealth, but in faith, in all words and deeds according to faith. Thus those who fulfilled the duties of a deacon well were later glorious in the ranks of presbyter and bishop.

Even if they have lesser honor in this life, after fulfilling the ministry entrusted to them they will be raised to a more honorable degree in the life to come, and they will receive boldness before the Master Christ.

"For those who have served well obtain for themselves a good degree." By their good service they obtain for themselves the higher degree of the presbyterate, and then of the episcopate, as was said above. The word good is used instead of "important" or "honorable."

"And great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." This means great boldness in the Church through faith in Christ. Having obtained for themselves a higher degree, they will have greater freedom in the work of teaching the faithful.

For the office of cellarer, let there be chosen from the monastic community a wise man, mature in character, self-controlled, moderate in food, not puffed up, not driven by passions, not inclined to injustice, diligent in affairs, not wasteful, but fearing God. He should be like a father to the whole community. If one of the brethren should happen, through lack of understanding, to ask something of him, let him not darken that man with contempt. Rather, with discernment and humility, let him refuse the one who asks unreasonably. Let him guard his soul and always remember the Apostle's words that those who have served well prepare for themselves a higher degree. Let him care with all diligence for the infirm, the young, strangers, and the poor. He must know without doubt that he will give account for all of them on the day of judgment. A cellarer, from the Greek κελλαριος, is a monk in charge of the monastery's material affairs.

"Those who have served well obtain for themselves a good degree." The direct sense of the words points to the promotion of deacons in rank. Yet since this does not always happen, it may be understood, with Theodoret, of the reward in the life to come, where they will have boldness before the Master Christ.

"Deacons likewise must be pure," that is, must be so, "not double-tongued, not given to much wine," and so forth (1 Tim. 3:8-13). He regards the moral qualities required for worthy deacons as necessary also for the episcopal and presbyteral rank. Speaking about deacons, he omits only teachability. But he adds that they must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. According to the explanation of Blessed Theophylact, this means that deacons must keep the right dogma and have a blameless life. He also adds that they should be tested before their appointment, and that those who have served well should then be counted worthy of higher degrees. "Women likewise must be pure, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things" (1 Tim. 3:11).

Continuing to speak about deacons, the Apostle also touches on their fellow servants in the Church, the deaconesses, and on their wives. He advises them not to be slanderers. As for deacons, like bishops and presbyters, they are to be husbands of one wife, ruling their household and the upbringing of their children well. He encourages them with the attainment of higher degrees in the hierarchy, and in general with perfection in Christ Jesus, Who promised the one serving Him: "Where I am, there My servant will be also" (Jn. 12:26). Interpreters are troubled by the brief insertion about women. They are especially perplexed because the word "their," found in the Russian translation, is absent from the Greek text.

Deacons, whose chief duty was to care for the poor, went from one house to another. They therefore must not say one thing in one place and another elsewhere, that is, be double-tongued. They must not irritate the poor by their own lack of restraint, and must not be lovers of gain, lest they become thieves of the gifts entrusted to them. In general, their conscience must be pure. In it, as in a treasury, the faith must be preserved in complete integrity. In this way they would be inaccessible to the seductions of false teachers. At the same time, the Apostle gives a brief instruction concerning deaconesses as well. Deacons who fulfill the Apostle's prescriptions exactly acquire good standing among the faithful, that is, they obtain a good degree. They themselves begin to act with full boldness, which faith in Christ gives them, and are not troubled by any attacks.

The Apostle inspires the deacon to good diaconal service, promising from it good fruits, both outward and inward, both in the Church and in the heart's relation of faith to the Lord Jesus. Before this, one word seems to have been omitted. He said that one worthy of the diaconate must be such and such. Whoever proves to be such, after testing him, should be appointed deacon. One would expect either, "and instruct him to serve well," or, "you, deacon, serve well." But this is left to be understood, and he says only: for those who have served well as deacons will not labor without fruit. Such encouragement was considered necessary for deacons because their service involved much care and much labor, both for soul and body.