Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of dishonest gain;
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Athanasius the Apostolic
AD 373
What Moses taught, Abraham observed. What Abraham observed, Noah and Enoch acknowledged, discriminating pure from impure and becoming acceptable to God. For Abel too in this way witnessed, knowing what he had learned from Adam. This one himself had learned from that Lord, who said, when he came at the end of the ages for the abolishment of sin, “I give no new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you have heard from the beginning.” In the same way also the blessed apostle Paul, who had learned it from the Lord, when describing ecclesiastical functions, forbade that deacons, not to say bishops, should be doubletongued. In his rebuke of the Galatians, he made a broad declaration: If anyone preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be anathema, as I have said, so say I again.
Deacons By the Greek, grave, sober But why does he pass from bishops to deacons, not naming priests? St. Chrysostom answers, that priests were comprehended under the name of bishops, their functions being much the same, except as to the ordination of the ministers of God. (Witham)
After speaking of bishops he passes on to deacons, because priests are included in the former title; and every thing that he has said of the first, is applicable to them. (Estius)
Likewise the Deacons. That is, they should have the same qualities as Bishops. And what are these same? To be blameless, sober, hospitable, patient, not brawlers, not covetous. And that he means this when he says likewise, is evident from what he says in addition, grave, not doubletongued; that is, not hollow or deceitful. For nothing so debases a man as deceit, nothing is so pernicious in the Church as insincerity. Not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Thus he explains what he means by blameless. And here he requires, though in other words, that he be not a novice, where he says, Let these also first be proved, where the conjunction also is added, as connecting this with what had been said before of Bishops, for nothing intervenes between. And there is the same reason for the not a novice in that case. For would it not be absurd, that when a newly purchased slave is not entrusted with anything in a house, till he has...
Likewise the deacons should be blameless before the Lord’s righteousness, as servants of God and Christ and not of men; not slanderers, or doubletongued, not lovers of money, temperate in all matters, compassionate, careful, living according to the truth of the Lord, who became a “servant of all”; to whom, if we are pleasing in the present age, we shall also obtain the age to come, inasmuch as he promised to raise us from the dead.
