Help with a specific search - Deacon in AD First Century

Myke Harbuck

I need some advice on how to search more comprehensively for deacons in the first century AD. I have an extensive library (13,000+), and have tons of hits for 2nd century and on. Obviously, I realize it's because there isn't much in the way of primary resources until the very end of the 1st century. But I'd like to see what anyone has to say about mid to late 1st century deacons. 

I also need some help searching date tagging, such as AD 50 to AD 100. 

So far, I'm not getting much with this: deacon* NEAR ("first century" OR "1st century").

Can you recommend some better search methods?

Thanks Logos community! 

David Ames

Found this:

In calling Phoebe a diakonos of the church in Cenchrea (a town five miles east of Corinth), Paul may mean simply that she is a Christian, called, like all Christians, to be a servant (1) of Christ and of the church (see 1 Pet. 4:10). But with the official-sounding addition of the church of Cenchrea it is more likely that Paul is identifying Phoebe as holding the office of ‘deacon’ (see Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12; many understand 1 Tim. 3:11 as a reference to female deacons). We have no solid first-century evidence about the nature of this ministry, but, as it did at a later date, it probably focused especially on the care for poorer and weaker members of the church. Perhaps Phoebe’s secular status had something to do with her appointment to this ministry, for Paul calls her in v 2b a prostatis, a word that often denoted wealthy people who became ‘patrons’ and sponsors of people and movements (NIV paraphrases this with she has been a great help). Paul mentions Phoebe because she is going to Rome, probably carrying Paul’s letter to the church with her (2a).   

 Moo, D. J. (1994). Romans. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1158). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.