Lexical Summary leitourgikos: Ministerial, pertaining to service Original Word: λειτουργικός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ministering. From the same as leitourgeo; functional publicly ("liturgic"); i.e. Beneficient -- ministering. see GREEK leitourgeo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 3010 leitourgikós(an adjective, derived from 3011 /leitourgós, "sacred ministry/service to God") – divinely-authorized (service) referring to sacred ministering that performs what is acceptable to the all-holy God. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom leitourgos Definition of or for service NASB Translation ministering (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3010: λειτουργικόςλειτουργικός, λειτουργικη, λειτουργικον (λειτουργία), "relating to the performance of service, employed in ministering: σκεύη, Numbers 4:(12),26, etc.; στολαί, Exodus 31:10, etc.; πνεύματα, of angels executing God's behests, Hebrews 1:14; also αἱ λειτουργικαι τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεσι, Ignatius ad Philad. 9 [ET] (longer recension); τό πᾶν πλῆθος τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, πῶς τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ λειτουργουσι παρεστῶτες, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 34, 5 [ET], cf. Daniel; (Theod.) Topical Lexicon Word and ConceptLeitourgikos describes that which belongs to a sacred or public service rendered on behalf of others. It carries the idea of an officially commissioned ministry performed before God for the good of the covenant community, whether in the sanctuary, in the civic realm, or—in its single New Testament use—in the invisible realm of angelic activity. Old Testament Foundations (Septuagint) The Greek translators of the Hebrew Scriptures employed leitourgikos (and its cognates) for the priestly vestments, utensils, and tasks connected with the tabernacle and later the temple (for example, Exodus 31:10; 35:19; 40:13; Numbers 4:12). By doing so they attached the adjective to all that facilitated the worship Yahweh Himself had instituted. Anything called leitourgikos was set apart for God-centered service and could not be diverted to common use (compare 2 Chronicles 24:14). New Testament Usage Hebrews 1:14 contains the lone occurrence: “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” (Berean Standard Bible). Here leitourgikos intensifies the contrast between the angels and the Son presented throughout Hebrews 1. The writer affirms three truths at once: 1. The angelic host is fully devoted to God’s appointed service; Angelic Ministry and Salvation History Hebrews draws on earlier Scripture that already portrays angels as participants in God’s redemptive program (Genesis 19:1-22; Exodus 23:20-23; Daniel 6:22). Psalm 104:4, quoted in Hebrews 1:7, pictures them as winds and flames—swift, powerful, and responsive. By adding the adjective leitourgikos, Hebrews 1:14 clarifies that every angelic action, whether protective (Psalm 91:11-12), revelatory (Luke 1:19, 26), or disciplinary (Acts 12:23), is fundamentally priest-like service rendered in obedience to God and for the sake of His people. Christological Implications Hebrews presents Christ as “a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle” (Hebrews 8:2, drawing on the same service motif). Yet His priesthood differs in kind from the angels’ service. Angels minister as commissioned servants; the Son ministers as eternal High Priest and Mediator (Hebrews 7:23-28). Leitourgikos therefore reinforces the hierarchy: angels serve; the Son reigns. Continuity with the Church’s Calling The New Testament applies leitourgos and leitourgia to human believers engaged in gospel work (Romans 15:16; Philippians 2:17, 25). While the adjective leitourgikos itself is never attached to Christians, Hebrews 1:14 indirectly invites believers to pattern their lives after the holy efficiency of the angelic host. The Church is “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9); thus every spiritual gift, act of mercy, offering of praise, and outreach of evangelism participates in the same God-centered service field that leitourgikos describes. Early Church Reflection Early Christian writers quickly absorbed the term into liturgical vocabulary. By the second century the “Leitourgika” refers both to the Eucharistic prayers and to the garments worn by officiating clergy—concepts already familiar from the Septuagint. The link between the angelic liturgy of heaven (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8) and the gathered worship of the Church was drawn to remind believers that earthly services join the uninterrupted praise and ministry of the unseen realm. Practical Ministry Significance • Servant-heartedness: As angels joyfully fulfill God’s commissions, so believers are to “serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). Summary Leitourgikos (Strong’s Greek 3010) encapsulates a sacred pattern: God commissions holy servants; holy servants perform selfless ministry; redeemed people receive blessing; and all glory ascends to God through Jesus Christ. From tabernacle implements, to angelic spirits, to the Church’s mission, the adjective marks whatever is set apart for divine service. Forms and Transliterations λειτουργικα λειτουργικά λειτουργικὰ λειτουργικάς leitourgika leitourgikàLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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