[B-Greek] DIAKONOS

Ted Shoemaker tedsmath at yahoo.com
Thu Oct 9 10:01:19 EDT 2003


Ted Shoemaker wrote:

>Can someone please help me get a better understanding of DIAKONOS

Carl W. Conrad wrote:

> It might help if you'd explain what it is about that definition
> that you
> need help understanding.

1.  That definition (omitted here, for brevity) says that 
DIAKONOS can mean "servant" or "church officer".  These two 
definitions seem to have different connotations.  

The "servant" definition of DIAKONOS, if I understand right, 
might be translated as "worker" or "one who runs errands".  
Am I fairly close so far?  

The "church officer" definition possibly implies a position 
of authority and respect.  Where do we find such an 
understanding of "deacon" prior to the 2nd century AD?  

Is this second meaning contrary to the notion of "errand worker"?

2.  The lexicon also says that the term was used for a 
church officer in pre-Christian times.  

As evidence, it refers to a commentary written in 1913 on 
1 Thessalonians, which I don't have.  (Neither 1 Thess nor 
the commentary were written in pre-Christian times, by the way!)  
This statement about a church in pre-Christian times requires 
a definition of "church", I would think.  If I remember 
correctly, the word EKKLHSIA could be used in several 
different ways -- and EKKLHSIA might not even be the "church" 
here mentioned.  For all I know, we might be referring to 
synagogues, pagan temples, public town halls, or a thousand 
other things.  Which of these, if any, had "deacons"?  What 
function was to be understood by the term in such settings?

Thank you.

Ted Shoemaker
 

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
http://shopping.yahoo.com



More information about the B-Greek mailing list