Bible Dictionaries
Administration

Holman Bible Dictionary

1. A spiritual gift God gives to some members to build up the church (1 Corinthians 12:28 NAS, NIV, RSV), called “governments” in KJV. The Greek word kubernesis occurs only here in the Greek New Testament. It describes the ability to lead or hold a position of leadership. 2. NAS translates Hebrew idiom “to do justice” as “administer justice” ( 2 Samuel 8:15; 1 Kings 3:28; 1 Chronicles 18:14 ). Similarly, NAS translates the idiom “to judge justice” as “administer justice” (Jeremiah 21:12 ). NIV goes further with other Hebrew and Aramaic idioms translated as “administer.” The person called in Hebrew “who is over the house” NIV calls the “palace administrator” (2 Kings 10:5 ). The Old Testament seeks to lead people in authority to establish a society in which God's law brings fairness and justice to all people without favoritism and prejudice. 3. KJV speaks of differences of administrations (1 Corinthians 12:5 ), translating the Greek, diakoion , “services” (NIV, RSV) or “ministries” (NAS). Leading a church involves ministering to or serving the needs of its members.