Diakonia

Biblical Text

Diakonia (Greek διακονία) is a New Testament word meaning "service," "ministry," or "office." It belongs to the same word group as the verb diakoneō ("to serve") and the noun diakonos ("servant," "minister"). Its principal uses are as follows.

• Waiting on others and hospitality: The word appears in Luke 10:40, where Martha is "cumbered about much serving" (Martha and Mary). The servants at the wedding at Cana are also called diakonoi (John 2:5, 9).
• The service of Jesus: "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28).
• Almsgiving and the ministry of the word: In Acts 6:1–4, both the daily distribution to widows and the apostles' "ministry of the word" are described as diakonia. The "ministry" that Judas Iscariot had received (Acts 1:17) is designated by the same word.
• The collection: Paul called the offering for the saints in Jerusalem "the ministering to the saints" (2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:1).
• Office and spiritual gifts: The word is used of "the ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18), of service as a spiritual gift (Romans 12:7; 1 Peter 4:10–11), and of "the work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:12). In Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8–13, diakonos designates the office of deacon.

Background

In ancient Greek, this word group is said to have originally referred to working on behalf of others, such as waiting at table. Since the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, the word does not appear in it directly. Nevertheless, the commands of the Law and the teaching of the prophets concerning care for widows, orphans, and strangers (Leviticus 19:33–34; Micah 6:8) are frequently cited as background to the New Testament concept of service.

Meaning

In the New Testament, diakonia denotes the life of discipleship modeled on Jesus, who took the lowly place in serving others. It encompasses both material almsgiving and the proclamation of the word. On the basis of this understanding, it has become common to describe the essential activities of the church as kerygma (proclamation of the gospel), koinonia (fellowship), and diakonia (service).

Interpretation and Debated Questions

• The seven men of Acts 6: These men have traditionally been regarded as the first deacons. The text, however, does not call them diakonoi, and two of them, Stephen and Philip, also engaged in preaching and evangelism.
• Phoebe's office: In Romans 16:1, Phoebe is called "a servant [diakonos] of the church which is at Cenchrea." Some interpret this as a formal office, while others take it in the broader sense of a worker. The question is also connected to the debate over the ordination of women.
• The meaning of the word: Some scholars, including John N. Collins, have argued that the core meaning of the word lies less in "humble service" than in "a commissioned task."
• Church order: The Catholic Church and the Anglican Church maintain the diaconate as one of the orders of ordained ministry. The Reformed tradition following John Calvin has understood the deacon's office as one devoted to caring for the poor.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the term "diakonia" is used for the church's social service and community outreach ministries. Many denominations have both ordained deacons and acting deacons appointed to one-year terms. At the same time, some have voiced concern that the office of deacon has come to be regarded as a title within the church rather than as a ministry of almsgiving and service, as it originally was.