Understanding the Fivefold Ministry
According to Paul, in Ephesians chapter 4, Jesus gave gifts to His church, ministry gifts that are five in number: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
The apostle is mentioned first in every listing in Scripture. It is important to realize that the apostle (not one prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher) was the only ministry gift Jesus called and trained before the church was birthed in Acts 2. The reason for this is the character of the apostolic enabling: vision, government, and order. Tradition would have us to believe that apostles were men who were godly, holy miracle-workers. However, such are not apostolic giftings, but rather the responsibility of every Christian. Present-day ignorance of the office of an apostle is in direct proportion to the centuries of its absence.
We need to look again at early church history. With the ranks of the apostolic team refurbished in Acts 1, the first church went from 120 people in the morning of the first day to 3,120 by that afternoon. It grew to 8,120 people on the second day, so that in the first one-hundred-years-world, this percentage of growth set a record that has never been duplicated in all the rest of the 1900 years of church history. The reason is evident the God-ordained church planting program became extinct, as the office of apostle was done away with by the year 150 a.d.
Apostolic ministry teams planted, defined, disciplined, and encouraged the early churches, and they survived, even under traumatic persecution. Ninety percent of the churches started today have so little purpose and power and have so much confusion and disunity because they have no apostolic foundation: vision, government, and order (Ephesians 2:20).
The second ministry gift of the fivefold ministry is the prophet. The prophet is keenly aware of God’s presence and revelation. He receives “words” from the Lord that help us to clarify and sharpen our purpose and vision. Often our ministry becomes tedious and heavy. A fresh word from God through the prophet lightens our hearts, deepens our resolve, and gives us fresh hope in our labors. His ministry is crucial (foundational) during the season of church planting, keeping the new work fresh and on track much the same as a sonogram does during the months of a pregnancy.
The third ministry gift mentioned is the evangelist. His gifting is best described as “panting” after the salvation of souls, be it an individual or the teeming masses of people. His spiritual DNA leaves him as a poor candidate for shepherding and discipling the “sheep.” Too often, both an evangelist and a congregation have suffered when he misdirects his gifting and attempts to pastor a local church.
The fourth ministry gift is that of the pastor. His giftings are quickly seen in his loyalty to his flock, his long-suffering for each sheep, and his unbending love for all his people. Because of his loyalty and compassion, he usually has difficulty with confrontation and heavy church discipline.
The fifth ministry gift is that of the teacher. The teacher is more gifted and suited in dealing with the truth of Scripture and doctrine than in dealing with people. To study Scripture, theology, and apology is his very joy. This searching out of the truth has opened the door for some within the ranks of teachers to lose their way and cross over into error. Know that almost every case of heresy was started by some teacher.
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