{
  "id": "dict_003679",
  "term": "Ministration",
  "slug": "ministration",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "theological_term",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Ministration is an older biblical term for service, ministry, or the carrying out of a duty. In Scripture it may refer to practical service, priestly service, or covenant ministry, depending on the context.",
  "simple_one_line": "Ministration means service or ministry, especially the carrying out of a task or office.",
  "tooltip_text": "An older Bible term meaning service, ministry, or official duty; the exact sense depends on the passage.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Ministry",
    "Service",
    "Priesthood",
    "Covenant",
    "New Covenant",
    "Old Covenant",
    "Administration"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "2 Corinthians 3",
    "Hebrews 8",
    "Deacon",
    "Minister"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ministration is an older English term used in some Bible translations for service or ministry. It can describe practical assistance, priestly duty, or covenant-related ministry, so the meaning must be determined from the context.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Ministration = service, ministry, or the performance of an assigned duty.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "It is an older, context-dependent biblical term.",
    "It may refer to ordinary service, priestly service, or covenant ministry.",
    "In passages like 2 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 8, it helps describe contrasting administrations or ministries.",
    "It is not a separate doctrine in itself",
    "the passage determines the sense."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Ministration is an older English term meaning service, ministry, or the act of carrying out an assigned duty. In biblical usage it may refer to practical service, priestly duties, or covenant ministry, depending on context.",
  "description_academic_full": "Ministration is a biblical and theological term often encountered in older English Bible translations. It generally means service, ministry, or the performance of an assigned duty. In Scripture the word group may describe ordinary acts of service rendered to others, priestly or temple service, or ministry connected with God’s covenant dealings. For example, older translations of passages such as 2 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 8 use ministration language in speaking of the contrast between the old covenant and the new covenant. Because the term is broad and context-sensitive, it should not be treated as a technical doctrine in itself. The safest approach is to read it as a word for service or ministry, with the precise meaning determined by the immediate passage.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Bible, the idea behind ministration appears in several settings. It can describe practical service to people, official service in sacred settings, or the administration of covenant realities. Older English versions sometimes use the word where modern translations prefer ministry, service, or administration. That makes the term useful for studying older Bible language, but it also means the exact meaning varies by passage.",
  "background_historical_context": "Ministration is especially familiar from the vocabulary of older English Bible translations such as the KJV tradition. In that setting it could translate words related to service, ministry, attendance, or administration. Because modern English uses ministration less often, the term may sound technical even when the underlying biblical idea is simple.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In the Old Testament world, service in the tabernacle and temple was carefully ordered and often priestly. In the wider Jewish context, duties connected with worship, sacrifice, and covenant administration helped shape the biblical background for the idea of ministration. The New Testament continues this service language in relation to apostolic ministry and the contrast between old-covenant and new-covenant administration.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "2 Corinthians 3:7-8",
    "Hebrews 8:6"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Acts 6:1-4",
    "Romans 15:31",
    "1 Peter 4:10-11"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "English ministration commonly reflects Hebrew or Greek terms for service, ministry, attendance, or administration. The exact underlying word varies by passage, so the term should be interpreted from context rather than assumed to carry one fixed technical meaning.",
  "theological_significance": "Ministration highlights the biblical pattern that God works through ordered service. In Scripture, true ministry is not self-display but faithful service under God’s authority. In covenant passages, the term can also help distinguish the character of old-covenant and new-covenant administration without turning the word itself into a doctrine.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "The term is semantically broad: one English word can cover practical service, liturgical service, or official administration. That breadth is why context matters. A grammatical-historical reading asks what kind of service is in view in each passage rather than assigning the word a single abstract meaning.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat ministration as a specialized doctrinal term with one fixed sense. Do not import later church vocabulary into every occurrence. The passage must determine whether the term refers to ordinary service, priestly duty, or covenant administration.",
  "major_views_note": "Most differences concern translation and context rather than doctrine. Older translations often use ministration where modern versions say service, ministry, or administration. The main interpretive question is the immediate biblical setting.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Ministration is not a separate doctrine and should not be used to build speculative theology. It supports, but does not replace, the Bible’s broader teaching on service, priesthood, and ministry.",
  "practical_significance": "The term reminds believers that God values faithful service. Christian ministry is fundamentally a stewardship of service, whether in practical help, teaching, leadership, or worship.",
  "meta_description": "Ministration is an older Bible term meaning service, ministry, or official duty, with its exact sense determined by context.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ministration/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ministration.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}