50 Bible Verses about Ministry, Qualifications For

"Yahweh loved you and chose you not {because of your great number} exceeding all [other] peoples, for you [are] fewer than all of the peoples, but {because of} the love of Yahweh [for] you and because of his keeping [of] the sworn oath that he swore to your ancestors, Yahweh brought you [out] with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

"You shall not say {to yourself} {when Yahweh your God is driving them out} {before you}, {saying}, 'Because of my righteousness Yahweh brought me to take possession of this land'; but because of the wickedness of these nations Yahweh [is] driving them out {before you}. [It is] not because of your righteousness and because of the uprightness of your heart [that] you [are] coming to take possession of their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations Yahweh your God [is] driving them {before you}, and in order to confirm the {promise} that Yahweh swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

But the foolish [things] of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak [things] of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are, so that all flesh may not boast before God.

But Moses said to God, "Who [am] I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the {Israelites} out from Egypt?"

He said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. How will I deliver Israel? Look, my clan [is] the weakest in Manasseh, and I [am] the youngest in my father's house."

Saul answered and said, "[Am] I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the humblest of all the families of the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me {in this way}?"

But David said to Saul, "Who [am] I, and [who are] my relatives, the clan of my father in Israel, that I should be a son-in-law to the king?"

So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father [though] I [am] a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in.

And I said, "Woe to me! For I am destroyed! For I [am] a man {of unclean lips}, and I [am] living among a people {of unclean lips}, for my eyes have seen the king, Yahweh of hosts!"

Then I said, "Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, I do not know [how] to speak, for I [am] a youth."

Then Yahweh came and stood [there] and called out {as before}, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, because your servant [is] listening."

Then I heard [the] voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "I [am] here! Send me!"

Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. For by this the people of old were approved.

And Jacob said to his father, "I [am] Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please get up, sit up and eat from my wild game so that you may bless me." Then Isaac said to his son, "{How} did you find [it] so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because Yahweh your God {caused me to find it}." Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please, come near and let me feel you, my son. {Are you really} my son Esau or not?"read more.
And Jacob drew near to Isaac his father. And he felt him and said, "The voice [is] the voice of Jacob, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau." And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like the hands of Esau his brother. And he blessed him. And he said, "{Are you really} my son Esau?" And he said, "I [am]."

Yahweh said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land that I have given to the {Israelites}. When you see it, you will be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother was gathered, because you rebelled against my word in the desert of Zin when the community quarreled regarding my holiness at the waters." (These [are] the waters of Meribah-Kadesh [in] the desert of Zin.)

Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) And she returned to her house.

Yahweh was angry with Solomon, for he had turned his heart from Yahweh, the God of Israel who had appeared to him twice. And he had commanded him concerning this matter not to go after other gods, but he did not keep that which Yahweh commanded. So Yahweh said to Solomon, "Because this was with you, and you did not keep my covenant and my ordinances which I have commanded you, I will certainly tear the kingdom from you, and I will give it to your servant.read more.
However, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of David your father; from the hand of your son I will tear it [away]. Yet all of the kingdom I will not tear [away]. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

And summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could expel [them] and could heal every disease and every sickness. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector, James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus,read more.
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot--the one who also betrayed him.

And he appointed twelve, so that they would be with him and so that he could send them out to preach and to have authority to expel demons. And he appointed the twelve. And to Simon he gave the name Peter,read more.
and James the [son] of Zebedee and John the brother of James (and he gave to them the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"), and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Now it happened that in these days he went away to the mountain to pray, and was spending the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, he summoned his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon (whom he also named Peter) and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,read more.
and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the [son] of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas [the son] of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.

And now I stand here on trial on the basis of hope in the promise made by God to our fathers,

But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us. We are afflicted in every [way], but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed;read more.
always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive [are] continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.

even because of the extraordinary degree of the revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, in order that it would torment me so that I would not exalt myself.

But because of this I was shown mercy, in order that in me foremost, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his total patience, for an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

For God, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, how constantly I make mention of you,

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Greetings!

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called [to be] an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his slaves [the things] which must take place in a short time, and communicated [it] [by] sending [it] through his angel to his slave John,

of which I became a servant, according to the gift of God's grace given to me, according to the working of his power.

if indeed you remain in the faith, established and steadfast and not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea, and my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

Now I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is also a servant of the church in Cenchrea,

Now I urge you, brothers--you know about the household of Stephanas, that they are the first fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the ministry for the saints--

For it is unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the ministry to the saints,

Now, so that you also may know {my circumstances}, what I am doing, Tychicus, my dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make known to you all [things],

just as you learned [it] from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave who is a faithful minister of Christ [on] our behalf,

who also makes us adequate [as] servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Because of this, [since we] have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart,

So the twelve summoned the community of disciples [and] said, "It is not desirable [that] we neglect the word of God to serve tables. So, brothers, select from among you seven men {of good reputation}, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

And all these [things] [are] from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to depart to his own place."

(for the one who was at work through Peter for [his] apostleship to the circumcision was at work also through me for the Gentiles),

with the result that I am a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving the gospel of God as a priest, in order that the offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore it is necessary for [one] of the men who have accompanied us during all the time [in] which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

So, brothers, select from among you seven men {of good reputation}, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need.

Therefore the overseer must be irreproachable, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, not addicted to wine, not a violent person, but gentle, peaceable, not loving money, managing his own household well, having children in submission with all dignityread more.
(but if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), not newly converted, lest he become conceited [and] fall into the condemnation of the devil. But [he] must also have a good testimony from those outside, in order that he may not fall into disgrace and the trap of the devil.

For it is necessary [for] the overseer to be blameless as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, prudent, just, devout, self-controlled, holding fast to the faithful message according to the teaching, in order that he may be able both to exhort with sound instruction and to reprove those who speak against [it].

Deacons likewise [must be] dignified, not insincere, not devoted to much wine, not fond of dishonest gain, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, and these also must be tested first; then let them serve [if they] are above reproach.read more.
The wives likewise [must be] dignified, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in all [things]. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing [their] children and their own households well. For those who have served well acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith [that is] in Christ Jesus.

But you, O man of God, flee from these [things], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness.