knowing your fivefold ministry role
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HOW DO I KNOW MY
FIVEFOLD MINISTRY
ROLE?
By Bernie L. Wade
If you are like many others you may not know for certain your fivefold ministry role or
gifting. You are certainly not alone. I find that many ministers have not been helped in
this area. It may be that you are filling a role without really knowing if that is what God
called you to accomplish. I’ve noticed a lot of leaders fill, volunteer or be drafted for
positions because there was a need; not because it was how God designed or gifted
them. As a result, many are feeling tired, unfulfilled and empty.
Knowing for certain the role you are to fulfill in the fivefold ministry will remove doubt,
confusion, and indecision. Let’s see if we can help. For a moment, set aside the
particular role of ministry that God has called you to and let’s focus on purpose. We
have found that the best way to start is to understand your purpose. Most people know
what it is that God has called them to contribute. This is much more important in the
larger mission as Disciples of Christ.
If you already know what you are called to do then you are on your way to
understanding your fivefold role. The thing that God has given you to accomplish will
be your passion. It will be the thing that makes you want to get up in the morning. You
will think about it in some form or fashion nearly all the
time. In most cases it will be the primary thing in your
life even in work and hobbies. For example someone
who is called to the fivefold role of teacher will most
likely find that they are passionate about teaching in
general; not just in the body of Christ.
This person will desire or fill a teaching role in their
family, job and community. We oft times don’t see that
the gifting God has placed in us transcends beyond that
function in the Body of Christ. God gave you the gifting and it will function wherever
you are located.
In this example the purpose is to teach the Body of Christ. This helps us to understand
the fivefold role which is teacher. Now let’s turn our attention to the fivefold roles.
Ephesians 4:8, 11-13 speaks of five ministry gifts given to the Body of Christ by Christ
after he ascended. “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave
gifts unto men…And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ.” KJV
The first thing to notice is that these roles are
all presented in lower case. These fivefold
roles were not offices of the church; these
are gifts from God and He is the only thing
that really matters in the equation. These
gifts are also known as ascension gifts
because Christ gave them after he
descended to earth and ascended back to
heaven. (Ephesians 4:1-16, John 3:13, Psalm
68:18)
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with
which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing
with one another in love,3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.
The very first thing that all fivefold ministry needs to understand (and unfortunately this
is very lacking in the Body of Christ) is we are instructed to be worthy. Worthiness is
not measured in works but in spirit. We are first instructed to have genuine humility and
gentleness. This is to be followed by longsuffering and love. These are attributes of
the fruit of the spirit and while we should all have them; they are not manifested in most
of the lives of those claiming to represent God in some fivefold role. We cannot move
forward without true humility. We are inundated with loads of SELF. Most of those who
identify themselves with fivefold roles do so by making it an office, title and position
rather than as role where God has placed them. They are introduced as, The Very
Reverend, Dr. Bishop, His Eminence, Lord So and So or some similar designation.
Wow!
Do you read humble and gentle in that? I expect not. Rather, this is a manifestation of
pride. Those in pursuit of titles and position sign their business card and other related
items Pastor So and So. They have their name on their Church sign with similar
designation. Unfortunately, these are not manifestations of God or His ministry. These
are rather manifestations of man and man-made religious systems. In case you are
looking for the one guilty of these sins, let me make it easy for you. I am the man. I am
guilty of these things. I repent!
I know that many of us have fallen prey to these deceptions but the time to correct this
error is now. Claiming to be a love slave to Jesus Christ and then signing your name,
Prophet so and so, screams of false humility and pride whether we realize (or admit)
the error or not. You are not alone. Many of us
have been guilty of these errors. I am reminded of Jeremiah telling us to deal with our
sins of OMISSION.
Spurgeon reminded us of this regarding our sins of omission. “There must be worked
in us as a work of Divine Grace—a deep abhorrence of sin, an earnest clinging to
purity, a resolute pursuit of everything that is peaceful, and lovely, and of good
repute—or else let us prate (talk on and one) as we may, we shall have no
inheritance in the kingdom of God! I preach not salvation by works in any sense
or degree, or shape, or form, but salvation by Grace alone!”1
1 Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit. Volume 14 org 1 SINS OF OMISSION NO. 838. DELIVERED ON LORD’S-DAY
MORNING, OCTOBER 25, 1868, BY C. H. SPURGEON, AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.
To these profound errors we must make
immediate correction. We are not the GIFT.
