diakoneo describes rendering service to another, from attending at meals to carrying out entrusted help for people.

The dominant use depicts personal attendance or practical help rendered to another, especially in meal settings or in service to a named person. It also describes ongoing or entrusted service directed toward communities, holy ones, or recipients of a message; a few passive forms portray what is being administered or received as service.

1. Personal attendance and practical help · dominant

   Present and imperfect forms occur where someone attends to another: in Luke 17:8 the APB renders the command to prepare a meal and "serve me while I eat and drink," and in John 12:2 it describes Martha at a dinner. In Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, the paired aorist infinitives contrast being served with serving and giving a life as a ransom.

   Luke 17:8John 12:2Matthew 20:28Mark 10:45Matthew 8:15Luke 22:27
2. Entrusted service for a group or recipient · common

   The term can mark work carried out for others beyond a meal setting. In 1 Peter 4:10 the APB renders the clause "use it to serve one another," while Hebrews 6:10 speaks of having served the saints and continuing to do so; Acts 19:22 identifies Timothy and Erastus among those who ministered to him.

   1 Peter 4:10Hebrews 6:10Acts 19:22Romans 15:251 Peter 1:121 Timothy 3:13
3. Service being administered · occasional

   Passive participles describe a service or benefit as something being administered. In 2 Corinthians 8:19 and 2 Corinthians 8:20, the APB calls the grace and abundance "being administered by us"; in 2 Corinthians 3:3 it renders the related clause "delivered by us."

   2 Corinthians 8:192 Corinthians 8:202 Corinthians 3:3

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses the APB uses "serve," "ministered," "providing," "administered," and "delivered" in the surrounding clauses., these variations show how the verses are translated rather than fixed English equivalents for the lemma.