Lexical Summary leitourgia: Service, Ministry, Worship Original Word: λειτουργία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ministry, service. From leitourgeo; public function (as priest ("liturgy") or almsgiver) -- ministration(-try), service. see GREEK leitourgeo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 3009 leitourgía(a feminine noun derived from 3011 /leitourgós, "an official servant," "sacred ministering") – properly, official (technical) service offered by a duly authorized minister; used of believers ministering to the Lord as His duly-commissioned priests – a sacred ministering that always serves (impacts) those who witness it. 3009 /leitourgía ("sacred ministry to the Lord") is the root of the English term "liturgy" and used metaphorically in the NT of the liturgy of life, i.e. when the believer lives in faith ("the Lord's inwrought persuasions," 4102 /pístis). [Originally, 3009 (leitourgía) was service done by someone in an honorary religious or civic office, leaving a significant impact on the community. 3009 /leitourgía ("sacred ministry, service") later focuses on priestly, Levitical ministration.] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom leitourgeó Definition a service, a ministry NASB Translation ministry (2), priestly service (1), service (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3009: λειτουργίαλειτουργία, λειτουργίας, ἡ (from λειτουργέω, which see); 1. properly, a public office which a citizen undertakes to administer at his own expense: Plato, legg. 12, p. 949 c.; Lysias, p. 163, 22; Isocrates, p. 391 d.; Theophrastus, Char. 20 (23), 5; 23 (29), 4, and others. 2. universally, any service: of military service, Polybius; Diodorus 1, 63. 73; of the service of workmen, c. 21; of that done to nature in the cohabitation of man and wife, Aristotle, oec. 1, 3, p. 1343b, 20. 3. in Biblical Greek a. the service or ministry of the priests relative to the prayers and sacrifices offered to God: Luke 1:23; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:21, (for עֲבודָה, Numbers 8:22; Numbers 16:9; Numbers 18:4; 2 Chronicles 31:2; Diodorus 1, 21; Josephus; (Philo de caritat. § 1 under the end; others; see Sophocles Lex. under the word)); hence, the phrase in Philippians 2:17, explained under the word θυσία, b. at the end ((cf. Lightfoot on Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 44 [ET])). b. a gift or benefaction, for the relief of the needy (see λειτουργέω, 2 c.): 2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 2:30. The term appears six times in the Greek New Testament, each instance highlighting a distinct facet of divinely ordained service. Whether describing priestly duty (Luke 1:23), apostolic self-sacrifice (Philippians 2:17), relief for needy saints (2 Corinthians 9:12), or the heavenly priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 8:6), the word consistently unites worship of God with practical ministry to people. Old Testament Background and Septuagint Influence In the Septuagint the word frequently renders Hebrew terms for Levitical service at the tabernacle and temple. This background lends every New Testament occurrence a sacrificial hue: public acts carried out before God on behalf of others. It underscores that Christian ministry, like Israel’s priestly work, is never a private endeavor but a corporate offering within the covenant community. Priestly Service and Sacrificial Connotations 1. Luke 1:23 presents Zechariah completing “the days of his service,” recalling the ordered courses of priests in the temple (1 Chronicles 24). Apostolic Application to Gospel Ministry Philippians 2:17 reinterprets priestly language for apostolic labor: “Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you”. Paul views his suffering as a complementary libation poured upon the Philippians’ own offering of faith. Philippians 2:30 extends the imagery to Epaphroditus, who “risked his life to make up for your service to me,” showing that every believer may share in priestly functions through self-giving mission. Communal and Benevolent Dimensions In 2 Corinthians 9:12 Paul writes, “This service that you are performing is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God”. Material generosity becomes a liturgical act that ascends in praise, binding fellowship, compassion, and worship into a single movement. The church’s diaconal work thus carries sacrificial weight; meeting earthly needs glorifies God as surely as incense on an altar. Christological Fulfillment Hebrews locates ultimate service in the ascended Christ who intercedes in the true sanctuary. All human ministries draw worth from His perfect ministry. Just as Moses’ tabernacle required cleansing with blood, so Christ’s own blood establishes a new covenant people who serve God “acceptably with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). Implications for Contemporary Worship and Service 1. Worship and work are inseparable; public gatherings, private devotion, evangelism, and acts of mercy are one continuous liturgy. Key References Luke 1:23; 2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 2:17; Philippians 2:30; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:21 Englishman's Concordance Luke 1:23 N-GFSGRK: ἡμέραι τῆς λειτουργίας αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν NAS: the days of his priestly service were ended, KJV: of his ministration were accomplished, INT: days the service of his he departed 2 Corinthians 9:12 N-GFS Philippians 2:17 N-DFS Philippians 2:30 N-GFS Hebrews 8:6 N-GFS Hebrews 9:21 N-GFS Strong's Greek 3009 |
    |