And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;
for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry: The word "ministry" (diakonian) means "a commission or ministry in the service of the gospel" (Analytical Greek Lexicon  92). Vincent says it is a general term that can be applied to every mode of service, either to God or men (1017). Thayer says that in this particular context, "ministry" has reference to the office of the apostles and its administration (137). In current vernacular, the "ministry" refers specifically to ordained preachers, but Paul does not use the expression in that sense in this passage.