Jesus Christ is the Gift; we are merely vessels
He chooses to use. We need to understand
that the fivefold ministry given by Christ, are
roles within the Body of Christ for specific
purpose. These were not purposed, in any
way, to exalt men or make them seem or feel
superior. In fact, if anything is the case these
roles make the fivefold minister more of a
servant than the rest of the Body of Christ.
Yet, we are all servants of Jesus Christ.
To make these errors even more pronounced we have created a plethora of ministerial
groups most of which lift up, separate or esteem the ministers above the rest of the
Body of Christ. We then use these man-made systems to create division from our
brothers and sisters. This is SIN. This is a man-made system and is not in any way
associated with the New Testament Church or the Body of Christ. Of this we need to
repent.
The fivefold ministry is given to help the Body of Christ not to be superior to or lord over
them. Apostle Peter2 gave us this instruction: 1The elders which are among you I exhort,
who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory
that shall be revealed:2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords
over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall
appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away. (I Peter 5:1-4).
I have often said, “If there was no money connected to ministry most pulpits would
be empty on Sunday morning.” I would add to that, “Take away the esteem, the
pomp, the ceremony and the titles and there will be even fewer feeling the ‘call’ to
ministry.”
This is a clarion call to the people of God. We have to get back what we have lost. We
have inherited a church that is more interested in man-made religion than on being the
people of God; we have to repent. My friends, drop the titles! Your gift will make room
for you! Let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. There are some
purposes for ministerial fellowships, but they are few. One good example is to provide
documents that help ministers gain access to restricted places such as jails, hospitals,
2 Note: the capital here is only to designate a proper noun.
etc. who want to know that qualified individuals are coming there to minister.
While I shall be trying to speak of your great omissions, perhaps conscience may
be at work, and the Holy Spirit may work through conscience so that you may be
led to repentance, and to faith, and through faith to salvation.3
Pause here and ask God to cleanse your heart. Ask Him to help you to learn to be
humble as His perfect example was to all of us. Ask Him to help you to walk in humility.
Ask Him to help us all to remember that not one of us is greater than the other, but we
are all made worthy because He redeemed us from our sins. Nothing else really
matters!
Remember that no man helped Jesus Christ
redeem us from our sins. This He did alone
and for us. Christ descended to earth to
redeem man; and ascended to heaven to
glorify us.4 And God hath set some in the
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts
of healings, helps, governments, diversities
of tongues. I Cor. 12:28
3 Ibid. Spurgeon.
4 Robin Kegler. http://fivefoldministryanswers.wordpress.com/2007/10/06/tip-what-is-the-five-fold-ministry/
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE FIVEFOLD MINISTER, ELDERS, AND OTHERS
Character requirements of all fivefold
ministers (the goal is to have the best
example of mature, Holy Ghost filled, leaders
in these important roles in the Body of
Christ):
1. Spiritually mature (1 Tim 3:6) Positions of authority without spiritual maturity lead
to the trap of pride. When pride grows in a man, sin abounds.
2. Devoted to their spouse (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:2).
3. Children must be in submission (Titus 1:6; 1 Tim 3:4-5).
4. Faithful Steward (Titus 1:7)
5. Humble - not arrogant (Titus 1:7)
6. Gentle - not quick-tempered (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
7. Sober - not a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3). This is not just overindulgence in
alcohol but is idiomatic for any behavior that fuels addictive responses.
8. Peaceful - not violent (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3)
9. Must have financial integrity - not greedy for gain (Titus 1:7; 1 Tim 3:3; 1 Peter
5:3)
10. Hospitable (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2)
11. Lover of good (Titus 1:8)
12. Self-controlled (Titus 1:8; 1 Tim 3:2) Self-control is a characterization of every
area life: diet, time, mouth, exercise, relationships, sex, and money.
13. Upright (Titus 1:8). Integrity in his relationships and in the way they treat others.
14. Holy (Titus 1:8). A life devoted to Jesus externally and internally.
15. Respectable (1 Tim 3:7)
Since the writer said first apostles let’s begin our study with the apostle.
APOSTLE
apostolos = a delegate; ambassador, from the word delegate; specifically an
ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ["apostle"] (with
miraculous powers):-apostle, messenger, he that is sent.
ambassador = A diplomat of the highest rank accredited as representative in residence
by one government to another
It is evident that as Christ manifested the true and birthed
His vision for His Kingdom that He expected His apostles
to fill the same role in molding the standards of His
Church, instructing and overseeing the general direction.
"Heaven's blueprint for the Church."5 The apostle brings
no will of his own but is merely the agent of heaven and his
King, Jesus Christ.
In New Testament times, in the Roman army, an apostle
was a military officer who enforced Roman cultural
standards and practices in cities where the Romans had recently conquered. In
applying this word, apostle, to the role of the ministry Jesus extends His authority to the
disciples. This authority and power is unprecedented and manifested throughout the
New Testament. The word "apostle", from the Greek apostello "to send forth", "to
dispatch", has etymologically a very general sense.
Apostolos (Apostle) means one who is sent forth, dispatched -- in other words, who is
entrusted with a mission, rather, a foreign mission. It has, however, a stronger sense
than the word messenger, and means as much as a delegate.6
The body of Christ is the continuation of His earthly ministry and is eternal. The apostle
is sent by God to establish the work of God. When God calls, He also equips. As we
see in Gal 1:21-24, While Apostle Paul was generally ignored by the Jerusalem Church
he was mentored in the things of Christ by his spiritual father Apostle Barnabas who
guided him into spiritual maturity. There is the misconception that you can only work for
the Lord if you are in full time ministry, (i.e. you are being paid a salary). This is not the
model of the New Testament Church as probably all of the Apostles had occupations
like Apostle Paul who made tents. If you have an occupation you can also be in
ministry.
For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself
was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
5 The Next Wave. Restoration of the Charismata. Apostle. Page 31. Dr. Bernie L. Wade. 2010. Truth, Liberty and
Freedom Press (TLFP). 6 Wade. Apostle. Page 35.
Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be
burdensome to you: for I seek not yours but you: for the children ought not to lay
up for the parents, but the parents for the children.
Paul was not burdensome on the church of the Corinthians. We are sometimes taught
by other Christians that we will one day go into the full
time ministry if we obey God, serve them like Joshua
served Abraham, and if we attend church regularly, pay
tithes, which men abuse in attempts to persuade you to
submit to them. This abuse of the plan of God feeds
the man-made religious system. This is not the plan of
God for His people.
Our overall purpose in this article is to help determine
roles in the Body of Christ. We have developed a quick
list to help you see if your role is in this area. Each of
the fivefold ministry gifts has specific qualifications.
Here are 5 for the apostle:
QUICK LIST FOR ROLE OF APOSTLE
1. An apostle will have a servant spirit. Any position of fivefold ministry, especially
this one, requires a servant heart.
2. An apostle will have spiritual authority. It is understood authority from Jesus Christ,
not lording over others; or dictatorship. An apostle is also under someone else’s
authority answering to the rest of the Fivefold ministry in particular and the Body of
Christ in general.
3. An apostle will be a spiritual father (I Cor 4:15-21) although he will not be called
‘father.’
4. An apostle will be a visionary. This vision will make manifest in direction and
leadership others can follow. We can follow an apostle because first and foremost he
will follow Christ.
5. An apostle will have humility. This characteristic is coupled with servant hood.
Humility is a necessary attitude because of the calling of apostleship.
The apostle will have understanding of the other fivefold roles (prophet, pastor, teacher
and evangelist). In our diagram of the hand (above), the apostle is the thumb. Like the
thumb, the apostle can touch each of the other fingers. However, all five fingers are
needed for the hand to function properly. This does not make him all five as some
incorrectly understand but gives definition to his role as the apostle brings Gods
government to the body of Christ.
Being an apostle means being part of the five-fold ministry. Their purpose is to bring the
body of Christ to maturity so that the body can do the work God has purposed for them.
Being an apostle means that signs and wonders will be part of their ministry. Their job is
to represent the kingdom of God within the other kingdoms. The authority of the
apostles was modeled by the chief Apostle, the Lord Jesus Christ, who taught them that
“the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,” (Mark 10:45).
Demonstrating the type of authority he would place in His church through his apostles
Jesus, on occasion, acted sharply and decisively against certain sins, such as the
desecration of His Father’s house (Mark 11:15–17; John 2:13–16) and the exploitative
hypocrisy of the teachers of the Law and Pharisees (Matthew 23). He carefully avoided
the trappings of political and institutional power and modeled extraordinary humility and
patience for His apostles.
CRITERIA FOR AN APOSTLE
1. Called by God
2. Appointed to their role by someone of equal or higher spiritual authority (i.e.
someone in the Body of Christ).
3. Anointed by other members of the fivefold as in the example of the Antioch
Church and confirmed by the Body of Christ.
4. That they should have independent plenary knowledge of the gospel.
5. Should be willing to pay the price (make the necessary sacrifice) to be an
apostle.
