And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…

Ephesians 4: 11-12 NKJV

4:11 What kind of gifts did God prepare for us beforehand through His perpetual nature of being the Ascendant One? Five, arguably four, gifts are mentioned here. We will come back to this.

First of all,we need to recognize that these gifts were not given to men only, but to all mankind. Yes, the word does translate accurately to “men” in verse eight.

Similarly, Ephesians 2:15 also accurately translates to “man” when making reference to the “one new man” in Christ. Both instances reflect the same grammatical use and are both referring to mankind as a whole. If we cannot accept the fact that women are likewise called into these ministries, we must also reject the idea that women can be saved. You cannot receive the gift of salvation without also receiving the gifts of service/ministry according to works prepared beforehand in Christ.

Psalm 68, which we looked at briefly in last week’s article, weighs in on this issue as well.

The Lord gave the word; Great was the host of women who proclaimed it:

Psalm 68:11 NKJV – Emphasis on “host” and “women”. This is the literal Hebrew to English translation of the selected text.

The correct translation of verse eleven in the phrase, “company of those” is “company (or host/army) of women”. Here we see, in context to the Psalm as a whole, we are promised a great number of women evangelists who are proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom. In light of a New Testament ministry priesthood of all believers, it is not a stretch to apply the other ministries noted in Ephesians chapter four to this prophetic Old Testament promise.

The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after;
Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.

Psalm 68:25 NKJV

Later, in Psalm 68:25, we see women among those leading Jewish congregations in worship as Jesus re-enters His sanctuary in Jerusalem.

In light of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians chapter four, we can conclude that women, just as much as men, are the intended recipients of Paul’s teaching regarding apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. To refute this conclusion, as many have in the past, requires one to mis-translate Psalm 68. Many bible translators have done so. Nevertheless, if we desire to be true to God’s Scripture, we must embrace the calling upon women as described in Psalm 68.

4:12 These, what I will further refer to as the Ascension Gifts, are given to the whole body of Christ for equipping the saints for two purposes:

• Works of serving
• To edify (build up) the body of Christ. *This manner of edifying denotes a quality of discipleship worthy of preparing people to walk in unity and maturity in Christ.

Deeper Look # 8: The 5-Fold Ministry Part 1

Ephesians 4:11-12; Psalm 68; Romans 15; Matthew 24; Revelation 19; Matthew 9; 1 Corinthians 4; Hebrews 5

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, and rejoice before Him. A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

Psalm 68:4-6 NKJV

Here we witness a two-fold aspect of ministry associated with works of service.

First, we see worship and praise to God that highlights His glory, testimony, and attributes. This is our first and foremost work of service or ministry. It is in this context of worship which we see God arise in defeat of His enemies. We worship because He won the battle, is winning the battle, and will yet again win the battle. Even in the midst of conflict, as defeating enemies denotes a suffering of violence, we witness in Psalm 68 a prevailing worship of God in His faithfulness.

Second, we see the extension of the Father’s works in light of His attributes. These are the works which Jesus saw the Father doing, and these are the works prepared beforehand for us in Christ Jesus. He is a Father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, He gathers the outcast into families, and He sets captives free. Any works which are consistent unto these ends and values are the works we should be equipping and exhorting one another into.

The nature of the gifts themselves also enlightens us into the manner of serving and edification we are called to pursue. These gifts are apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. We have talked in brief about the apostle and the prophet, but we will look into these more in-depth now.

A lot is made of apostles. While to some it may only be an outdated title of which we are mostly unfamiliar, in my generation I have seen the use of the title apostle dramatically increase. Among those in the missions movement of the Church, missionaries are sometimes generically referred to as apostles, especially when referencing missionaries who are sent to places without a Gospel witness. In some Charismatic circles, apostle is sometimes used as a title for a leader with greater spiritual or administrative authority than a pastor. In Catholic and some high church traditions, apostleship reflects the apostolic authority passed down from Peter to the clergy. Many evangelicals view apostles as a specific ministry given for the writing of the New Testament, and for this reason consider apostles to be a dead or inactive ministry today.

What is the most biblical answer?

The apostolic gift is the witness of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the earth where the foundations of the Gospel of the Kingdom have not been established. The whole of the Jesus’ testimony, values, hopes, and promises are introduced to the body through the apostolic gift, and ministered to a fallen and desperate world by the body of Messiah that is equipped by this ministry. The apostolic ministry releases to the body the anointing of the Spirit for the proclamation of the Kingdom which will one day come out from heaven to earth through the revealing of Jesus on the clouds. Paul describes his apostolic ministry to the Romans using these words:

“He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 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.

Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.”

Romans 15:16-22 NIV

Paul fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ, yet worked very hard to only proclaim that which Christ accomplished through him. He preached from Jerusalem throughout Asia Minor and up the Adriatic coast (eventually arriving in Rome), yet endeavored to do so in such a way that he did not labor where others had established the Gospel. Instead, he focused on the places where the Gospel was not preached.

Historically, there is a militaristic meaning to the word apostle. Paul’s words were more than just his own preference, but rather a good standard for what it means to be “apostolic”. In military use, the apostle was (in most instances) the one advancing the message of his king’s rule prior to the king’s arrival with conquering armies. The apostle would come to a region with an entourage in full display of the king’s might. They had the best weapons and armor. They carried gifts and displays of wealth to show the benefits of bowing down to the king’s rule. The apostle would enter into cities and ports where their king’s rule had not yet reached, and they came with a message proclaiming that the apostle’s king would soon come to rule and reign in the land.

It would not make sense for a king to commission his apostle to an area already under the king’s rule. Jesus would have known this when he used this word to describe the ministry of which His disciples partook. He wasn’t throwing around a random term void of meaning. Jesus explains this to His disciples in Matthew 24:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14 NKJV

A key foundational aspect of the gospel is that Jesus is coming back to earth to set up an earthly Jewish government in Jerusalem. The kingdom which exists in heaven today is going to be set up on earth as it is in heaven. In His mercy, Jesus will not establish this kingdom on earth until every tribe, nation, and tongue has received the apostolic witness of His kingdom.

At Jesus’ return, the earth will be engaged in a worse war than has been seen throughout human history. Jesus is returning to the earth to deliver it from rulers who perpetuate violence and injustice. He will return as a conqueror and will defeat anyone who opposes Him on the day of battle.

Consider Psalm 110, the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament:

The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

The Lord is at Your right hand;
He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
He shall judge among the nations,
He shall fill the places with dead bodies,
He shall execute the heads of many countries.

Psalm 110: 1, & 5-6 NKJV

If we are to consider the apostolic ministry as the foundation of the Gospel message, this message of a conquering King should be at the foundation of our Gospel preaching. The message of salvation is a message of God slaughtering our accusers and abusers in the day of His wrath. This magnifies God’s mercy more than the message of the kind-hearted hippy savior. For us who are afflicted, “Behold, your Savior is coming to pour out wrath on your enemies!” For those who have committed sin, “Behold, He is meek and lowly and just to forgive you of your trespasses.”

The reality, if we are honest, is that to some degree we are all the abuser (at times) and all the are abused (at times). The apostolic message reveals the depths to which God will redeem and save us should we repent and call upon His name. Even so, it also reveals the jealous violence of our precious Lamb of God, who will cast the unrepentant and the oppressor into eternal and conscious hell should there be no response to His offer of mercy. The apostolic witness prepares people to endure until the day Jesus returns in visible glory to bring eternal deliverance, justice, and truth to the nations.

Many people, especially in the Charismatic movement, emphasize signs and wonders related to the apostolic ministry. I will adress this briefly as well.

The power of signs and wonders in regards to the apostolic ministry are for putting on display the might, mercy, and evidence of the King. In some circles, being “apostolic” or “kingdom minded” means pursuing these signs and wonders. The signs and wonders without the witness however can become witchcraft, which the apostles ran into multiple times throughout the book of Acts. We must always ask, “what is the message, or, what gospel are they preaching?” We should love and pursue signs and wonders in the sense that we should expect them to manifest at the preaching of Christ and His kingdom in righteousness.

As a charismatic, I face this conflict all the time. Many of the individuals I know of or have relationships with are faced with criticism concerning the more charismatic evidence such as healing, prophecy, supernatural signs, tongues, and the like. I always ask these critics, “what is their message?” Are they preaching the love, mercy, grace, righteousness, hope, healing, deliverance, and future of Jesus Christ? If yes, then don’t be an accuser of the brethren. Is your message and ministry of the gospel one hundred percent accurate?

On one hand, we need to have discipline and discernment to learn the difference between witchcraft and an authentic Gospel witness. One the other hand, we also need to not make an agreement with Satan by becoming an accuser of the brethren. As a people, we need to tremble in the fear of the Lord. He alone can guide us on the narrow way.

The truth is, false apostles are not going away. You can say the same about false evangelists, false pastors, and false teachers. As I mentioned earlier regarding prophetic ministry, pursuing authentic ministry is our best defense against being led astray by the false ministry.

