Where In The Bible Will I Find:

That Every Christian Is A Minister?

What comes to mind when you hear the word "minister?" To the typical person, the one who is paid to preach sermons, visit the sick and perform weddings, is considered "the minister." But, by so limiting this term, we create a concept foreign to the New Testament. The Greek word which is translated "minister" is (diakonos) and actually means "servant," and applies to everyone who has a service or a ministry.

Jesus said, "....whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your diakonos (servant or minister)" (Matt. 20:26). It is true that those who preach publicly are ministers in that this is a ministry they fulfill (I Cor. 3:5), but we should not limit this role and this description to only one person in the congregation. God has reconciled us (Christians) to Himself through Jesus, and "...has given us the ministry of reconciliation" (II Cor. 5:17-18), This ministry has not been delegated only to the "preacher," but to everyone who has been reconciled to God.

Since every member of the church belongs to God's "holy priesthood" (I Peter 2:5), each has the responsibility to "...proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (I Peter 2:9). Thus we find that our first-century brethren (not just paid evangelists) "...went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).

Other ministries include benevolence (James 2:15-16), edification ("But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" - Heb. 3:13), aiding the helpless ("Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" - James 1:27), upholding the weak ("And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people" - Rom. 15:10), comforting the downtrodden ("Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" – II Cor. 1:4), parenting (Eph. 6:1-4), defending the gospel, ("…it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith was once delivered unto the saints" - Jude 3), teaching by example (Titus 2:1-8), and the list could go on.

There is a work in the church of Christ that every member can and must do. Everyone has at least one talent and if this is all we have then we must put it to use. Remember what happened to the one talent man who refused to put his talent to work? "...cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt, 25:30). Find your place in the Lord's kingdom and do not neglect your responsibilities as a "minister." The apostle Paul admonished us to, "...Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it" (Col. 4:17).