minister Summary and Overview

one who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also given to attendants at court (2 Chr. 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jer. 33:21; Ezek. 44:11). (2.) Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Neh. 7:57-60. (3.) Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates (Rom. 13:6). It is applied also to our Lord (Heb. 8:2), and to Paul in relation to Christ (Rom. 15:16). (4.) Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5). (5.) Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos (1 Cor. 3:5), Tychicus (Eph. 6:21), Epaphras (Col. 1:7), Timothy (1 Thess. 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom. 15:8).

This term is used in the Authorized Version to describe various officials of a religious and civil character. Its meaning, as distinguished from servant, is a voluntary attendant on another. In the Old Testament it is applied (1) to an attendance upon a person of high rank, #Ex 24:13; Jos 1:1; 2Ki 4:43| (2) to the attaches of a royal court, #1Ki 10:5; 2Ch 22:8| comp. Psal 104:4 (3) to the priests and Levites. #Ezr 8:17; Ne 10:36; Isa 61:6; Eze 44:11; Joe 1:9,13| One term in the New Testament betokens a subordinate public administrator, #Ro 13:6; 15:16; Heb 8:2| one who performs certain gratuitous public services. A second term contains the idea of actual and personal attendance upon a superior, as in #Lu 4:20| The minister's duty was to open and close the building, to produce and replace the books employed in the service, and generally to wait on the officiating priest or teacher. A third term, diakonos (from which comes our word deacon), is the one usually employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel: its application is twofold, --in a general sense to indicate ministers of any order, whether superior or inferior, and in a special sense to indicate an order of inferiors ministers. [DEACON]

MIN'ISTER , as distinguished from servant, denotes one in voluntary attendance on another. Thus Joshua is called the minister of Moses, Ex 24:13; Ex 33:11, and Elisha the minister of Elijah. 1 Kgs 19:21; 2 Kgs 3:11. With various modifications of this, its general sense, it is applied in Scripture: 1. To Christ, as the "minister of the sanctuary," Heb 8:2 - that is, as our High Priest; 2. To those persons who are appointed to preach the gospel and administer its ordinances, 1 Cor 4:1; 2 Cor 3:6; Eph 3:7; 1 Thess 3:2; 1 Tim 4:6; 3. To magistrates, Rom 13:16, as God's ministers to punish the evil and protect the good; and 4. To the angels, who stand ready to do the will of God. Ps 103:21; Dan 7:10; Heb 1:14.

Minister mesharet. As Joshua was to Moses (Exodus 24:13; Joshua 1:1), and Elisha's "servitor" (2 Kings 4:43). The king's subordinate attendants, as "servants" are higher officials (1 Kings 10:5). The angelic attendants of the heavenly King (Psalm 104:4). The priests and Levites, "ministers of our God" (Isaiah 61:6). In New Testament leitourgos is a "public administrator", civil as the magistrate (Romans 13:4; Romans 13:6), or sacerdotal as the Aaronic priests were (Hebrews 10:11) and as Christ was (Hebrews 8:2), and as Paul figuratively was, presenting as a sacrifice before God the Gentiles converted by his ministry of the gospel (Romans 15:16) and their faith (Philemon 2:17), and as Christians minister their alms (Romans 15:27; 2 Corinthians 9:12). Liturgy at Athens meant public service rendered gratuitously to the state; hence the sense of public Divine service (not restricted to sacrifice, Luke 1:23): Acts 13:2. Hufretes is a greater man's "personal attendant" (literally, the rower under the steersman) or subordinate in waiting, as Mark was to Saul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5); also (Luke 1:2; Acts 26:16) interchanged with diakonos (1 Corinthians 4:1; 1 Corinthians 3:5), both applied to Paul. diakonos is also applied especially to deacons as distinguished from presbyter bishops (Philemon 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13).