6. Preach or be a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
7. Do the work of an evangelist
8. Organize and/or strengthen the body
9. Identify, appoint and train qualified
ministers to teach others thus continuing the
mission and the ministry of the fivefold and
the relationship of spiritual fathers to sons.
10. Signs and wonders.
Truly the signs of an apostle were
wrought among you in all patience, in
signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
PROPHET
nabiy' = a prophet (to speak by
"Eighty and six years have I served Him, and he
never did me any injury; how then can I
blaspheme my King and my Savior?"
~Polycarp
No exposition of the office of prophet would be
complete without a thorough examination of the
actual name "prophet" in the original language of
the Bible. The Hebrew word for Prophet is the word nabi from a root meaning "to
bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter". This Hebrew word is the first
and the most generally used for a prophet. 7
The purpose of the prophetic ministry is to guide the church. The prophets usually
exercise revelation gifts such as words of knowledge, words of wisdom and discerning
of the spirit in their prophecies. With the words of knowledge, they may foretell the
future in specific terms. With the words of wisdom, they provide wisdom in difficult
situations. Jesus displayed such gift of wisdom when He was faced with the condemned
adulteress (John 8:1-12) and also during the issue about to whom should the people
pay their taxes (Matthew 22:15-22). In having the gift of discernment, prophets are able
to discern whether certain people are speaking on behalf of God's Spirit, human spirits
or evil spirits.”
While the apostle brings the fivefold gift of casting vision or direction for the body, the
prophet confirms that the apostle is hearing from God and moving the body in the
proper direction or order. “The prophets speak on behalf of God and reveal His will.
They are important in today's church because all Christians need to know the heart of
God and learn how to work together for His glory.”i
Like the apostle we find the prophet in the New Testament as part of the gifts that God
gave to his bride. It is here in the true that we find the imprimatur for the prophet which
was the dominate role or office in the Old Testament. God continually revealed Himself
and His plan for the redemption of mankind to His prophets and through His prophets to
His people. The role of the prophet confirming the apostle is apparent in many places in
the bible. This shows the importance of the fivefold ministry working in harmony
providing protection and direction to the Body of Christ. It is evident in the life of
7 The Role of the Prophet in the New Testament Church by Rev. Mark J. Dibois, Ph.D.
Abraham, Moses and others. The prophet does not make stuff up to say or imagine the
will or plan of God.
The whole purpose of the bible is to redeem mankind from
his sin. The whole of Scripture is consumed with this theme
which would have its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The
Prophets of old did not predict in the sense of some extra
sensory perception. Rather (as God has spoken the end
from the beginning as the lamb slain before the foundation
of the world) the prophets were reporting on what God had
revealed to them concerning the events leading up to His
coming.
After the Advent of Christ we see numerous accounts of the
prophets continuing their role of being the ‘watchmen on the
wall’ such as the prophet Agabus prophesying to Apostle Paul. Like the rest of the
fivefold the prophet finds his true in the New Testament and is in the pattern of God in
the Old Testament and still today.
We have developed a quick list to help you see if your role is in this area. Each of the
fivefold ministry gifts has specific qualifications. Here are 5 for the prophet:
QUICK LIST FOR ROLE OF PROPHET
1. The prophets guides and/or confirms. hand in hand with the apostle
2. The prophets must speak not of their own accord or in their own name or any other,
but in the Name of the Lord only.
3. The prophecies must be consistent with prior revelation. The prophet does not
recreate God’s plan; the prophet confirm His plan.
4. A prophet speaks what the Lord tells them to speak. The prophet must not encourage
idolatry or any other sin. Deu 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall
be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God,
which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of
bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to
walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.
5. All prophecies must come true (the test of Moses for the true prophet). Deu
18:21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath
not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not,
nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet
hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.
A very common misunderstanding about prophets is the difference between:
1. The role of the prophet and
2. The operation of the gift of
prophecy. The two are distinctly
diverse. There must be distinction
made between one who speaks out
under the unction of the gift of
prophecy and one who is a Prophet.