To conclude on apostles, we see the apostolic ministry being one driven by proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom where the Kingdom hasn’t been preached. This can mean going into entirely unreached places, but it can also mean establishing the message of the Kingdom where only the message of salvation or Christian ritual exist.

The 5-Fold Ministry Part 2: Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors & Teachers

While it says in our text that some are apostles, the nature of all of these gifts is to equip the whole body in the ministry of the gift. So while you may not be called specifically to the apostolic ministry, it is given for your equipping and exhorting. The apostolic ministry equips the body to minister in the message and power of the Gospel of the Kingdom. I am less concerned with who is or isn’t an apostle and much more concerned with whether or not the body of the Kingdom has actually heard and is equipped to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom.

Some are also prophets. As I wrote previously, the prophetic ministry equips us in the testimony of Jesus. The testimony of Jesus, when we receive it, produces God’s desire of calling us to be worshippers who worship in Spirit and in truth.

“Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 19:10 NASB

The context of Revelation 19 reveals the destruction of God’s enemies and a great celebratory wedding feast happening at the return of Jesus. The prophetic testimony of Scripture continually fixes our focus upon this coming day, the redemptive history leading up to it, and the eternal promises that follow it. The Spirit of Prophecy, in one way or another, is always fixed upon the revealing of Jesus in context to the Day of the Lord.

One verse prior, Revelation 19:9, declares the blessing of those invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. It should not surprise us that this promise of a coming wedding feast is weaved throughout both Old and New Testaments. We will develop this idea further when we read Ephesians chapter five. What I want to highlight right now is the use of prophecy to reveal the blessings, promises, and future of those who believe in and follow Christ.

The prophetic ministry in the body then, is to first reveal the nature, heart, character, and plans of Jesus. Then it is to reveal the hope, destiny, and fellowship which the body enjoys in Christ. It also reveals the noble and righteous intent of justice that abides in the heart of God. The prophetic testimony reveals that He will remove oppression from the earth by means of His great judgments. He promises to defeat every oppressor and liberate the oppressed from every deed of injustice committed on earth. In this manner, the prophetic ministry shares in the apostolic foundation of Christ’s body.

If we are consistent with the text in Revelation 19, the prophetic Spirit is unto one specific purpose. The goal of prophecy is confident and intimate fellowship with God in worship. True prophecy helps us fix our gaze upon Jesus so that our worship and fascination is placed solely upon Him. It helps us understand more fully that God is not desiring worship from afar, but rather that we draw near to Him in worship so that we can experience His friendship, tenderness, and zeal.

Now, let us look at the service of the evangelist.

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!””

Isaiah 52:7 NKJV

One of the things we need to remember about these gifts is that they are given primarily to equip the people of God. Many often view evangelists as those who primarily minister to those outside the body for the purpose of leading them to Christ. This is certainly a true aspect of evangelism. However, the ministry of the evangelist was first given to Israel to announce the coming of the Messiah to Israel, and the ministry has now been extended to the whole body.

The gift of the evangelist is primarily given to convey to the body the great majesty and beauty of the Gospel. The ministry of the evangelist equips the body to be ready at all times to proclaim the gospel of the coming peace of God’s kingdom, the gospel of salvation, and the vindication of Zion.

In the context of Isaiah 52, the message of the evangelist reconnects the hearts of the “watchmen” to the joy, wonder, comfort, and intercessory might of the Lord within the midst of the people. There is a more specific biblical meaning of who these Isaiah 52 watchmen are, but for our purposes here the idea of watchmen can be applied to those who have been walking in Christ for years, many of whom are mature in the faith. The evangelist is just as much, if not more, a minister to the family of God as they are to those outside the faith we profess.

It is a wonder to me how the Lord exalts the beauty of this ministry. “Beautiful on the mountains are the feet…” We cannot escape the infectious beauty and radiance of someone who has been captured by the wonder of the gospel, a person who cannot stop talking about the deliverance and freedom they have received from Jesus. This is very common among new believers, and I believe the strength of the evangelist is to continually draw the body back into the joy and awe of our salvation. It is the joy and awe of the gospel radiating from the lives of believers which will draw others to the feet of the mountains.

Considering the pastor, this is a ministry with a very wide understanding of meanings among western Christians. Instead of trying to do the work of redeveloping what may or may not be a new idea for many of the people who pick up this study, my goal concerning the pastor is to draw us to an aspect of the pastoral ministry where we should all be unified.

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.””

