UNDERSTANDING FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY

UNDERSTANDING FIVE-FOLD MINISTRY

It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13)

In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul describes the kind of leaders God has provided for His church for it to attain maturity and Christ-likeness, becoming the spotless Bride of Jesus. In this passage, Paul lists five offices that are referred to as the five-fold ministry: APOSTLES, PROPHETS, EVANGELISTS, PASTORS, TEACHERS.

Many Christian leaders have taken this verse out of context and elevated these five roles above their rightful place. They emphasize the importance of these offices in a local church – which is certainly true – but often serve their own interests and need for power and recognition while denying others – the “laity” – any kind of involvement in church government. Others discard the verse altogether, claiming that Paul is speaking in the apostolic age which has long passed, so that his words are not relevant to us at all any more. It is therefore of utmost importance to get a biblical understanding of the five-fold ministry, so that our churches will be healthy and functioning according to the will and plan of God.

God has set His leaders in place for His church to function, and those truly called into these places will have been tested and proven, having gone through the fire of preparation, displaying true humility and Christ-likeness, not desiring a position, but wanting to serve their King.

While there are many different ideas in the body of Christ today about each one of these five offices or functions this is what we believe as a church:

APOSTLES 

Apostleship is the most misunderstood of all of them. How can that be? Over the centuries, the term “apostle” disappeared from usage, until a recent new awakening of interest over the past two decades. That does not mean that apostles did not exist; they were often called “missionaries” or “pastors.” Yet, the dispensational belief that the Holy Spirit had stopped moving with the end of the apostolic age taught that all apostles had to have disappeared. Today, many are trying to gain a biblical understanding of what an apostle is supposed to look like in our day, in their pursuit of restoring the church to the normative of the first century. Unfortunately, the result has often been an unhealthy elevation of the office of an “apostle” feeding into people’s need for power and recognition. On the other hand, this abuse seems to justify dispensational concerns (e.g. certain "things" have passed) of apostleship being unscriptural today. However, theological concerns about apostleship result from a lack of distinction between the first twelve apostles and the office of an apostle. Those who seek to teach that apostles have disappeared overlook the many other apostles listed in the book of Acts as well as the Epistles. Those in favor of apostleship who also abuse the office seem to have overlooked that Paul calls himself a servant and a father, and that he paid a price none of them would be willing to pay.

 An "apostle" is one who has a call to plant and oversee churches, has verifiable church plants and spiritual sons in the ministry, who is recognized by other apostles and meets the biblical qualifications of an elder.

In modern usage, missionaries under Pentecostal movements often refer to themselves as apostles, a practice which stems from the Latin equivalent of apostle, i.e. missio, the source of the English word missionary.

The Scriptural Role of Apostles

1. Taking the Gospel to the unreached areas. Paul wrote to the Romans, “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.” (Romans 15:20) Although first-century apostolic ministry was not limited to unreached areas, a central apostolic passion was clearly to preach in places where Christ was not yet known.

2. Planting churches upon the foundation of Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 3:10-11: “According the the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another builds upon it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.”

3. Appointing and training the initial leaders of a church. When Paul and Barnabas made their second trip to Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch, they prayed, fasted, and ordained leaders in each church (Acts 14:21-23). Paul likewise instructed his apostolic understudy, Titus, to “set in order” the churches in Crete and appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5 KJV).

4. Dealing with specific problems, false doctrines, or sins. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth about a number of problems that had developed there: disunity, immaturity, pride, immorality, taking other believers to court before secular authorities, questions about celibacy and marriage, disputes about meat offered to idols, improper handling of the Lord’s Supper, misuse of spiritual gifts, and confusion about the resurrection..Apostles are serious “defenders of the faith” while, at the same time, being very practical as they deal with ‘people issues’ within the church, especially within the leadership of the church. The understand what the Church of Jesus Christ is called to be and what the role of the Church is in the Kingdom and in the world. Thus, when they see behavior and lifestyles that prevent or hinder this understanding from becoming reality they become involved. Apostles are Master Builders and are deeply aware of what the Church that Jesus is building is to look like and they work hard to bring that vision to reality.

5. Promoting unity in the body of Christ. Paul addressed the need for unity on many different levels. In Philippi, he had to deal with contention between two women in the local assembly, Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2). In Corinth, Paul challenged the church’s citywide disunity, brought about when believers lost sight of the centrality of Christ and rallied around dynamic leaders such as himself, Apollos, and Peter.

