Deacons and Diakonia in Early Christianity

Munib Younan: Foreword

A) Introduction
Bart J. Koet/Edwina Murphy/Esko Ryökäs: Assessing the Role and Function of an Assistant: The Deacon in the First Two Centuries of Christianity

B) Biblical Sources
Peter-Ben Smit: Exegetical Notes on Mark 10:42-45: Who Serves Whom? - John N. Collins: The Rhetorical Value of ??a???- in Matthew 25:44 - Bart J. Koet: Luke 10:38-42 and Acts 6:1-7: a Lukan Diptych on ??a????a - Bart J. Koet: Like a Royal Wedding. On the Significance of Diakonos in John 2:1-11 - Joke H. A. Brinkhof: Philip, One of the Seven in Acts (6:1-6; 8:4-40; 21:8) - Margaret Mowczko: What did Phoebe's Position and Ministry as ???????? of the Church at Cenchrea Involve? - Anni Hentschel: Paul's Apostleship and the Concept of ??a????a in 2 Corinthians - Lauri Thurén: Divine Headhunting? The Function of the Qualifications of Deacons in 1 Tim 3:8-13

C) The Earliest Christian (Extra-Biblical) Sources
John Granger Cook: Pliny's Tortured Ministrae : Female Deacons in the Ancient Church? - Bart J. Koet: The Bishop and his Deacons. Ignatius of Antioch's View on Ministry: Two-fold or Three-fold? - John N. Collins: ??a???- and Deacons in Clement of Alexandria - Bart J. Koet: Isaiah 60:17 as a Key for Understanding the Two-fold Ministry of ?p?s??p?? and ???????? according to First Clement (1 Clem. 42:5) - Mark Grundeken: What Do "Deacons" Do in the Shepherd of Hermas ? - Clayton N. Jefford: Understanding the Concept of Deacon in the Didache - Paul Foster: Deacons (????????) and D?a????a in the Writings of Justin and Irenaeus - Serafim Seppälä: Deacons in Acts of Thomas and Related Early Syriac Literature - Anni Maria Laato: Tertullian and the Deacons - Bart J. Koet: Dreaming about Deacons in the Passio Perpetuae - Anssi Voitila: Deacons in the Texts Contemporary with the New Testament (Philo of Alexandria and Josephus)