What Does Acts 6:4 Mean?
But we will hold fast to prayer, and to the serving of the word.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.THE KEY
The apostles call the word’s ministry διακονία (diakonia, service), the same word used for the daily ministration to widows.
THE MEANING
Prayer and the ministry of the word are ongoing forms of service in the reader’s present life. The verse holds devotion and care together as sustained work, so neither stands outside the life of service.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that prayer and work with the word stand above practical care: the word for “ministry” is the same one used for the daily care that was failing.
THE ROOT
διακονία
diakonia
GROWS FROM
διακον-
diakon-
Service or attendant work.
“serving” in this verse is diakonia. The daily ministration to widows in Acts 6:1 is also called διακονία (diakonia, service). The task changes, but the shared word names both as service.
ALSO GROWS
diakonos: Servant or attendant.
διάκονος
The related noun names the one who serves, keeping the focus on service rather than status.
diakoneō: To serve or attend to another.
διακονέω
This verb shows that the verse’s ministry belongs to the same family of active service as practical care.
προσκαρτερέω
proskartereō
GROWS FROM
καρτερ-
karter-
Endurance or steadfastness; remaining firm over time.
“hold fast to” in this verse is proskartereō. The word translated “continually” carries the sense of devoting oneself steadily, of staying attached to a task. Prayer and the word appear here as sustained attention, not passing acts.
ALSO GROWS
karteros: Strong or steadfast.
καρτερός
Its sense of firmness illuminates the durable attention described by “continually.”
proskartereō: To persist, devote oneself, or remain devoted.
προσκαρτερέω
This is the verb used for giving themselves continually: ongoing devotion is built into the word.
THE PATTERN
Prayer takes shape as sustained practice, not an isolated utterance.
Now when Daniel perceived that the writing had been inscribed, he went into his house, and with his windows open in his upper room toward Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees three times in the day, and prayed, and extended his hands in thanks before his God, as he had done from before.These all held fast with one passion in prayer and pleading, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.Rejoice in hope. Remain under pressure. Hold fast to prayer.THE THREAD
And in those days, when the disciples multiplied, a grumbling of the Greek-speakers against the Hebrews arose, because their widows were overlooked in the daily serving.“Ministration” here and “ministry” in Acts 6:4 translate διακονία (diakonia, service). The shared word holds practical care and service of the word as distinct expressions of the same service.
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