Search the Site

Donate

minister


A person who serves. In the basic meaning of the term, there is no indication as to the arena or nature of the service. It might involve ministering as an assistant, as the young Samuel was to Eli (1Sam 3:1), as Joshua to Moses (Josh 1:1), or as John Mark to Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5). Priests at the altar were ministers (Ezek 45:4), but so was Onesimus when he cared for the needs of the imprisoned Paul (Philem. 1). Political leaders were viewed by Paul as ministers of God (Rom 13:4), but Peter’s mother-in-law, by attending to domestic chores, is also described as “ministering” (Mark 1:31; NRSV: “serve”). The NT contains lists of various types of ministers, including apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors (1Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11), and also of bishops, elders, and deacons (Phil 1:1; Acts 20:17; Acts 20:28; 1Tim 3:1; 1Tim 3:8; Titus 1:5; Titus 1:7). Precise definitions of these positions (i.e., their duties, or how they differed from one another) are not clear.

  • Powell, Mark Allan, ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Abridged Edition. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009.