Lexical Summary diakonia: Service, ministry, office, relief, support Original Word: διακονία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance administration, office, service. From diakonos; attendance (as a servant, etc.); figuratively (eleemosynary) aid, (official) service (especially of the Christian teacher, or technically of the diaconate) -- (ad-)minister(-ing, -tration, -try), office, relief, service(-ing). see GREEK diakonos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 1248 diakonía – ministry; active service, done with a willing (voluntary) attitude. See 1249 (diakonos). For the believer, 1248 /diakonía ("ministry") specifically refers to Spirit-empowered service guided by faith (4102 /pístis, "the Lord's inbirthed persuasion"). [Observe the close connection of faith (4102 /pístis) and 1248 (diakonía) in Ac 6:1-7,21:19,20; Ro 12:3,7; 1 Cor 16:13,15; Eph 4:12,13; 1 Tim 1:12,14; 2 Tim 4:5,7.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom diakonos Definition service, ministry NASB Translation ministries (1), ministry (19), mission (1), preparations (1), relief (1), serve (1), service (7), serving (2), support (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1248: διακονίαδιακονία, διακονίας, ἡ (διάκονος) (from Thucydides, Plato down), service, ministering, especially of those who execute the commands of others; 1. universally: 2 Timothy 4:11; Hebrews 1:14. 2. of those who by the command of God proclaim and promote religion among men; a. of the office of Moses: ἡ διακονία τοῦ θανάτου, concisely for the ministration by which the law is promulgated that threatens and brings death, 2 Corinthians 3:7; τῆς κατακρίσεως, the ministration by which condemnation is announced, ibid. 9. b. of the office of the apostles and its administration: Acts 1:17, 25; Acts 20:24; Acts 21:19; Romans 11:13; 2 Corinthians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 6:3; 1 Timothy 1:12; τοῦ λόγου, Acts 6:4; τοῦ πνεύματος, the ministry whose office it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 3:8; τῆς δικαιοσύνης, by which men are taught how they may become righteous with God, ibid. 9; τῆς καταλλαγῆς, the ministry whose work it is to induce men to embrace the offered reconciliation with God, 2 Corinthians 5:18; πρός τήν ὑμῶν διακονίαν, that by preaching the gospel I might minister unto you, 2 Corinthians 11:8. c. of the ministration or service of all who, endowed by God with powers of mind and heart peculiarly adapted to this end, endeavor zealously and laboriously to promote the cause of Christ among men, as apostles, prophets, evangelists, elders, etc.: 1 Corinthians 12:5; Ephesians 4:12; 2 Timothy 4:5. What ministry is referred to in Colossians 4:17 is not clear. 3. the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection: 1 Corinthians 16:15; Revelation 2:19, especially of those who succor need by either collecting or bestowing benefactions (Acts 12:25); the care of the poor, the supplying or distributing of charities (Luther uses Handreichung): Acts 6:1; 2 Corinthians 9:13; ἡ διακονία ἡ εἰς τούς ἁγίους, 2 Corinthians 8:4; 2 Corinthians 9:1; ἡ διακονία τῆς λειτουργίας, the ministration rendered through this λειτουργία, 2 Corinthians 9:12; πέμπειν εἰς διακονίαν τίνι, to send a thing to one for the relief of his want (A. V. to send relief unto), Acts 11:29 (κομίζειν χρήματα πολλά εἰς διακονίαν τῶν χηρῶν, Acta Thomae § 56, p. 233, Tdf. edition); ἡ διακονία μου ἡ εἰς Ἰερουσαλήμ. my ministration in bringing the money collected by me, a ministration intended for Jerusalem (Fritzsche), Romans 15:31 (here L Tr marginal reading read ἡ δωροφορία ... ἐν, etc.). 4. the office of deacon in the primitive church (see διάκονος, 2): Romans 12:7. 5. the service of those who prepare and present food: Luke 10:40 (as in Xenophon, oec. 7, 41). Διακονία speaks of any God–appointed service rendered for the benefit of others and for the glory of Christ. Scripture applies the term to charitable relief (Acts 11:29), proclamation of the gospel (Acts 20:24), shepherding the church (Colossians 4:17), apostolic commission (Romans 11:13), and even angelic assistance (Hebrews 1:14). It is both action and office, both gift and responsibility. Roots in Old Testament Servanthood While the noun itself is New Testament Greek, its ethic echoes Israel’s calling to “serve the LORD with gladness” (Psalm 100:2) and the Levitical functions at the tabernacle (Numbers 3:7-8). In Christ these shadows find their fulfillment and expansion into every realm of Christian vocation. The Ministry of Jesus as Paradigm “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28). All