David Anguish
As we move deeper into our study of New Testament ministry, we begin to zero in on the diakonia word group, noticing first the multiple ways in which the words are translated. For example, in the King James Version, diakonia is rendered "ministry" (Acts 1:17), "ministration" (Acts 6:1), "serving" (Luke 10:40), "relief" (Acts 11:29), "office" (Romans 11:13), "administration" (2 Corinthians 9:12), and "service" (Revelation 2:19). The same kind of variety is found in the New American Standard Bible where diakonia is translated "preparations" (Luke 10:40), "ministry" (Acts 1:17), "serving" (Acts 6:1), "relief" (Acts 11:29), "mission" (Acts 12:25), and "support" (2 Corinthians 8:4). Study of the related words, diakone and diakonos, reflects the same variety.
While we might wonder whether so much variety is warranted, we do not question the motive or practice of the translators in rendering one Greek word with more than one English word. The translation process often requires that shades of meaning found in an original language word be rendered by various words in the language to which it is translated. Always, the context of a passage is the final determinant for establishing a word's meaning.
When it comes to the diakonia group, however, the matter is more complicated by the fact that "ministry," one of the key terms used to translate the words, has taken on a formal meaning in modern usage which does not parallel any New Testament use. The result is the development of terminology, practices, and, in some cases, even prohibitions, which do not reflect what God intends for his people.
The solution for both understanding and practice of New Testament teaching must begin with a study of what the diakonia word group meant to the New Testament writers and their original audiences. Once that meaning has been established, we should strive to use terminology which reflects it, even if doing so means that we are out step with our world's (or the modern church's) expectations. Yes, such diligence may require more elaborate discussions and explanations of biblical ideas than our impatient world likes. But if we are serious about being a biblical people, a community who "speaks where the Bible speaks," we cannot shirk responsibility to try to teach and practice a biblical concept just because it inconveniences us or will not be immediately (or well) received.
What, then, did diakonia mean in the time of the New Testament? At its fundamental level, it referred to a servant, table servant, or waiter (Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1:369). Even at this fundamental level, it is important for us not to impose modern views on this ancient term. Being a table waiter, or server, may not be the career choice we hope our children ultimately make, but there is no inherent dishonor associated with it in today's world. But such was not the case in the first century. In that era, diakonia referred to "menial and mundane activities . . . activities without apparent dignity" (J. Gary Inrig, "Called to Serve: Toward a Philosophy of Ministry," Bibliotheca Sacra, October-December 1983, 336).
Diakonia was not a word with which first century people wanted to identify, whether the Jews, who saw it as a social obligation or that which an inferior had to render to his superior, or the Greeks, who regarded it as "degrading and dishonorable" (see Inrig, 336-337). Yet, it is the word used most often by Jesus and his delegated messengers to describe the place Christians are to assume. In fact, it is the word Jesus chose to describe himself. A study of that choice will take us far toward a biblical understanding and practice of true Christian ministry.