The Deacon: The Biblical Roots and the Ministry of Mercy Today

The office of deacon is God’s gift to His church, but today it is often undervalued, misunderstood, and perceived to be of little importance. In The Deacon, the author considers the Old Testament background for this calling, the deacon in New Testament times and in church history, and the current function of the office. You will rediscover the high and privileged calling of deacons and come to a better understanding of what God requires of them.

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781601785114

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Cornelis Van Dam is emeritus professor of Old Testament at Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario. He is the author of The Elder: Today’s Ministry Rooted in All of Scripture.

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“In Christian literature on the offices of the church, eldership has usually received the lion's share of reflection and discussion, an understandable situation in view of the amount of material on this subject in the New Testament. Yet the other New Testament office, the diaconate, is also an apostolic institution and well deserving of significant ecclesial reflection, especially in view of its service to the poor. This new study by Cornelis Van Dam provides such reflection, covering, as it does, the Old Testament roots of the office, the entire range of material about deacons in the New Testament, and the varied historical expressions of the diaconate. This is a solid, well-argued study that will be of great benefit to the church as a whole and to deacons in particular. Highly recommended!” Michael A. G. Haykin, professor of church history and biblical spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary