The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the exact understanding of Jesus' serving ministry in the book of Luke-Acts. The concept of service is never a virtue in the Greco-Roman era, but rather a shame. However, the Bible regards and encourages service as the highest virtue. Jesus called himself 'ό διακονών'(Luke 22:27), which means he is the one who serves.
It is crucial to distinguish the meaning between the concept of service in the Greco-Roman era and that of Bible. Therefore, the Greek Diakonia which means serving should be reinterpreted as service in the Old Testament and service in the New Testament. Through a linguistic approach, this paper clearly distinguishes that a biblical service is not merely a service, but an act of salvation in terms of faith in God. In the Old Testament and the New Testament, this is confirmed through the expressions of justice, mercy, and love as the internal meaning, not the external, and practice of Diakonia.
The study also attempts to identify Jesus' serving ministry of Luke-Acts narratives. In particular, it analyzes these books by applying the concept of co-text. Luke-Acts reveals the exact meaning of the term only by reading in co-text. Moreover, this study analyzes the narrative structure of Luke-Acts, which allows the readers a new way to reveal the more accurate meaning of Luke-Acts.
Lastly, the paper confirms the characteristic of serving ministry that appeared in the Dinner narrative in Luke-Acts, as well as the unity of Jesus' serving ministry and Paul's in Luke 9:51 with Acts 19:21. This study ultimately proves that Luke-Acts narratives are not only a historical records but also a book of lessons, counsel, and guidance for the church community today.
In conclusion, based on the findings, the study discusses the situation and environment that church encounters today, and intents to share beneficial directions that the Church should pursue in the future.