Praise the LORD you are here and did not give up and lose sight of HIM! It is so easy to do as Israel and fall! We are not to look even to the most learned, but to him who is faithful and just to finish the work. Merry Christmas!
What? But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
(Mat 23:11 KJV)
Servant here is diakonos (deacon). Here is an excerpt from "Thayer's Greek to English Lexicon unabridged"
G1249
διάκονος, διακονου, ὁ, ἡ (of uncertain origin, but by no means, as was formerly thought, compounded of διά and κόνις, so as to mean, properly,
'raising dust by hastening'; cf. ἐγκόνειν; for the alpha in the preposition διά is short, in διάκονος, long. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Lexil. i., p. 218ff (English translation, p. 231f) thinks it is derived from the obsolete διάκω equivalent to διήκω (allied with διώκω; cf. Vanicek, p. 363)); one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a sergeant, attendant, minister;
1.
universally: of the servant of a king, Mat_22:13; with the genitive of the person served, Mat_20:26; Mat_23:11; Mar_9:35; Mar_10:43 (
in which passage it is used figuratively of those who advance others' interests even at the sacrifice of their own); τῆς ἐκκλησίας,
of one who does what promotes the welfare and prosperity of the church, Col_1:25; διάκονοι τοῦ Θεοῦ,
those through whom God carries on his administration on earth, as magistrates, Rom_13:4; teachers of the Christian religion, 1Co_3:5; 2Co_6:4; 1Th_3:2 R T Tr WH text L marginal reading; the same are called διάκονοι (τοῦ) Χριστοῦ, 2Co_11:23; Col_1:7; 1Ti_4:6; ἐν κυρίῳ, in the cause of the Lord, Col_4:7; (Eph_6:21); ὁ διάκονος μου, my follower, Joh_12:26; τοῦ Σατανᾶ, whom Satan uses as a servant, 2Co_11:15; (ἁμαρτίας, Gal_2:17); διάκονος περιτομῆς (abstract for concrete), of Christ, who labored for the salvation of the circumcised, i. e. the Jews, Rom_15:8; with the genitive of the thing to which service is rendered, i. e. to which one is devoted: καινῆς διαθήκης, 2Co_3:6; τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Eph_3:7; Col_1:23; δικαιοσύνης, 2Co_11:15.
2.
a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use (cf. BB. DD., Dict. of Christ. Antiq., Schaff-Herzog under the word ; Lightfoot's Commentary on Philippians, dissert. i. § i.; Julius Muller, Dogmatische Abhandlungen, p. 560ff): Php_1:1; 1Ti_3:8; 1Ti_3:12, cf. Act_6:3 ff; ἡ διάκονος, a deaconess (ministra, Pliny, epistles 10, 97), a woman to whom the care of either poor or sick women was entrusted, Rom_16:1 (cf. Dictionaries as above, under the word ; Lightfoot as above, p. 191; B. D. under the word ).....
In reference to a Deacon. It is a high calling.
Peter having learned a lesson gives them honorable mention right beside Bishops!
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ
aul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
(Php 1:1 KJV)
Paul's instruction confers with Peter's honorable mention
Likewise ( in same manner) must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
(1Ti 3:8-13 KJV)
Sadly the high calling of Deacon to which Peter gave honorable mention; though Ordained by GOD came through the ill of self importance. Blinded by what we see to be our mission; not seeing the full scope of it!
Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. (Not so LORD! You shall never wash my feet. But HE saith unto them he that is greatest shall be Diaconus to all. And no greater Love can one show but to lay down their life for the brethren!
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
(Act 6:2,3 KJV)
Ahhh the prerequisite!
Men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom!
So Stephen full of wisdom and the Holy Ghost, he whose name means Crown. Chosen to serve tables, became the first Martyr while evangelizing to the learned of Israel.
Yes indeed! Simon Peter, the hearing stone learned a lesson as did the rest of the Twelve!
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
(Act 7:56-60 KJV)