The Prophet is an office. The
individual in that office will almost
certainly operate in the gift of
Prophecy as well as other revelation
gifts (word of knowledge, word of
wisdom, discernment of spirits) but should not be limited to this. Elijah for
example operated in the gift of miracles.8
1. Not everyone is a prophet. For example, a boy may wear a Cubs baseball cap,
but that does not mean he plays professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs. You
may prophesy, but operating in the simple gift of prophecy does not qualify you
as prophet, much like wearing a Cubs hat does not qualify you to play baseball
for the Chicago Cubs - you must be gifted. A prophet must have a consistent
manifestation of at least two of the revelation gifts ( word of wisdom, word of
knowledge, or discerning of spirits) plus prophecy.9
2. The gift of prophecy edifies, exhorts, and comforts (I Corinthians 14:3); helps us
build up or strengthen; and should lead us to the Word of God. It is the ministry of
the Holy Spirit to convict of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come (John
16:8-11).
It is interesting to note that little is depicted about the role of the role of the “New
testament prophet”. This can also be said of the other offices in the body of Christ. It
is therefore no stretch to assume that the role of the Prophet is essentially
unchanged from its function and duty in the Old Testament.10 It seems almost
impossible to eliminate from the popular mind the idea that "prophecy" means
"prediction." Yet this is a purely modern modification of its meaning. It rests upon a
false etymology: the pro in this word is not the pro which means beforehand (as in
prospectus), but the other pro which means in place of (as in pronoun): a prophet is
8 The Role of the Prophet in the New Testament Church by Rev. Mark J. Dibois, Ph.D.
9 The Role of the Prophet in the New Testament Church by Rev. Mark J. Dibois, Ph.D.
10 The Role of the Prophet in the New Testament Church by Rev. Mark J. Dibois, Ph.D.
one who speaks in place of another. When Moses had been shrinking from the
mission to Israel on the ground of his inefficiency as a speaker, and Aaron was
granted him as an assistant in this respect, the words were: `See, I have made thee
[Moses] a god unto Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet’ (Exod.
7:1)."
As Aaron is thus the mouthpiece of Moses, so regularly in Scripture the prophet
is the mouthpiece of God.11
Examples of Prophets
Abraham
Gen 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray
for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely
die, thou, and all that are thine.
Aaron
Exo 7:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and
Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
It is significant that as Moses emerges in an apostolic role (like his predecessor Joseph)
that God brings the role of the prophet into full form through Aaron. Where the apostolic
role brings government and direction the prophet provides guidance.
Miriam
Exo 15:20 And Miriam the prophetess, the
sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand;
and all the women went out after her with
timbrels and with dances.
Sometimes "prophets" try to hide the fact
that they are not really prophets. They do
this by saying that something did not
happen because you and I did not have sufficient faith for it to happen. Once God says
that something will happen, you no longer need faith - He said it will happen and
therefore it is as good as done and there is nothing you or I could do (or not do) to
prevent it from happening. This is called FAITH - God will honor His Word because He
cannot lie, make a mistake or be late because of unforeseen circumstances.
11
The Role of the Prophet Reprinted from THE HERALD of November, 1949
A faithful servant is better off than a prophet
The Lord has always been very strict on prophets (and other five-fold ministers). His
instructions are that we need to evaluate the information supplied by these prophets
and that we should not just accept anything they say. But we have to compare what
they are telling us to God's Word and if this is in line, we have to obey. But if these are
not in line, these prophets were put to death in the Old Testament:
DEU 18:20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I
have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even
that prophet shall die.
It is crucial that we know when a prophet is really talking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit
and not the inspiration of their flesh or other things.
Judging Prophets
1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God:
because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is of God: 1Jn 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that
spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world.
In conclusion it may be revealed that the office of Prophet is very much a part of the New Testament Church. His or Her role is one of aiding the various members in hearing from God and placing them in the correct path of God’s will. There are some New Testament Prophets that use their gifts to predict the course of various members of Christ’s body as well as predicting the course of some individuals. Prophets operate primarily in the revelation gifts. They are maintainers of order in themselves and Body at large. The Prophet office is as essential today as it was in the days of Elijah or Jeremiah.12
12
copyright 2000 Rev. Mark J. Dibois Used by permission.
AM I A PASTOR?
STRONGS NT 1317: HEBREW: ra`ah = to tend a
flock; to rule; to associate as a friend
GREEK: poimen = a shepherd
The meaning of the word Pastor is linked to that
of a person who is responsible to tend to the flock
as a friend or caretaker.
διδακτικός, διδακτικη, (equivalent to διδασκαλικός in Greek writings), apt and skillful in
teaching: 1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24. (διδακτικη ἀρετή, the virtue which renders one
teachable, docility, Philo).
