Tool Beta
Is It Actually in the Bible?
Phrases people quote as Scripture. The real verse, or the honest answer that there is not one.
"Let us wait on our ministering" means sit around waiting for your turn to serve
"Wait on" meant actively attend to and serve, the opposite of passively waiting.
Romans 12:7, in every translation this tool compares.
Romans 12:7 instructs, "Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering," meaning: whoever has the gift of practical service should throw themselves diligently into that service. "Wait" originally carried the sense of "watch, attend, be on duty"; a "waiter" in a restaurant still literally does this, actively attending to your table rather than passively standing by.
Modern English has drifted "wait" toward meaning idle delay ("wait for the bus"), so on its own the phrase can sound like Paul is telling people to hold off on serving, when he means the exact opposite: get busy serving.
