Minister (Noun and Verb)

Cross-references:

• Also found in Nave's Topical Bible
• Also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary

Minister (Noun and Verb)

1. diakonos
2. leitourgos
3. huperetes

1. diakoneo
2. leitourgeo
3. hupereteo
4. hierourgeo
5. parecho
6. ergazomai

diakonos "a servant, attendant, minister, deacon," is translated "minister" in Mark_10:43; Rom_13:4 (twice); 15;8; 1_Cor_3:5; 2_Cor_3:6; 2_Cor_6:4; 2_Cor_11:15 (twice); 2_Cor_15:8; 2_Cor_2:17; Eph_6:21; Col_1:7,23,25; Col_4:7; 1_Thess_3:2; 1_Tim_4:6. See DEACON.

See also : diakonos in other topics

leitourgos denoted among the Greeks, firstly, "one who discharges a public office at his own expense," then, in general, "a public servant, minister." In the NT it is used
(a) of Christ, as a "Minister of the sanctuary" (in the Heavens), Heb_8:2;
(b) of angels, (Heb_1:7 Psalm_104:4);
(c) of the Apostle Paul, in his evangelical ministry, fulfilling it as a serving-priest, Rom_15:16; that he used it figuratively and not in an ecclesiastical sense, is obvious from the context;
(d) of Epaphroditus, as ministering to Paul's needs on behalf of the church at Philippi, Php_2:25; here, representative service is in view;
(e) of earthly rulers, who though they do not all act consciously as servants of God, yet discharge functions which are the ordinance of God, Rom_13:6.

huperetes properly "an under rower" (hupo, "under," eretes, "a rower"), as distinguished from nautes, "a seaman" (a meaning which lapsed from the word), hence came to denote "any subordinate acting under another's direction;" in Luke_4:20, RV, "attendant," AV, "minister" it signifies the attendant at the synagogue service; in Acts_13:5, it is said of John Mark, RV, "attendant," AV, "minister," in Acts_26:16, "a minister," it is said of Paul as a servant of Christ in the Gospel; so in 1_Cor_4:1, where the Apostle associates others with himself, as Apollos and Cephas, as "ministers of Christ." See huperetes_under_ATTEND, OFFICER.

Note: Other synonomous nouns are doulos, "a bondservant;" oiketes, "a household servent;" misthios, "a hired servant;" misthotos (ditto); pais, "a boy, a household servant." For all these see SERVANT. Speaking broadly, diakonos views a servant in relation to his work; doulos, in relation to his master; huperetes, in relation to his superior; leitourgos, in relation to public service.

See also : huperetes in other topics

diakoneo akin to diakonos, signifies "to be a servant, attendant, to serve, wait upon, minister." In the following it is translated "to minister," except where "to serve" is mentioned: it is used
(a) with a general significance, e.g., Matt_4:11; Matt_20:28; Mark_1:13; Mark_10:45; John_12:26 ("serve," twice); Acts_19:22; Php_1:13;
(b) of waiting at table, "ministering" to the guests, Matt_8:15; Luke_4:39; Luke_8:3; Luke_12:37; Luke_17:8, "serve;" Matt_22:26, "serve," Matt_22:27, "serveth," twice; the 2nd instance, concerning the Lord, may come under B1(a); so of women preparing food, etc., Mark_1:31; Luke_10:40, "serve;" John_12:2, "served;"
(c) of relieving one's necessities, supplying the necessaries of life, Matt_25:44; Matt_27:55; Mark_15:41; Acts_6:2, "serve;" Rom_15:25; Heb_6:10; more definitely in connection with such service in a local church, 1_Tim_3:10,13, [there is nothing in the original representing the word "office;" RV, "let them serve as deacons," "they that have served (well) as deacons"];
(d) of attending, in a more general way, to anything that may serve another's interests, as of the work of an amanuensis, 2_Cor_3:3 (metaphorical): of the conveyance of materials gifts of assisting the needy, 2_Cor_8:19,20, RV, "is ministered" (AV, "is administered"); of a variety of forms of service, 2_Tim_1:18; of the testimony of the OTs prophets, 1_Pet_1:12; of the ministry of believers one to another in various ways, 1_Pet_4:10,11 (not here of discharging ecclesiastical functions).

Note: In Heb_1:14, AV (2nd part), the phrase eis diakonian is translated "to minister," RV, "to do service," lit., "for service;" for the noun "ministering" in the 1st part, see leitourgikos_under_MINISTERING.

See also : diakoneo in other topics

leitourgeo (akin to leitourgos), in classical Greek, signified at Athens "to supply public offices at one's own cost, to render public service to the State;" hence, generally, "to do service," said, e.g., of service to the gods. In the NT (see Note after B2 below) it is used
(a) of the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, who "ministered to the Lord," Acts_13:2;
(b) of the duty of churches of the Gentiles to "minister" in "carnal things" to the poor Jewish saints at Jerusalem, in view of the fact that the former had "been made partakers" of the "spiritual things" of the latter, Rom_15:27;
(c) of the official service of priests and Levites under the Law, Heb_10:11 (in the Sept., e.g., Ex_29:30; Num_16:9).

Note: The synonymous verb latreuo (properly, "to serve for hire"), which is used in the Sept. of the service of both priests and people (e.g., Ex_4:3; Deut_10:12, and in the NT, e.g., Heb_8:5), and, in the NT, of Christians in general, e.g., Rev_22:3, is to be distinguished from leitourgeo, which has to do with the fulfillment of an office, the discharge of a function, something of a representative character (Eng., "liturgy").

hupereteo "to do the service of a huperetes" (see huperetes), properly, "to serve as a rower on a ship," is used
(a) of David, as serving the counsel of God in his own generation, Acts_13:36, RV, expressive of the lowly character of his service for God;
(b) of Paul's toil in working with his hands, and his readiness to avoid any pose of ecclesiastical superiority, Acts_20:34;
(c) of the service permitted to Paul's friends to render to him, Acts_24:23.

See also : hupereteo in other topics

hierourgeo "to minister in priestly service" (akin to hierourgos, "a sacrificing priest," a word not found in the Sept. or NT: from hieros, "sacred," and ergon, "work"), is used by Paul metaphorically of his ministry of the Gospel, Rom_15:16; the offering connected with his priestly ministry is "the offering up of the Gentiles," i.e., the presentation by Gentile converts of themselves to God. The Apostle uses words proper to the priestly and Levitical ritual, to explain metaphorically his own priestly service. Cp. prosphora, "offering up," and leitourgos, in the same verse.

parecho "to furnish, provide, supply," is translated "minister" in 1_Tim_1:4, of the effect of "fables and endless genealogies." See parecho_under_BRING.

See also : parecho in other topics

ergazomai "to work, work out, perform," is translated "minister" in 1_Cor_9:13; the verb is frequently used of business, or employment, and here the phrase means "those employed in sacred things" or "those who are assiduous in priestly functions." See ergazomai_under_COMMIT.

Notes:
(1) The verb choregeo, rendered "minister" in the AV of 2_Cor_9:10, and the strengthened form epichoregeo, rendered by the same verb in the AV of 2_Cor_9:10; Gal_3:5; Col_2:19; 2_Pet_1:11, in 2_Pet_1:5, "add," are always translated "to supply" in the RV. Both verbs suggest an abundant supply, and are used of material or of spiritual provision. See SUPPLY.
(2) In Eph_4:29, AV, didomi, "to give," is translated "minister" (RV, "give").

See also : ergazomai in other topics