The most generally acknowledged of the fivefold roles is that of pastor. There are
literally hundreds of thousands of pastors in the world. First of all, we need to
remember that God, in His wisdom, gave pastors to the Body of Christ. However, He
did not make them the head of the Church. He did not appoint pastors to rule over the
local congregation. Those who operate in such a manner have man-made religious
systems – not the plan of God.
The Scripture tells us that a pastor must be above reproach (Titus 1:6, 7; 1 Tim 3:2).
This is the overarching, summarizing characteristic that is applicable to all of the
fivefold. God never intended for the pastor to be somehow spiritually superior to the
rest of the fivefold ministry or the Body of Christ.
You will find similar (but not identical) lists in 1st Timothy and Titus. Living a life above
reproach is the first requirement in both lists and Titus repeats it. The other items on the
list explain what “above reproach” means. If we peruse the two lists, as well as First
Peter, we find 17 qualifications of an elder who is above reproach. This is a
qualification for all in ministry. Apostle Paul, in his apostolic role, was setting order in
the church. He was not creating positions, titles or hierarchy. In the modern application
the pastor has in some man-made systems become the supreme leader of the local
body (in various degrees) and in others he is merely an errand boy or a hireling to
officiate over the religious services. None of these are the God given role of pastors.
We have developed a quick list to help you see if your role is in this area. Each of the
fivefold ministry gifts has specific qualifications. Here are 5 for the pastor:
QUICK LIST FOR THE ROLE OF PASTOR
1. Ability requirement. A pastor must be able to teach (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2). All
of the other qualifications are character qualities. This is the only ability-based
requirement. A pastor must to be able to teach sound doctrine both by their own
example and in communicating to others. If you are not capable of teaching then you
are not a pastor as outlined by Scriptural standards.
2. A shepherd who watches out for the people of God.
3. The pastor-teacher. The Greek word translated as pastor is simply the word for
a shepherd. A shepherd is a person (man or woman) who cares for a flock of sheep.
He or She leads them to a place where they can
find food and water. He keeps the flock together,
so it is safe from attack. At the same time each
sheep receives individual attention. Those that
stray are brought back to the flock, and any sick
sheep is healed. Each one is known by name.
4. A nurturer, a friend. As a nurturer the
pastor will generally minister to a manageable
number of persons that are in their charge. In the
modern church many of those who wear the title
of pastor oversee a vast network of other
subservient pastors. Note: this is not the biblical
model but the model of men.
5. Teach knowledge and understanding. (Jer. 3:5).
NOT A TEACHER EQUALS NOT A PASTOR
It is interesting that many who wear the title ‘pastor’ see themselves as somehow
disconnected from the people rather than the biblical model which has them very ‘hands
on’ working daily with the people. The pastor is not an ascetic (living a life out of the
reach of others) person but one of the Body of Christ (a servant).
I am surprised that those who call themselves ‘pastor’ often admit that they are not
teachers. This does not mean that they are not a value to the Body of Christ; but it does
reflect that they are not pastors. Most have been assigned as a pastor as part of a
man-made religious order. Titus 2:15, Paul sums the pastoral role up in three words:
teach, encourage, rebuke. This is the work of the pastor and teacher.
JER 3:14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you:
and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with
knowledge and understanding.
Eze 34:4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the
injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have
ruled them harshly and brutally.
The pastor is part of the five-fold ministry, fulfilling a vital role in the caring for the
children of God. They are not the head of the church; neither do the other ministries
have to submit to them. If you wanted to
contend that anybody has to submit to
anybody else, the pastors would have to
submit to Apostles. Remember the earmark
of the entire fivefold ministry is humility.
If the Lord anoints a pastor, He anoints
somebody who is according to His heart.
That will mean that they will be full of love.
God calls them because they are people
after God's heart. They do not qualify just
because they attended Bible School or have
some degrees behind their names. (Jer
3:15). Pastors are sensitive and reasonable (Jer 10:21) honest and truthful (Jer 23:14).
It often happens that people leave their secular job to start a church. Starting churches
is not the biblical role of a pastor.
JER 10:21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD:
therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
JER 12:10-11 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my
portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole
land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.
One minister reflected this, “Many who wear the title of pastor force the people into
doing things by telling them that they do not love God if they do not do this or that. They
keep the people in such bondage that they are no longer allowed to have any friends
outside of the local congregation. They have taken the people, removed the call of God
on their lives through their lies and replaced it with the calling of men. Some even admit
that openly and declare boldly that if you serve other people long enough, you will
qualify for your own ministry!” People do not qualify for ministries; they are called by
God into them.”
JER 23:1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my
pasture saith the LORD.
