David Anguish
A fascinating aspect of studying the New Testament's original language is the precision one finds. For example, though we try to express many ideas with one word for "love" (e.g., "we love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet"), they had no fewer than eight, three of which appear in the New Testament. The same is true with regard to ministry. Though the word diakonia is the main focus of our study, we would be remiss if we did not introduce related words the writers use.
There was doulos, a slave or bond-servant. This word involves the idea of belonging wholly to a master and being under obligation to do his will, the opposite of freedom. It is the word used so often by the early church "to express the spiritual reality that a believer belongs wholly to his heavenly Lord and consequently must obey Him in total submission" (D. Edmond Hiebert, "Behind the Word 'Deacon': A New Testament Study," Bibliotheca Sacra, April-June 1983, 151) (Romans 1:1; Galatians 1:10; Titus 1:1; cf. Luke 6:46).
Often used as the practical equivalent of doulos was oiket_s, a "house-slave" (cf. 1 Peter 2:18). This word, which conveys a more intimate relationship between slave and master than doulos, shares the idea of intimacy with pais, a word which means "child," but which is also used to refer to a slave (Luke 7:7). Both words stand in contrast to the words misthios and misth_tos, which refer to "a hired servant." Significantly, these self-centered words are not used in the New Testament to refer to Christian service, but are reserved for such references as that of Jesus to the hireling who stands in contrast to the good shepherd (John 10:12-13).
Carrying a note of tenderness, and providing the basis for our word "therapy," is therap_n, one who serves out of respect and concern for others. This word was used in a technical sense to refer to one who performed a ministry of healing (Luke 14:3; cf. Acts 17:25; Hebrews 3:5).
Two words which developed religious overtones are latreus and leitourgos. The first word originally referred to one who worked for pay as opposed to the compulsion of slavery. Its verbal counterpart, latreu_, is used in the Septuagint and New Testament of religious service, either to the true God or to idols. It thus suggests the idea of service in worship (Romans 1:9; Hebrews 9:9; 10:2). The word leitourgos, from which comes our word "liturgy," referred to a public servant who discharged service on behalf of the state. It was used of priests ministering in the temple (Luke 1:23), of government officials (Romans 13:6), and of Epaphroditus who served Paul on behalf of the Philippian church (Philippians 2:25).
A word which referred to helpers, assistants, officers, stewards and servants is hup_ret_s. The word literally means "an under-rower" and was used originally of those who toiled in the bowels of a ship to provide propulsion. The idea is of one who works under the direction of another who is his superior. The officers of the Jews who acted at the behest of the high priest were called this (Mark 14:54, 65). Both Jesus and Paul used it to refer to Jesus' disciples (John 18:36; 1 Cor 4:1).
While none of these words is as comprehensive in scope as diakonia, each contributes to our understanding of Christian ministry. In different ways, each shows that ministry is never about us, but about the One we serve. There is no hint of the ideas of prestige, success or holding a church office so often associated with ministry in the minds of some today. Nor is there a hint of the idea that the church in some institutional sense exists to serve us or "meet our needs." Rather, we are to be like the slave (doulos) of Jesus' parable in Luke 17:7-10: "So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done'" (v 10, NASB).