The Five-fold Ministry (Part 2)

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Tuesday February 24, 2009

As mentioned yesterday, there are five main "offices" of ministry in the church: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NIV)
11. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12. to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13. 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.

Verse 13 tells us how long these five ministries would exist:

Ephesians 4:13 (NIV)
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.

Have we all reached "unity in the faith"? Have we reached unity in the knowledge of the Son of God? Have we attained to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ? No, no, and no! That means the five-fold ministry is still in place today - ALL FIVE PARTS!!

The church will always need the five-fold ministry, because all believers are in a constant process of growing toward attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ!

When Jesus Christ walked the earth, He was the personification of all five parts of the five-fold ministry.

Jesus was an apostle:

Hebrews 3:1 (NIV)
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the APOSTLE and high priest whom we confess.

Jesus called Himself a prophet:

Matthew 13:57 (NIV)
And they took offense at him (Jesus). But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

Jesus was an evangelist:

Luke 19:10 (NIV)
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Luke 20:1 (NIV)
One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and PREACHING THE GOSPEL...

Jesus was a pastor:

John 10:11,14 (NIV) (Jesus speaking)
11. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."
14. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me"

(The words "pastor" and "shepherd" are interchangeable.)

And Jesus was a teacher:

Matthew 9:35 (NIV)
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues...

Jesus was in a class by Himself as far as the five-fold ministry, because He had the Spirit without limit:

John 3:34
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives Him the Spirit without limit.

No other person has ever, or will ever, have the anointing of the Holy Spirit without limit, like Jesus did, so we can look at Jesus as the best example of each of the five-fold ministries.

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your wonderful, life-giving Word. Thank You for the five-fold ministry, which You put in place to prepare me and build me up. Help me understand Your Word so I can allow You to govern my life more completely.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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