2 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed
my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not
visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I
have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall
be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they
shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith
the LORD.
The Lord will restore His flock all on His own, without involving the church and the
pastors if need be. The children of God are not
really sheep (sheep and shepherds are an analogy)
– the people of God are temples of the Holy Ghost
and each one of them are lead differently. So a
pastor cannot throw the whole congregation into a
pot and try and control them all the same way. This
normally happens because the pastor is not properly
aligned with the fivefold ministry. In place of proper
alignment with fivefold ministry and the Body of
Christ these ‘pastors’ take the place of ‘sole
overseer’. These self appointed or man appointed
pastors then are generally too lazy to find out from
God what each member of the congregation has to do, or they just cannot hear from
God.
In order to understand this role better, it would be a good idea to investigate the life of
Jesus Christ. He kept on giving the people knowledge and understanding, showed them
the right ways, but never ever forced them to stay with Him or follow a certain calling.
He never once told them they were not allowed to go to other Christians and fellowship
with them. Being a Pastor is a great privilege and honor. It is also a great responsibility
- one that the pastor cannot carry alone. They need the assistance of all four the other
five-fold ministers in order to get their congregations to the point where they can
successfully flow into their own ministries.
TEACHER
JOH 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know
that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that
thou doest, except God be with him.
Translation - didaskalos = an instructor
The role of teacher is vital to the continuation
of the life and ministry of the Body. The
teacher instructs in the areas that the
apostles have directed and the prophets have
confirmed lifting truth from Scripture and
dedicating this to purpose. This is proper
doctrine and the teacher is the primary
instrument used by God to bring truth to His
Body. The concept of a fivefold minister is to
instruct and mentor others in the Body of
Christ.
The teacher must have a working knowledge of the Body of Christ to help nurture, train
and mature believers. The teacher teaches the students the basics as well as the
intricacies of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
The Preacher publishes the wonderful works
that God has done. Like the Bible says: We
have overcome Satan by the blood of the
Lamb and the word of our testimony".
Preaching proclaims what God has done
and stirs up our hopes. We become on fire
for God and have very high hopes for Jesus
to do miracles in our midst. A real teacher
does not care to prove himself or herself to
unbelieving people. They know they have
the truth and the fact that God moves with
them is proof enough for him or her. God
moves with them with signs and wonders.
We have developed a quick list to help you see if your role is in this area. Each of the
fivefold ministry gifts has specific qualifications. Here are 5 for the Teacher.
QUICK LIST FOR TEACHERS
1. Not just an instructor but committed to the outcome of those to who he or she
teaches.
2. Qualified and appointed by the authority of Jesus Christ to bring understanding
through the teaching of doctrine. Doctrine is truth lifted from Scripture and dedicated to
purpose.
3. He or she sometimes uncovers things from the Bible that other people just seem
to miss.
4. They teach doctrine. This becomes knowledge to the people of God. "My
people perish because of a lack of knowledge" The Teacher provides this knowledge.
5. Teaching rather than preaching.
ACT 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which
concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
EVANGELIST
euaggelistes = a preacher of the gospel
Evangelist is much more about function than office (as are all the fivefold gifts). We
have developed a quick list to help you see if your role is in this area. Each of the
fivefold ministry gifts has specific qualifications. Here are 5 for evangelist.
QUICKLIST FOR EVANGELISTS
1. A Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Preach = kerusso, kay-roos-so which
means to herald (as a public crier), proclaim, publish as related to encouraging,
exhorting, the local church body.
2. Brings the Good News.
3. The evangelist in the fivefold
application brings encouragement to the
body of Christ. One man asked me to help
him understand what his role was in the
fivefold ministry. He was certain of his call to
ministry but confused about what role he
filled. Local pastors had told him he was a
music minister or music pastor. He was
further confounded because he could not find
‘music pastor’ in the bible. This man served
to lead worship in two congregations within
his local community. His role was evident as an evangelist to the local body of Christ.
He was confused about his role because the body of Christ is divided due to the politics
of man-made religion. However, God is not confused about how he set His body in
order. Christ is not divided. The fact that the body in that area was fragmented into
various congregations has not deterred the flow of the Spirit as it moves in His gifts.
4. The evangelists has a specific role of bringing encouragement to the body of
Christ and also to bring spiritual revival to the lukewarm. It will be good if the church
can identify those who have this gift from among their congregation and use their gifting.
