The biblical concept of ministry is service rendered to God
or to people . . . The term ministry . . . refers to the work of
both those commissioned to leadership and of the whole body
of believers . . . Ministry in the church has always had as its
goal the edification of individuals with a view toward corporate
maturity in Christ (Eph 4:7-16) . . . The purpose of ministry
extends, of course, even beyond the edification of the church.
It is, as in all Christian life and worship, for the glory of God.
Walter Liefeld, ÔÇ£Ministry,ÔÇØ in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 777-778). The cited definition has been edited.
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1 Timothy 3:16
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
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