Matthew 9:36-38 NKJV

The word pastor is used eighteen times in the New Testament, and in most English translations it is rendered shepherd in every instance except for this passage in Ephesians. In fact, it is only referenced three times in all the epistles. Once in Ephesians, once in Hebrews, and once in 1 Peter. I do not believe this minimizes the importance of the ministry as I have heard some suggest, but rather that by the time the epistles were written the idea of pastor was already well developed and commonly understood in the body. The majority of the references to this ministry came directly from the mouth of Jesus. So what did Jesus have to say about this ministry?

The heart of pastoral ministry is put on display very well in Matthew chapter nine, so this is our reference. In this passage, Jesus is moved to compassion because the multitudes are weary and scattered. Out of compassion, the Great Shepherd looks at His disciples and tells them to pray.

Unity and oneness in the body of Christ is the high aim of pastoral ministry. In this passage, the weary and the scattered were those ready to follow a shepherd. The harvest was truly plentiful, but the laborers (pastors) were few. “Pray, therefore!” I see this verse often utilized to emphasize the call to evangelism, and while the evangelistic meaning takes it a tad out of context, in this sense I really don’t have a problem with such usage. I do believe however, that the high call in this passage is for a multitude of pastorally minded believers who are motivated by compassion and fervent in prayer.

So what actually is a pastor? A pastor is someone who labors for the oneness of the church as a whole, as well as the weary, lost, and scattered individual’s inclusion into the whole. The pastoral gift is rightly and continually motivated by the need for more pastors. Not least, the pastoral gift is rightly driven by the call to faithful and fervent intercession. I would argue that the most important litmus test for “success” as a pastor is whether or not they are faithful in prayer. More people turned away from Jesus’ ministry than there were those who followed Him in His ministry. If Jesus’ earthly ministry were to take place during our generation, it would be a complete failure in regards to every western metric for Church health and growth. Church growth is typically a burden we place upon pastors. The pastoral ministry needs to be great in prayer to be great in Jesus’ eyes, and this is something which cannot be seen or measured by cultural metrics or expectations.

“For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”

1 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food”

Hebrews 5:12 NKJV

In his letter to the Corinthians, I do not believe Paul is lamenting the fact that we have many teachers, but more so that these many teachers have not also embraced the heart of a pastor. We have many in the body who are good at giving people instruction, but not nearly enough who have embraced the call to make disciples. In other words, they are great at telling people what to do and what to think, but they do not make this information accessible, personal, and easy to replicate in the lives of others. I understand not all pastorally gifted people will teach, and not all teachers will be good pastors. Even so, I personally believe that this ministry model many call the “five-fold ministry” is something Paul intended to be understood as more of a “four-fold” ministry. This is merely an opinion I share for perspective. I am not making a rigid theological statement. When speaking among my charismatic friends, I usually call these gifts “the five-fold” for simplicity’s sake.

What I am getting at is that though pastoring and teaching are certainly two very distinct spiritual gifts, the grammar used in Ephesians strongly suggests Paul is referencing those who do both pastoring and teaching. Some are pastors. Some are teachers. Some are both.

The teaching ministry equips the body to become students of the Scriptures. Proper use of the teaching ministry is less concerned with the transfer of information, and is much more concerned with teaching others how to search out the Scriptures faithfully for themselves. A good teacher has the ability to search out a complex matter and convey it in a simple way that most people can understand. The best teachers provide others with the tools necessary to learn, discover, and make disciples on their own.

In light of the mystery of Christ, the teaching ministry will help us to rightly divide the Scriptures in light of God’s promises. In this respect, there is actually a good deal of similarity between the prophetic ministry and the teaching ministry. Here’s my reasoning: It is primarily the Old Testament prophetic texts which highlight the common hope and promises we look forward to as followers of Jesus. The teaching ministry helps covey these promises in a manner which we can apply them to our lives and walk in obedience to Christ.

The proper use of teaching will actually help us to faithfully express the unity and oneness to which the body is called, while still honoring and rejoicing in the unique gifts, callings, and inheritances we experience as followers of Christ. The teaching ministry helps us to run our own race well while honoring the gifts, callings, and promises which God has given to others. This is because true biblical teaching highlights honor, respect, calling, and mission within the body of Christ.

In each of these spiritual gifts, the practical use of the gift takes precedent over any title one might receive. You do not need permission to use your gift, and your gift does not give you permission to lord over others. Your salvation in Christ is your permission to grow in and be discipled in these gifts of service as you serve others. Part of this discipleship is learning and receiving from those who demonstrate these gifts faithfully and following in their example. Sometimes this means following, learning, and receiving from those who have a ministry title, but often they will not have a title or be a leader of a church or ministry. The important thing is the use of the spiritual gifts for serving and edifying the body, and in this sense every Christian is called without excuse into the use of these Ephesians spiritual gifts.