“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain” (1 Timothy 3:8 ESV).
As with those who are called to a position of congregational oversight, a deacon must be someone who is dignified, reverent (NKJV), and “worthy of respect” (AMP). These characteristics describe a person of honorable character and convey the idea of someone who elicits respect in his or her behavior and appearance.
The next characteristic is “not double-tongued.” This implies that a deacon should be a person of truthfulness, sincerity, and integrity. Unlike the worst form of politician, a deacon should not be someone who is known for saying different things to different groups of people. That sort of behavior is addressed in the New Testament Epistle of James…
“With [the tongue] we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in God’s likeness. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. It should not be like this, my brothers!” (James 3:9-10 ESV).
This brings us to one of the more common objections to Christianity: there are too many hypocrites within the church. However, that objection conceals a critical double-standard. Even if we were to accept the dubious claim that wide-spread hypocrisy exists within the church, the same could be said for educational institutions, workplace environments, the internet, and other places as well. There are few who are willing to sacrifice their educational careers, quit their jobs, or cease their online activities simply because hypocrites exist in those areas.
This does not excuse an attitude of hypocrisy (especially among those who claim to be Christians) but it does illustrate the double-standard that lies behind this objection. We should also remember that there are many who claim to follow Christ but really don’t. For instance, consider Paul the Apostle’s directive to the first-century church at Corinth…
“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person” (1 Corinthians 5:9-11, emphasis added).
Therefore, the admonition against being double-tongued is something that should apply to leaders and others within the church as well.