Ministered (5256)(hupereteo from huperetes = an attendant or assistant <> from hupo = under, beneath + eretes = a rower = an "under rower" ~ a subordinate who waits to carry out a superior's commands) means to serve as a rower (see huperetes below), to do service on board the ship and then came mean simply to serve, render service or assistance or be helpful to someone.
In secular Greek usage the huperetes (Mt 5:25, 26.58" class="scriptRef">26:58; Mk 14:54, 65; Jn 7:32, 45, 46; 18.3" class="scriptRef">18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6; Acts 5:22, 26) referred to common sailors (distinguished from nautes = seaman) who were down in the ship's, doing one thing -- rowing and with their eyes on one man, the man standing at the front of the hull, shouting "Row, Row, Row!"
The verb hupereteo occurs 3 times in the NT and below are the other two uses...
Acts 13:36 "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;
Acts 20:23 Then he gave orders to the centurion for him to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from ministering to him.
Barnes has a pithy comment...
How much more influence will such a man have than he who has been worldly-minded; he who has sought to become rich; and he, the only memorials of whose life is, that he has sought “the fleece, not the flock”—that he has gained the property, not the souls of men.
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Greek Word Studies ( - )
Read freely Greek Word Studies from the Austin Precept text commentary of the Bible in text and pdf format. Precept Austin is an online free dynamic bible commentary similar to wikipedia with updated content and many links to excellent biblical resources around the world. You can browse the entire collection of Commentaries by Verse on the Precept Austin website.We have been "bought with a price" to be "ambassadors for Christ" and our "salvation is nearer to us than when we believed" so let us "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Cor 6:20, 2Cor 5:20, Ro 13:11, 2Cor 7:1, 1Jn 2:28)