The Purpose of the Five-Fold Ministry

Posted on Nov 29, 2019 in Devotional |

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB) says, “11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

We have been a one-fold ministry for far too long, where every ministerial responsibility is on the senior pastor. We have to smash this idolatry that the senior pastor has replaced Jesus Christ as the Great Shepherd and share the load by fulfilling our role in the kingdom. We must return to the LORD and become a five-fold ministry, birthed from the place of devotion! Evangelists win souls to Christ. Teachers bring instruction to the basic teachings of God’s Word. Pastors shepherd these new converts as counselors and protectors. Apostles bring them into a kingdom family and raises them as sons or daughters, even in equipping and planting them where they can grow and they themselves make disciples. Prophets bring about kingdom revelation that reveals one’s uniqueness and purpose in God, which should confirm what God is already dealing with them. Each of the fivefold ministry is important and hold key elements in bringing about discipleship. Here is the purpose of the 5fold ministry:

equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (v. 12)
attaining the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ (v. 13)
becoming children of God who are not tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (v. 14)
speaking the truth in love
growing up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love (vv. 15-16).
to reveal Jesus as the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher and evangelist. Is the 5-fold ministry activated in heaven? Apostle – God the Father (Rom 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Pastor – Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:20), Teacher – The Holy Spirit (John 14:26), Prophet – Elders (Revelation 5:8 – prophetic worship), Evangelist – Angels (Psalm 104:4; Matthew 4:11; Revelation 14:6).