Dictionaries :: Minister

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Minister:

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 (Exd 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2Ki 4:43). This name is also given to attendants at court (2Ch 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jer 33:21; Eze 44:11).

(2.) Heb. pelah (Ezr 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezr 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 (Hbr 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 (Luk 4:20). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Act 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 (1Cr 3:5), Tychicus (Eph 6:21), Epaphras (Col 1:7), Timothy (1Th 3:2), and also to Christ (Rom 15:8).

King James Dictionary

Minister: Servants.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but MINISTERS by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:5-6)

Nave's Topical Bible

Minister: An Officer in Civil Government

Joseph,

Gen 41:40-44;

Ira,

2Sa 20:26;

Zabud,

1Ki 4:5;

Ahithophel,

1Ch 27:33;

Zebadiah,

2Ch 19:11;

Elkanah,

2Ch 28:7;

Haman,

Est 3:1;

Mordecai,

Est 10:3; with Est 8; 9,

Daniel;

Dan 2:48; 6:1-3.

Minister: Reference Concerning

See CABINET

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Minister:

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 (Exodus 24:13; Joshua 1:1; 2 Kings 4:43).

(2). to the attachés of a royal court (1 Kings 10:5; 2 Chronicles 22:8 compare Psalm 104:4).

(3). To the priests and Levites (Ezra 8:17; Nehemiah 10:36; Isaiah 61:6; Ezekiel 44:11; Joel 1:9, 13). One term in the New Testament betokens a subordinate public administrator (Romans 13:6; 15:16; Hebrews 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 Luke 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. SEE [DEACON].