What does every Elder & Deacon have to have that Jesus and Paul didn’t? Give up? The answer is a wife. The scriptural qualifications for both offices require “the husband of one wife”. Ever wonder why that is? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:32-33 that the unmarried are free from concern and can serve the Lord without any divided interest but a married man must think about the concerns of his wife. So why would God make the overseers and servants in the church be married? If you want a practical answer, just ask a man that serves in one of these roles. Every deacon and elder has at times needed the support and love of a godly woman in their efforts. She has to be a patient, loving, understanding woman of not only her husband but of the church as well. The wife of a deacon or elder is a unique position for which we often forget to show our support and appreciation. We should never forget the special women and the important role they in which they serve.
In Acts 20, there is the tragicomic event surrounding a young man by the name of Eutychus. He did what a lot of folks before and after him did, he fell asleep during a sermon. Unfortunately, he was setting in in the third story window at the time. So instead of nodding off and hitting the pew in front of him, he fell to his death. The good news was the apostle Paul was delivering the sermon and had the ability to bring him back. I don’t know, however, if we can judge Eutychus too harshly. The sermon had gone on till midnight. Paul wouldn’t finish it up till daybreak. That’s a long lesson. I know some folks that might want to jump out of a window if I had a lesson that long, yet these Christians wanted to be there to hear Paul. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pushing for all night sermons but I think we might need to adopt these folks' dedication. They knew that Paul was only in town for a limited time only and they were determined to ...
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