6. Demonstrating and imparting the supernatural dimension of the Kingdom of God. Even though it is God’s intention for ALL believers to heal the sick, cast out demons, and perform miracles by the power of the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:17-20), apostles in particular are to bear this credential (2 Corinthians 12:12)

PROPHETS 

Because of the way "prophet" is commonly used, there is a misconception that its basic definition is "someone who foretells the future," but this definition is too narrow. Prophet is better defined as "one who speaks for another." A true prophet, then, is a person who speaks for God, delivering a message that God has ordained him to give. In Exodus 7:1, God tells Moses that Aaron, his brother, would be his (Moses') prophet, even as Moses was God's prophet. Because of Moses' unbelief in God's ability to speak through him, God would speak to Moses, who would tell Aaron what to say to others - Pharaoh in particular (verse 2). It is the function of speaking for another, rather than the miracles they performed or their foretelling of what would befall Egypt, which defined Moses and Aaron as prophets.

Frequently, the words a prophet spoke on God's behalf were, in fact, foretelling what would happen later. However, the prophet's essential role was to speak for God, regardless of whether he did any predicting of the future. A prophet expresses the will of God in words, and sometimes he uses signs to back up what he says and to demonstrate God's power behind it.

In a similar way, a false prophet also may not be in the business of foretelling the future. A false prophet is simply someone who speaks for another but falsely. False prophets either speak for the wrong god, or they claim to have heard from the true God but do not accurately represent Him or His words. At the very least, they speak out of their own human hearts, but more likely, the "god" they are speaking for is really a demon.

It is true that, if a prophet foretells something that fails to come to pass, he is a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22), but foretelling the future correctly is not the determining factor when looking at false prophets. The real issue is whether one who claims to be representing God and speaking for Him is doing so accurately or falsely. A prophet may accurately predict an event or demonstrate supernatural power, but if he is leading people away from the true worship of the true God, he is a false prophet.

With the new acceptance and recognition of the office of a prophet over the past twenty years, believers turning to them as fortune-tellers have become a real problem that has driven many to totally reject prophets. God has established prophets in His church, and the church will not be complete if we reject their ministry out of fear. Many pastors live in fear of prophets, feeling threatened by what they might say to the church or evenhimself, and at times rightly so since too many prophetic people exalt themselves and the words they speak instead of being humble servants to the body, allowing leadership to weigh their words and judge them as commanded by Scripture.

EVANGELISTS 

What is the evangelist?

The word ‘evangelist’ (Greek euangelistēs) means ‘bringer of good news’. The evangelist functions as a herald, which historically, was someone who makes announcements or proclamations. Kings would have heralds who went out on the road ahead of them, declaring the king’s impending arrival and telling stories of the king’s power, wealth and might. This is the role of the evangelist, telling all who would listen about King Jesus.

An evangelist carries a great burden for those who are not a part of the kingdom of God yet, and an anointing to preach the gospel to them that comes with great conviction and draws them to the Lord. They will often have signs and wonders following them to confirm their message.

The prime example of an evangelist in the New Testament is Philip. He was one of the men chosen to serve the widows in Acts 6, and he is the only one specifically called an evangelist (Acts 21:8). In Acts 8 he obeys the Holy Spirit and brings the Ethiopian eunuch to a believing knowledge of Christ.

“Evangelists create converts, while apostles create disciples” (Kim Terrell). Their foremost desire is to see people come into the kingdom, then leaving the discipling to others. They love teaching others how to win people, and never feel like they are actually doing enough and accomplishing their task. While they are grieved to see believers’ indifference regarding the lost, they do have an anointing to impart God's broken heart to the body. Evangelists are absolutely crucial for numeric growth in the local church and the kingdom of God.

How does the office of evangelist serve a church?

The evangelist will serve a church broadly in a number of ways:

- Evangelist

- Resourcing the church outwards towards nonbelievers

- Cultivating outreach focus

- Developing passionate heralds

- Encouraging gospel declaration

- Demonstrating the message

- Inviting radical reorientation

- Cultivating wholehearted commitment

- Perpetuating catalytic witnesses

- Developing passionate heralds

In line with the mandate of the Ephesians 4 fivefold ministries, the evangelist identifies, develops, and deploys evangelistic gifts in others. The evangelist will disciple others and help them grow in sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God with those who don’t know Christ.

The Office of Evangelist amongst the Fivefold

An evangelist partners with an apostle by prioritising salvation, focusing the mission on the first step in bringing about God’s big picture – winning worshippers.

An evangelist partners with prophets by ensuring there is not spiritual withdrawal or mystical monasticism, but instead, demonstrating that the heart of God is communicated by words and actions to those who have yet to embrace it.

An evangelist partners with pastors by showing them there are more sheep who need care and counsel, as well as bringing the lost sheep in.

An evangelist partners with teachers by focusing on gospel needs – reminding them of real-life teaching needs and the importance of unpacking the Gospel.

