Words that Have Lost Their Biblical Meaning: Minister

As it sometimes happens, my previous post about disciple losing its biblical meaning grew too large so this is a natural companion to: Words that Have Lost Their Biblical Meaning: Disciple.

What do you think of when someone uses the word minister within a church community context? Do you think of a pastor? Someone who leads a specific area of the church, like worship music or children's ministry? In all likelihood, you think of someone who is normally paid to be in a part-time or full-time role in church community management.

If we get discipleship back on track by calling disciples “ministers in training” we need a clearer picture of what the Bible means by a minister.  Minister or (diakonos) means servant or waiter. However, we shouldn't mistake "servant" for "entry-level."

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45

In the Kingdom of Jesus, "servant" is an important title. Jesus used it on Himself. He demonstrated by how he lived and emphasized it by washing His disciple’s feet (John 13:1-11). However, Jesus' service to others was much more than caring for the physical and mental needs of other people. He also served their spiritual health to people individually, like the woman at the well, and through public meetings and sermons.

Someone who is immature in Christ can do a lot of great service in their homes, communities, workplaces, and church. There is seldom a surplus of boots on the ground. In fact, churches still struggle to balance their workload, and often a few end up doing more than they should . If you have a healthy body and you are not serving, I urge you to volunteer. However, this post is not about that type of ministering. This post is about the goal of your maturity.

Biblical Maturity or Biblical Minister

Biblical maturity is when you understand the Bible and, through that understanding and the work of the Holy Spirit, your life reflects that understanding. It won’t mean you are perfect, but it means you are continually making progress to be more like Christ.

However, this is not just about you because maturity also means you can pass along this knowledge reliably and correctly.

Let’s try this label on for size: Trustworthy Scriptural Resource.

While we usually think of our ministers on stage or in front of classes, remember that you can also ask them questions in the lobby, in their office, over the phone, and through email. You can ask them for advice, you can ask them to help you explain a passage, you can ask them to explain what we believe. You can tell them something you believe, and they can tell you if that is biblically accurate or not. To be fair, you may need to give them a little time to study and collect their thoughts and references, but when they are ready, you should be able to trust what they say. If they cannot back what they say, then you need to be concerned.

The goal of your maturity is to be that same kind of resource to other people. It does not mean you have to get on a stage or in front of a class, but it can mean that. However, it can also mean all the other situations in which a minister opens their Bible or their knowledge of the Bible for another person. We are not all called to be teachers and preachers, but we are all called to be equipped ministers.

You may not see it, but the problem is far larger than the paid ministers in your church can handle.

The world has always had a head start in teaching people lies, using the human tendency toward pride to make those deceptions feel like common sense. In the past, this influence was limited by time and distance, but today, many people voluntarily give the darkness over 40 hours of their attention every week through media and social circles. Once a lie takes root, it acts like a filter that changes how a person hears everything else. Even during a sermon or a Bible lesson, the truth can be twisted or ignored because it doesn't fit the bias they’ve already accepted.

In addition, US churches have done a poor job of helping people grow to maturity in Christ or even explain the difference between immature and mature. Until you reach maturity, you are dependent on other people to tell you the truth. The Bible describes this state of being as a "milk drinker." In 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 5, the writers point out that while milk is necessary for a baby, there comes a time when a person should have developed the "teeth" to handle solid food.

As long as you are dependent, you remain vulnerable (Ephesians 4:14) to any good-sounding lie that crosses your path. This isn't just about being "tricked" by obvious falsehoods; it’s about the subtle danger of a message that feels right but is biblically hollow. These errors can even come from people who genuinely love us but simply do not know better themselves. There are many lies available to believe, and our enemy does not care which lie you accept. If the truth is that the time is 12:00 PM, he is just as happy for you to believe it is 12:01PM as 12:00 AM.

Since some people do not realize they are still immature, they may mistake years of a milk diet at church as making them knowledgeable. They may share what they think is true with other people in social situations, often in the lobby right after a sermon ends. They may have good intentions, but they are part of the problem. They lack the discernment that only comes by Studying their Bibles with the help of the Holy Spirit. These are often the people who use a verse out of context because they are not yet truly digesting Scripture and making it a part of them.

We need more ministers. Even if you never get up on a stage or in front of a class, you can stand in the gap and be a light of truth in your social situations. You can answer questions and point people back to truth that is backed by Scripture in full context. They will not always love you for it. As I like to say, the truth will set some free and send some fleeing.

Are you ready to be a Trustworthy Scriptural Resource? I pray you are.

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Scripture considered or used in the writing of: "Words that Have Lost Their Biblical Meaning: Minister" By RD Montgomery. All Scripture is in ESV format unless otherwise specified.

Matthew 4:18–22

Matthew 7:28–29

Matthew 10:1–15

Matthew 13:54

Matthew 14:13–21

Matthew 16:18

Matthew 18:21–35

Matthew 22:33

Matthew 26:36–46

Matthew 26:69–75

Matthew 28:19–20

Mark 1:22

Mark 4:10–20

Mark 6:2

Mark 8:31–33

Mark 9:5

Mark 10:43–45

Mark 10:51

Mark 11:21

Luke 4:32

Luke 6:40

Luke 10:1–20

Luke 22:7–13

John 1:35–51

John 3:2

John 4:1–42

 John 9:2

 John 13:1–17

 John 15:1–11

 John 15:15

 John 21:15–19

 Acts 2:1–4

 Acts 2:14–41

 Acts 10:9–16

 Acts 18:1–4

 Romans 13:14

 Galatians 3:27

 Ephesians 4:11–16

 Colossians 3:10

 2 Timothy 3:17

 2 Timothy 4:3–4

 Hebrews 5:11–14

 1 Peter 2:9

2 Peter 3:16

Jude 1:4

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