In the first chapter of Colossians, the apostle Paul notes that ministry is bound once and for all to Christ, to the gospel, and to the church: to Christ as its source, to the gospel for its message, and to the church as its sphere of action. Every consideration of Christian ministry must keep these three aspects in view; and indeed, wherever ministry appears throughout Scripture, this threefold bond can be seen at one stage or another. The biblical idea of ministry must be examined from several angles. We will look at it as it is presented to us by the prophet of the Old Testament, the apostle of the New, Paul's own experience, and his counsel to one of the youngest of his fellow workers. We will then consider the call to ministry and the duties that follow it.