Without healthy evangelistic influence that brings in a passion, compassion and energy to reach the lost with the authentic gospel, a church will become driven to see growth and become seeker-sensitive, or it will become inward-looking and self-serving which results in its ministries becoming aimed at serving those who already saved.

PASTORS 

What is a pastor?

The word ‘pastor’ (Greek poimēn) means ‘shepherd’. We can define the pastoral ministry as ‘cultivating Kingdom character and community through coaching, counselling, and care’. For a shepherd, pastoring involves watching, herding and tending to the sheep. It means being mindful of their needs and fears, whilst doing what is best for them even if they do not understand it. It is much more than just reacting to expressions of desire. Biblical pastoring ultimately seeks to empower people to grow in maturity as a disciple of Christ.

The pastor is the heart of the church. He is a shepherd who deeply cares for his sheep, ready to lay down everything for them. He wants them to be fed, to grow, to be equipped, to develop their giftings and step into the calling of God for them. In the local church they are the bridge between the different offices and functions, listening to all sides and restoring calm and order where necessary. Jesus, the supreme Shepherd, taught a lot about shepherding the sheep, giving us a great example of what a pastor should look like. The pastor’s greatest concern is always the well-being of his sheep and His body, not only bringing training, but correction and protection where necessary.

Pastors have many important responsibilities in their role as spiritual leaders.

One of the most important but often overlooked is that of a shepherd. This is an ancient metaphor that is still true and powerful today. 

Shepherding is more than just preaching and leading church services. It's also about caring for the spiritual and emotional needs of the congregation. 

How does the office of pastor serve a church?

The pastor will serve a church broadly in a number of ways:

- Pastor

- Resourcing the church inwards towards one another

- Cultivating a shepherding heart

- Developing compassionate guides

- Promoting spiritual maturing

- Championing family connection

- Guarding the people

- Facilitating wholeness

- Developing communal inclusion

- Developing compassionate guides

The first role of the pastor, in line with the mandate of the Ephesians 4 fivefold ministries, is in identifying, developing, and deploying pastoral gifts in others. They will disciple others and help them grow in their ability to love, care for, guide and shepherd others within the church.

Promoting spiritual maturing

As we’ve seen, pastors are shepherds. Their goal is to see increased Christlikeness and sanctification as a result of this pastoral culture. A healthy church values pastoral care and has a shepherding heart. This leads to the people in the church becoming more mature spiritually, breaking off sin and strongholds, growing in their security and identity, and being able to feed themselves and others. Pastors guide others in their journey of spiritual formation.

Championing family connection

As the family of God, believers are meant to live interdependently with one another. The pastor helps connect and maintain loving, godly relationships between people and makes sure that in the busyness of church life and ministry focus, people are not forgotten or overlooked. Reconciling and bringing people together is built around the concept of family, with us all being brothers and sisters, sharing Christ as our elder brother.

Guarding the people

This has two forms – guarding the people from destructive outsiders (‘wolves) and guarding the people from one another (‘goats’ or misbehaving sheep!) God’s community is made up of imperfect people who make mistakes, so there are times where the pastor needs to intervene, correct, admonish, rebuke, challenge or even discipline behaviour and attitudes that are detrimental to the community as a whole.

Facilitating wholeness

This covers a wide range of things, from the individual – such as prayer for healing, practical care for the sick, counselling, inner healing, and deliverance, to the corporate, such as mediating disputes. The pastor seeks health and wholeness for all, in the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of being. Biblical wholeness – shalom – is a holistic concept, meaning we have peace in our inner world as well as towards our outer world. This creates the perfect platform for people to discover who they are in God, and what He is calling them to.

Developing communal inclusion

The pastor in the Bible helps champion connections between people, so all are known. Facilitating friendships is key, as is ensuring all are welcome and united. The church should be diverse and include people of all kinds – classes, genders, ethnicities, statuses. There should be openness to all, and favouritism for none.

The Office of Pastor amongst the Fivefold

A pastor partners with an apostle by reminding them that not only are their people in the mission, but prioritising people because they ARE the mission.

A pastor partners with prophets by helping keep them attuned to the flock and peoples sensitivities, helping the church grasp and lean into the prophetic promises and revelation so they can practically access them.

A pastor partners with evangelists by championing discipleship, reminding them that discipleship is the goal of evangelism and not just conversion.

A pastor partners with teachers by communicating the needs of the sheep, connecting them to the needs of the people and helping them apply scripture to their lives.

Without a healthy pastoral influence that brings compassion and love to move people forward in spiritual maturity, the church becomes inward-looking, needs-focused and takes its eyes off mission. People will not mature and grow the way they are intended to.