New Testament διακονία flows from His incarnate example and saving work. He is both the model and the empowering presence for every believer’s ministry (John 13:14-15). Apostolic Appointment and Structural Ministry Acts 6 records the first formal delegation of διακονία. Seven qualified men were set over the daily distribution so the apostles could “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Here two complementary streams emerge: practical assistance and preaching. The church’s ordered life continues to reflect this dual priority. Charitable Service among the Saints Paul uses διακονία for the Gentile collection for Jerusalem (Romans 15:31; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:1, 12-13). Such giving is more than philanthropy; it is priestly service that causes “many thanksgivings to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12). Authentic ministry therefore binds spiritual and material care. Proclamation and New Covenant Ministry In 2 Corinthians 3 Paul contrasts the “ministry that brought death” (the Mosaic covenant) with the “ministry of the Spirit” that “surpasses it in glory” (verses 7-8). The gospel herald bears a service inseparable from the New Covenant’s life-giving power (2 Corinthians 4:1; 5:18). Spiritual Gifts and Body Functioning Romans 12:7 lists “serving” alongside prophecy, teaching, and exhortation; 1 Corinthians 12:5 notes “the same Lord” over varied “ministries.” Every believer receives some form of διακονία through grace and is called to exercise it for the body’s edification (Ephesians 4:12). Personal Callings and Faithful Completion Paul exhorts individuals to finish what God assigned: Archippus, “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord” (Colossians 4:17); Timothy, “fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Paul himself testifies, “I consider my life worth nothing to me… if only I may finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). Angelic Service Hebrews 1:14 extends the concept beyond humanity: angels are “ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation,” illustrating that διακονία permeates the entire created order under God’s sovereignty. Warnings and Commendations from the Risen Christ To Thyatira, Jesus says, “I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, and your perseverance” (Revelation 2:19). Ministry is weighed by the Lord who walks among His churches; what is begun in love must not dwindle. Historical Development in the Early Church From the Jerusalem benevolence project to Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 21:19), διακονία shaped apostolic strategy, fostered unity between Jew and Gentile, and motivated the epistolary appeals for holiness and generosity. The term embraces both recognized offices (deacons, evangelists) and spontaneous acts of mercy. Theological Significance for the Doctrine of the Church Διακονία underscores that the church is a servant community patterned after her Servant-King. Authority in the church exists to empower service, not domination (Mark 10:42-45). The Spirit distributes gifts so that “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:11). Implications for Contemporary Christian Ministry 1. Every believer is called to some form of διακονία; passivity is disobedience. Thus, διακονία remains a living summons: to serve Christ, His people, and His world until He returns and says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Englishman's Concordance Luke 10:40 N-AFSGRK: περὶ πολλὴν διακονίαν ἐπιστᾶσα δὲ NAS: with all her preparations; and she came KJV: about much serving, and came to him, INT: about much service having come up moreover Acts 1:17 N-GFS Acts 1:25 N-GFS Acts 6:1 N-DFS Acts 6:4 N-DFS Acts 11:29 N-AFS Acts 12:25 N-AFS Acts 20:24 N-AFS Acts 21:19 N-GFS Romans 11:13 N-AFS Romans 12:7 N-AFS Romans 12:7 N-DFS Romans 15:31 N-NFS 1 Corinthians 12:5 N-GFP 1 Corinthians 16:15 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 3:7 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 3:8 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 3:9 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 3:9 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 4:1 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 5:18 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 6:3 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 8:4 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 9:1 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 9:12 N-NFS Strong's Greek 1248 |
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