In the context of biblical studies, the term "department" is not explicitly found in the Scriptures. However, the concept of organized divisions or sections within a larger entity can be observed throughout the Bible, particularly in the structuring of religious, governmental, and societal functions among the Israelites and early Christians.

Old Testament Context

1. Tribal Organization: The nation of Israel was divided into twelve tribes, each descending from the sons of Jacob. These tribes functioned as distinct departments within the nation, each with its own leaders, land allotments, and responsibilities. This tribal structure is detailed in the Book of Numbers, where the census and organization of the tribes are recorded (Numbers 1-2).

2. Priestly Divisions: The Levitical priesthood was organized into divisions to manage the responsibilities of temple service. King David, with the help of the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan, organized the priests into 24 divisions, each serving in the temple at appointed times (1 Chronicles 24:1-19). This system ensured that the worship and sacrifices were conducted orderly and continuously.

3. Governmental Structure: During the monarchy, the kingdom of Israel had various departments for administration. King Solomon, known for his wisdom, established a well-organized government with officials overseeing different aspects of the kingdom, such as labor, taxation, and military (1 Kings 4:1-19).

New Testament Context

1. Church Organization: The early Christian church also exhibited a form of departmental organization. The apostles appointed deacons to manage the daily distribution of food and resources, allowing the apostles to focus on prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:1-6). This division of labor highlights the importance of organized roles within the church body.

2. Spiritual Gifts and Roles: The Apostle Paul, in his letters, emphasizes the diversity of spiritual gifts and roles within the church, likening it to a body with many parts, each with a specific function (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). This metaphor underscores the need for different departments or roles within the church to work together harmoniously for the edification of the body of Christ.

Theological Implications

The concept of departments, though not explicitly named, reflects the biblical principle of order and structure. God is a God of order, as seen in the creation narrative and the detailed instructions given for the construction of the Tabernacle and the conduct of worship (Exodus 25-31). The organization into departments or divisions serves to facilitate the effective functioning of both religious and societal systems, ensuring that each part contributes to the whole.

Practical Application

In contemporary Christian practice, the idea of departments is evident in the organization of church ministries, such as worship, education, outreach, and administration. Each department plays a vital role in fulfilling the mission of the church, echoing the biblical model of diverse yet unified service to God and the community.1. (v. i.) Act of departing; departure.

2. (n.) A part, portion, or subdivision.

3. (n.) A distinct course of life, action, study, or the like; appointed sphere or walk; province.

4. (v. i.) Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war department; also, in a university, one of the divisions of instruction; as, the medical department; the department of physics.

5. (n.) A territorial division; a district; esp., in France, one of the districts composed of several arrondissements into which the country is divided for governmental purposes; as, the Department of the Loire.

6. (n.) A military subdivision of a country; as, the Department of the Potomac.

The Boys' Department in the Sunday School
... XI THE BOYS' DEPARTMENT IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. The Boys' Department in the
Sunday school is the grouping together of organized classes ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/xi the boys department in.htm

The Sunday School or Church School
... Cradle Roll " (A) " Adult " Missionary (1-Minute-3 " Intermediate " Bible "
years) " Department " Class " """" 13-16 years) " Department ...
/.../alexander/the boy and the sunday school/iv the sunday school or.htm

Justification.
... to a right understanding of gospel justification, to inquire whether it be an act
of the judicial, the executive, or the legislative department of government ...
/.../finney/systematic theology/lecture xxxvi justification.htm

The Separation of the Provinces, 1857-1899.
... Fratrum in Anglia; the administrators of the Church's estates in Pennsylvania and
North Carolina; the Director of the Warden's Department; the Director of the ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter vii the separation of.htm

The Church and Other Rural Agencies
... Home Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Young Men's Christian Association,
Young Women's Christian Association, United States Department of Agriculture ...
/.../vogt/church cooperation in community life/chapter ix the church and.htm

Introductory Essay.
... The opinions of Augustin's ability as an exegete, and the worth of his labors in
the department of connected Biblical exposition, have greatly differed. ...
/.../augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/introductory essay .htm

Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws.
... to do justly. Of politics, he says there are two kinds,"the department
of law, and that of politics, strictly so called. And he ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxv plato an imitator of.htm

Introduction
... He goes from department to department, considering the methods pursued,
checking the expenditure on this, on that, on the other. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/jackson/the message and the man/introduction.htm

To the Rev. J. Jowett
... He spoke twice to Mr. Bludoff upon the subject; and I shortly afterwards received
a summons to appear at the Asiatic Department, whither I went, and found that ...
/.../borrow/letters of george borrow/to the rev j jowett 7.htm

Schools.
... neglected. Some have done much more in this department than others, but
all have devoted to it a measure of attention and effort. ...
/.../kennedy/life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xii schools.htm

Department (1 Occurrence)
... 4. (vi) Subdivision of business or official duty; especially, one of the principal
divisions of executive government; as, the treasury department; the war ...
/d/department.htm - 7k

Language (112 Occurrences)
... 7. (n.) The vocabulary and phraseology belonging to an art or department of knowledge;
as, medical language; the language of chemistry or theology. ...
/l/language.htm - 101k

Prefect (2 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge,
department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp ...
/p/prefect.htm - 7k

Adoniram (4 Occurrences)
... In the American Standard Revised Version it is uniformly "over the men subject to
taskwork." Adoniram was at the head of the department of forced labor for the ...
/a/adoniram.htm - 10k

Secretary (34 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) An officer of state whose business is to superintend and manage the affairs
of a particular department of government, and who is usually a member of ...
/s/secretary.htm - 18k

Evolution
... Until the time of Herbert Spencer, the scientific use of the word evolution
was limited to the narrow department of embryology. ...
/e/evolution.htm - 39k

Beauty (98 Occurrences)
... 1 Kings 6 2 Chronicles 3). It is a common understanding that the civilization of
Solomon's day was drawn upon to its utmost in every department of aesthetics ...
/b/beauty.htm - 45k

Departing (20 Occurrences)

/d/departing.htm - 12k

Departs (16 Occurrences)

/d/departs.htm - 10k

Kingdom (409 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) An extensive scientific division distinguished by leading or ruling
characteristics; a principal division; a department; as, the mineral kingdom. Int. ...
/k/kingdom.htm - 101k

What is a Bible scholar? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about sexual harassment? | GotQuestions.org

Why is premarital counseling important? | GotQuestions.org

Department: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus