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Green's Literal Translation
Acts 6:4
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
But we will giue our selues continually to prayer, and to the ministerie of the word.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
"But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Then we can continue to pray and to teach the word of God."
"But we will [continue to] devote ourselves [steadfastly] to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
"But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the service of the word."
and devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word."
We can spend our time praying and serving God by preaching."
but we ourselves will give our full attention to praying and to serving the Word."
but *we* will give ourselves up to prayer and the ministry of the word.
Then we can use all our time to pray and to teach the word of God."
And we will giue our selues continually to prayer, and to the ministration of the worde.
And we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
We ourselves, then, will give our full time to prayer and the work of preaching."
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.
Then we will give all our time to prayer and the teaching of the word.
But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word."
Then we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."Acts 2:42;">[xr]
And we will be constant in prayer, and in the ministration of the word.
and we will continue in prayer, and in the ministration of the word.
But we wyll geue our selues continually to prayer, and to the ministerie of the worde.
But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word.
But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word."
But we will constantly attend to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
But, as for us, we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the delivery of the Message."
for we schulen be bisi to preier, and preche the word of God.
But we will continue steadfastly in prayer, and in the service of the word.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word."
Then we will use all of our time to pray and to teach the Word of God."
while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word."
But, we, unto prayer and unto the ministry of the word, will give constant attention.
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
But we will geve oure selves cotinually to prayer and to the ministracion of ye worde.
and we to prayer, and to the ministration of the word, will give ourselves continually.'
But we wil geue oure selues vnto prayer, and to the mynistracion of the worde of God.
whilst we shall continue our applications to prayer, and to preaching.
We will then be able to focus on prayer and gathering the lost."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
give: Acts 2:42, Acts 20:19-31, Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 9:16, Colossians 4:17, 1 Timothy 4:13-16, 2 Timothy 4:2
prayer: Acts 1:14, Acts 13:2, Acts 13:3, Romans 1:9, Ephesians 1:15-17, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:4, Philippians 1:9-11, Colossians 1:9-13, Colossians 2:1, Colossians 4:12
Reciprocal: Exodus 30:7 - dresseth Exodus 36:2 - in whose Numbers 3:10 - they shall Numbers 11:17 - they shall Daniel 6:20 - servest Matthew 14:23 - he went Matthew 18:19 - That if Acts 10:9 - the sixth Acts 15:22 - pleased Acts 26:16 - a minister Romans 12:12 - continuing Ephesians 6:18 - Praying 1 Timothy 4:15 - give 1 Timothy 4:16 - continue
Cross-References
And you shall make it this way: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits.
from the birds according to its kind, and from the cattle according to its kind, from every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind. Two from each shall come in to you to keep alive.
And take for yourself all food that is eaten, and gather to yourself. And let it be for you and for them for food.
And Noah did so, according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
And they said, Come, let us build a city and a tower with its head in the heavens, and make a name for ourselves, that we not be scattered on the face of all the earth.
And we saw the giants there, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own eyes as grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.
and they rose up before Moses, with certain of the sons of Israel, two hundred and fifty rulers of the congregation, elect men of the assembly, men of name.
For only Og the king of Bashan remained of the rest of the giants. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the sons of Ammon, nine cubits long and four cubits broad, by the cubit of a man?
And a champion came out from the armies of the Philistines, Goliath was his name, from Gath; his height was six cubits and a span.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer,.... Both in private for themselves, and the church; and in the houses and families of the saints, with the sick and distressed;. and in public, in the temple, or in whatsoever place they met for public worship:
and to the ministry of the word; the preaching of the Gospel, to which prayer is absolutely prerequisite, and with which it is always to be joined. These two, prayer and preaching, are the principal employment of a Gospel minister, and are what he ought to be concerned in, not only now and then, but what he should give himself up unto wholly, that his profiting might appear; and what he should be continually exercised and employed in: and if parting with that branch of the ministerial function, the care of the secular affairs of the church, and of the poor of it, was necessary in the apostles, that they might be more at leisure to attend to the more important and useful duties of prayer and preaching; it therefore seems necessary that those who are called to labour in the word and doctrine, if possible, should be exempt from all worldly business and employment; that of the ministry being sufficient to engross all a man's time and thoughts.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
But we will give ourselves continually - The original expression used here denotes âintense and perseveringâ application to a thing, or unwearied effort in it. See the notes on Acts 1:14. It means that the apostles designed to make this their constant and main object, undistracted by the cares of life, and even by attention to the temporal needs of the church.
To prayer - Whether this means âprivateâ or âpublicâ prayer cannot be certainly determined. The passage, however, would rather incline us to suppose that the âlatterâ was meant, as it is immediately connected with preaching. If so, then the phrase denotes that they would give themselves to the duties of their office, one part of which was public prayer, and another preaching. Still it is to be believed that the apostles felt the need of secret prayer, and practiced it, as preparatory to their public preaching.