TEACHERS 

What is a teacher?

The word ‘teacher’ (Greek didaskalos) carries the sense of being an instructor. In that sense, a teacher is also a trainer and creates an environment where others learn. So a bible teacher, scripturally, is one with a preaching and teaching ministry focusing on ‘communicating biblical truth through teaching and training to see transformation’. This covers the role of teaching and preaching, both in larger corporate settings and additional classes, courses, and workshops, as well as training that seeks to equip people with practical tools and skills. It is focused on creating a culture that ensures people grow in their knowledge, understanding, application and passion for the scriptures, but also the application, implementation and activation so they are able to “do the stuff”. This means that the goal of teaching is not education or information, but illumination, revelation and transformation.

Teachers teach and edify the church, imparting divine life and anointing to their listeners who become more hungry for the Word of God, as the teacher illumines Scripture and brings forth truth never seen by their listeners before. While prophets reveal the heart of God, teachers reveal His mind. Prophets and teachers balance each other in the church, which can also create a tension. Prophets have revelation of hidden things in the future, while teachers of the hidden things in the Word. Teachers reveal the specifics of the revealed truth, while prophets reveal the spectrum. While prophets possess foresight, teachers have insight. While prophets are risk takers, teachers move by understanding and are planners. And the list could go on. Teachers are very essential in the body of Christ, to give the sheep a good foundation of the word of God. Sometimes, churches that place a high emphasis on being "Spirit-led" neglect the solid grounding of the Word. A simple saying to remember: Teaching of the Word without the Spirit, and we will dry up. Chasing the Spirit without teaching of the Word, and we will blow up.

How does the office of teacher serve a church?

The teacher will serve a church broadly in a number of ways:

- Teacher

- Resourcing the church downwards towards scripture

- Cultivating training environment

- Developing articulate illuminators

- Integrating belief and practice

- Shifting worldviews & paradigms

- Facilitating theological dialogue

- Creating learning resources

- Sharing wisdom & insight

- Developing articulate illuminators

The first role of the teacher, in line with the mandate of the Ephesians 4 fivefold ministries, is in identifying, developing, and deploying teaching gifts in others. They will disciple others and help them grow in their ability to understand and communicate scriptural truth to those within the church.

The Office of Teacher amongst the Fivefold

A teacher partners with an apostle by conveying the scriptural endorsement of the mission of God, articulating the weight of the apostolic focus.

A teacher partners with prophets by bringing scriptural anchoring and unpacking revelation by showing complementary and reinforcing scriptural principles.

A teacher partners with evangelists by explaining the gospel – its height, weight, depth and substance.

A teacher partners with pastors by equipping them with truths they need in their role as shepherds.

Without a healthy teaching influence that brings scriptural understanding and insight to help people grow and mature in God, a church will fail to equip people and become a teaching and preaching centre, pulpit-focused and doctrine-centred. There may indeed be a strength in theology but a weakness in practice, which can foster theological pride and legalism. Alternatively, a teaching culture that neglects consistent doctrine and preaching the ‘whole counsel of God’ revealed through all of scripture will result in a church that becomes a place of experientialism, or one potentially vulnerable to faddish or deceptive ideas.

The office of the teacher exists to ensure the church is spiritually mature, equipped with knowledge and understanding. Without that mentality, the church will be full of people who are not familiar with the scriptures, and who lack wisdom and insight into the things of God.

Jesus was recognised as a teacher by his disciples. He came and brought understanding and revelation to those who followed him by explaining the things of the Kingdom, so people could experience God. He instructed, guided and mentored all around Him. He reframed and represented the scriptures, revealing what was always there yet had been obscured, misunderstood or overlooked. His deep and profound teachings were clothed in simplicity and illustration, so accessible for all. These traits are embodied by the ministry of an authentic Bible teacher.

 CONCLUSION

The Lord has called some to be apostles, some as prophets, some evangelists, some teachers and some pastors. Today, He is restoring a biblical understanding of what these roles and callings mean, so that His bride can come into the fullness of what He has for her, getting ready for her Bridegroom’s glorious return. The church has come a long way over the past few decades, even though there is still a lot of wrong conceptions and rejection due to abuse prevalent in His body. If apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers start taking their rightful places, having been proven and tested as humble servants, we will see the body brought into maturity. Having all five offices in place in a church and training up the body accordingly will allow our church to enter into a place of growth and equipping that nobody had ever dreamed possible. Only when the church on this earth becomes what her Head meant her to be, with all offices in place, will we truly come into full maturity and have the ability to fulfill the commission our Master gave us, to make disciples of all nations, doing the same works He did, and even greater.