Bible Lexicons

Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old TestamentGirdlestone's OT Synonyms

Ministry, Minister

The minister in the O.T. is Shereth (שׁרת ), a word which the LXX has almost always rendered λειτουργός. [The verb is rendered διακονει̂ν only in Esther 1:10; Esther 2:2; Esther 6:3.] The office of minister was not necessarily sacred, but it was always honourable. The minister differed from the servant or slave, in that the latter performed what we call menial duties, or at any rate was expected to toil for his master, where as the former was a person in attendance on a king, prince, or great personage, to render such honourable service as would be acceptable in this sense, Joseph was minister to Potiphar (Genesis 39:4), and afterwards was in attendance on the prisoners in behalf of the govern or of the pris on (Genesis 40:4); so, too, Joshua ministered to Moses, Samuel to Eli, and Abishag to David.

The word is constantly used of the ministrations of the priests and Levites, especially of the latter, and signifies that they were fulfilling high functions in respect of that unseen Being in whose honour they were employed. The term is equally applicable to angels, who are described in the Epistle to the Hebrews as ministering spirits (πνεύματα λειτουργικά) sent forth by their Heavenly Master to minister to them who should be heirs of salvation.

In Ezekiel 20:32 the heathen are said to serve or minister to wood and stone. Here the use of the word ShereThis ironical; they are engaged in ministrations - but to whom? to the King of kings? - no, to blocks of wood and stone.

The words λειτουργός, λειτουργία and λειτουργει̂ν are used of Christian ministrations several times in the N.T in some of these passages they denote the ministering in worldly things. See Romans 15:27; 2 Corinthians 9:12, Philippians 2:25; Philippians 2:30 in Romans 13:6 those in civil authority are honoured by this title when described as God's ministers.

In Philippians 2:17 and Romans 15:16 the work of the Christian ministry, properly so called, is spoken of in terms derived from the sacerdotal and ministerial system of the old dispensation; but when these passages are carefully examined, they will not be found to justify the claims which have been sometimes made by the ministerial order in later times in Philippians 2:17 Paul describes himself as ready to be offered like a libation on the sacrifice and ministry of his convert's faith (compare 2 Timothy 4:6); that is to say, that he might be sacrificed on their behalf in Romans 15:16 he speaks of himself as ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be regarded by God as an acceptable sacrifice, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost in each of these cases the sacrifices are persons; and the passages are closely related to Romans 12:1, where Christians are directed to offer their bodies as living sacrifices; but there is no reference whatsoever to what is now sometimes called 'the Christian sacrifice.'