As not all pastors are evangelists, it will be wise to spot some early. “For example, a
pastor of a small church, who did not have the gift of an evangelist, was constantly
frustrated for years when he preached at his own annual evangelistic meetings and
received little responses for salvation. Then on one occasion, he broke with his tradition
and invited a gifted evangelist to preach. The result was astounding. There were more
responses for salvation in one meeting than all the meetings that the pastor had ever
conducted. A Holy-Spirit empowered gift is something to be reckoned.”ii
5. The Lord also blesses evangelists with signs and wonders so as to confirm the
words that they preach. One of the purposes of the evangelist is to lead seekers to
Christ new. However, this is also part of the role of the entire body of Christ. Some of
the greatest men in the bible were called evangelists, Timothy and Phillip to name two.
Evangelists hold an important role in the five fold ministry. The evangelist is key to
encouraging the body of Christ and as such is an invaluable equal to the pastor and
apostle.
If we look at the Great Commission, are we
then all evangelists? Although we all
evangelize, only some people are called to
use this calling to train other people in
getting them ready for their ministries.
Remember the call of the five-fold ministers.
The evangelist is a special gift to the body to
encourage and uplift. Many people who
have been misnamed as pastors are
evangelists. Music ministers are generally evangelists, as are a plethora of other
gifting to the Body of Christ.
The work of the evangelist is:
To follow the pattern of sound words (2 Tim. 1:13)
To teach faithful men and women (2 Tim. 2:2)
To correct opponents of the truth (2 Tim. 2:25)
To preach the word of God (2 Tim. 4:1-4) - This is an obligation of every Christian
(Acts 8:4).
To “be watchful”
An evangelist is to proclaim the scriptures, for the reason that they alone are profitable
for the things necessary for one’s spiritual development (2 Tim. 3:16,17); an evangelist
is not to preach his opinion but “the whole body of revealed truth” (Acts 20:27).
To “be instant” - “To stand by, be present, be at
hand.” “Hold oneself in constant readiness to
proclaim the word” (Acts 13:13-16). “In season”
- literally, “well-season.” The word is translated
“conveniently” in Mark 14:11. The gospel was
“in season” in Acts 2:37.
To “reprove” - “To convict, confute, refute,
usually with the suggestion of putting the
convicted person to shame” (Acts 24:25). To
“rebuke” - “To charge one with wrong; implies a
sharp, severe rebuke, with a suggestion of
impending penalty” To “exhort” - “To
admonish...to urge, one to pursue some course of conduct” (Acts 2:37-40).
“With all longsuffering” - “Forbearance, patience.” “Patience with regard to antagonistic
persons.” “That quality of self-restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily
retaliate or promptly punish…the opposite of anger…is associated with mercy” (Acts
14:19-22).
“With…doctrine” - “Sound and reasonable instruction in the truth” (2 Tim. 3:16,17).
WHAT AN EVANGELIST IS NOT
The evangelist is not an itinerant
preacher, who merely goes from place to
place preaching for what he can get in
special contributions.
The evangelist is not one who only holds
gospel meetings or “revivals.” [While an
evangelist may limit his work in such a
way, the Bible does not so restrict him.
He is not someone doing the evangelist
job while “looking for a church to pastor”.
The role of fivefold ministry is to fulfill the function described in Ephesians 4:12-13, " ... 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."
Leadership's function is to train and equip the body for the work of the ministry! The focus of good leadership is nothing short of aiming for the whole body to attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ! Some contend that everyone has a fivefold role and that the work of the fivefold is to train the rest of the Body so that they know and understand their purpose. I am not certain that everyone has a fivefold role but certainly everyone needs instruction. However, there is nothing wrong with everyone having a ministry role as this is the role of the Body of Christ. Everyone may be called to hold a fivefold role. Certainly, we are all called to do the work of an evangelist. I believe there is value in stressing the truth that there must be diversity of function in the body of Christ... a. This point is often overlooked when churches think about how they might involve every member b. Yet failure to appreciate this truth can hinder true growth, and at the same time be very frustrating for the members of the body of Christ Some congregations have been built around one particular kind of ministry or program. In those congregations, the only members who are really involved are those taking part in that one special program. But the church is a body. A body must have diversity if it is to survive. Evangelism, edification, benevolence, and worship are functions of every local congregation. This by no means concludes the lessons in related to the fivefold ministry. This is only the beginning. Enjoy your journey. I am available to help in any way I can. Blessings! Bernie L. Wade, Thd. 104001@icof.net http://www.icof.net i Reverend Albert Kang. ii Reverend Albert Kang
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