1 Timothy 3:9-10 9holding to the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10And let these people be tested first, then let them serve if they are blameless.
Paul continues the list of qualifications for deacons with a fifth characteristic. Deacons need to know the truth of the gospel and guide their convictions by it. This next quality particularly addresses the problem of the false teachers teaching the wrong doctrine in Ephesus. Some people, like Hymenaeusand Alexander, had seared their conscience by rejecting the truth and following a lie. Deacons needed to have a pure conscience that had not been defiled by refusing the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
The participle holding (exontas) has an instrumental sense that shows how they could develop the qualities listed in verse 8. To hold on has a metaphoric sense of grasping the truth through commitment, understanding, and application. What they needed to understand and embracing was the mystery of the faith. Paul uses the word mystery (mystērion) in his letters for the message of the gospel that was hidden for long ages but revealed in Jesus Christ (Romans 16:25-26). The faith refers to what Christians believe in, namely the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul will give a brief summary of that at the end of this chapter. The true, orthodox faith of the church was at stake in the Ephesians church and was being threatened by the false teachers. It was crucial that the deacons and all other leaders in the church know the gospel well and be able to guide others into accepting it and growing in understanding and applying it.
A pure conscience is one that has not been defiled or deceived by sin or falsehood. A pure conscience comes through obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit who convicts of sin and righteousness (John 16:8-10). The Spirit shows us what to avoid and what to accept. The conscience is the deep inner thoughts we have about our behavior. It gives us an awareness of the outcomes of our decisions, warning us about bad decisions and reminds us of God’s will, especially if we have spent time in God’s word. The conscience can be developed over time as our values change and we have new awareness of right and wrong.
Deacons should show a high level of development and awareness in spiritual and ethical matters and not be deceived by false teaching. Testing deacons on their faith and understanding will indicate the development of their consciences and if indeed they are blameless. Passing the test of orthodoxy and orthopraxy will demonstrate if deacons are worthy of respect and qualified to serve in ministry. Blameless (anegklētoi) is similar to the expectation of overseers in verse 2 of being “beyond reproach” with the sense of not having anything anyone could say bad or dishonoring about a deacon. A deacon is beyond accusation and recognized as an honorable person. Knowledge demonstrated with character and behavior will show that a deacon meets the required standard.
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