to minister, ministry

Definition

In the Bible, the term “ministry” refers to serving others by teaching them about God and caring for their spiritual needs.

• In the Old Testament, the priests would “minister” to God in the temple by offering sacrifices to him.
• Their “ministry” also included taking care of the temple and offering prayers to God on behalf of the people.
• The job of “ministering” to people can include serving them spiritually by teaching them about God.
• It can also refer to serving people in physical ways, such as caring for the sick and providing food for the poor.

Translation Suggestions

• In the context of ministering to people, to “minister” could also be translated as to “serve” or to “care for” or to “meet the needs of.”
• When referring to ministering in the temple, the term “minister” could be translated as “serve God in the temple” or “offer sacrifices to God for the people.”
• In the context of ministering to God, this could be translated as to “serve” or to “work for God.”
• The phrase “ministered to” could also be translated as “took care of” or “provided for” or “helped.”

(See also: serve, sacrifice)

Bible References

• 2 Samuel 20:23-26
• Acts 6:4
• Acts 21:17-19

Word Data

• Strong’s: H6399, H8120, H8334, H8335, G12470, G12480, G12490, G20230, G20380, G24180, G30080, G30090, G30100, G30110, G39300, G52560, G52570, G55240