And to the ministry of the word - To preaching the gospel, or communicating the message of eternal life to the world. The word âministryâ διακονιÌα diakonia properly denotes the employment of a âservant,â and is given to the preachers of the gospel because they are employed in this as the âservantsâ of God and of the church. We have here a view of what the apostles thought to be the proper work of the ministry. They were set apart to this work. It was their main, their only employment. To this their lives were to be devoted, and both by their example and their writings they have shown that it was on this principle they acted. Compare 1 Timothy 4:15-16; 2 Timothy 4:2. It follows also that if their time and talents were to be wholly devoted to this work, it was reasonable that they should receive competent support from the churches, and this reasonable claim is often urged. See the 1 Corinthians 9:7-14 notes; Galatians 6:6 note.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 6:4. We will give ourselves continually to prayer — ÏÏοÏκαÏÏεÏηÏομεν,, We will steadfastly and invariably attend, we will carefully keep our hearts to this work. The word is very emphatic.
To prayer. - See this defined, Matthew 6:5. Even apostles could not live without prayer; they had no independent graces; what they had could not be retained without an increase; and for this increase they must make prayer and supplication, depending continually on their God.
Ministry of the word. — διακονιαÏÎ¿Ï Î»Î¿Î³Î¿Ï , The deaconship of the word. The continual proclamation of the Gospel of their Lord; and, to make this effectual to the souls of the hearers, they must continue in prayer: a minister who does not pray much, studies in vain.
The office of deacon, διακονοÏ, came to the Christian from the Jewish Church. Every synagogue had at least three deacons, which were called ×¤×¨× ×¡×× parnasim, from ×¤×¨× ×¡ parnes, to feed, nourish, support, govern. The ×¤×¨× ×¡ parnas, or deacon, was a sort of judge in the synagogue; and, in each, doctrine and wisdom were required, that they might be able to discern and give right judgment in things both sacred and civil. The ××× chazan, and ש×ש shamash, were also a sort of deacons. The first was the priest's deputy; and the last was, in some cases, the deputy of this deputy, or the sub-deacon. In the New Testament the apostles are called deacons, 2 Corinthians 6:4; Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 1:23: see also 2 Corinthians 11:15. Christ himself, the Shepherd and Bishop of souls, is called the deacon of the circumcision, Î»ÎµÎ³Ï Î´Îµ ΧÏιÏÏον ÎηÏÎ¿Ï Î½ διακονον γεγενηÏθαι ÏεÏιÏομηÏ, Romans 15:8. As the word implies to minister or serve, it was variously applied, and pointed out all those who were employed in helping the bodies or souls of men; whether apostles, bishops, or those whom we call deacons. Some remark that there were two orders of deacons:
1. διακονοι ÏÎ·Ï ÏÏαÏιζηÏ, deacons of the TABLE, whose business it was to take care of the alms collected in the Church, and distribute them among the poor, widows, c.
2. διακονοι ÏÎ¿Ï Î»Î¿Î³Î¿Ï , deacons of the WORD, whose business it was to preach, and variously instruct the people. It seems that after the persecution raised against the apostolic Church, in consequence of which they became dispersed, the deaconship of tables ceased, as did also the community of goods and Philip, who was one of these deacons, who at first served tables, betook himself entirely to preaching of the word: see Acts 8:4, c.
In the primitive Church, it is sufficiently evident that the deacons gave the bread and wine in the Eucharist to the believers in the Church, and carried it to those who were absent, Just. Mar. Apol. ii. p. 162 they also preached, and in some cases administered baptism. See Suicer on the words Î´Î¹Î±ÎºÎ¿Î½Î¿Ï ÎºÎ·ÏÏ ÏÏÏ, and βαÏÏιÏμα. But it appears they did the two last by the special authority of the bishop. In the ancient Roman Church, and in the Romish Church, the number of seven deacons, in imitation of those appointed by the apostles, was kept up; and in the council of Neocaesarea it was decreed that this number should never be exceeded, even in the largest cities: vide Concil. Neocaesar. Canon. xiv. other Churches varied this number; and the Church of Constantinople had not less than one hundred. Deacons were ordained by the bishops, by imposition of hands. None was ordained deacon till he was twenty-five years of age, and we find that it was lawful for them to have wives. See Suicer under the word διακονοÏ, and Matthew 20:26.
In the Church of England, (the purest and nearest to the apostolical model in doctrine and discipline of all national Churches,) a deacon receives ordination by the imposition of the hands of a bishop, in consequence of which he can preach, assist in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and in general perform any sacred office, except consecrating the elements, and pronouncing the absolution. No person in this Church can be ordained deacon till he be twenty-three years of age, unless by dispensation from the Abp. of Canterbury. There were deaconesses, both in the apostolic and primitive Church, who had principally the care of the women, and visited and ministered to them in those circumstances in which it would have been improper for a deacon to attend. They also assisted in preparing the female candidates for baptism.
At present, the office for which the seven deacons were appointed is, in the Church of England, filled by the churchwardens and overseers of the poor; in other Churches and religious societies, by elders, stewards, &c., chosen by the people, and appointed by the minister.
