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The five-fold ministry, functioning under the headship of Christ, is designed by our Father God to equip the saints to labor and serve, and to help bring them into maturity.
Ministry of the Apostle
An apostle is one sent forth on behalf of Christ with the authority of Christ to successfully fulfill that for which he is being sent, and to fully represent and make known Christ. The apostles, both the first twelve and those who are given as ascension gift ministries, are foundational ministries upon which the church is built. An apostle is one who is called by Christ and given profound measures of grace and anointing by the Father to bring revelation of God's will and the reality of the Father's love to the church. Among many other functions, the apostle will be sent to lay proper foundations for the church, to bring order in the church, he will function with signs and wonders, and release impartation of the Holy Spirit of God. For a more complete understanding of the work of the apostle, we highly recommend the book APOSTLES TODAY, by Paul Galligan.
Ministry of the Prophet
The prophet works alongside the apostle to strengthen the church's foundation and to bring fresh revelation of the Word of Christ to the church. The Word given to the church and received by the church was created to guide the church. As the apostles and prophets work together, the church will have a strong foundation and be raised into perfection.Through the ministry of His prophets, God gives revelation into the mystery by His Spirit. Ephesians 3:5-9 The ministry of the Apostles and Prophets is given by God as gifts to the church, and work together by God's Divine design.
Ministry of the Evangelist
The gift of the evangelist funtions by preaching salvation to the world, and as souls come to salvation, they are brought into the church and then built together into a holy habitation, or temple for the dwelling place of the Lord. 1 Peter 2:4-5
Ministry of the Pastor
The Pastor nurtures new believers by laying a foundation of faith. He feeds them the milk of the Word so these new converts grow, and he makes them into disciples of Christ. The ministry of the pastor gives the christian the provision of God's love and His Word.
Ministry of the Teacher
The Teacher feeds the Word of God to those nurtured by the pastor so that the disciples of Christ move on from the elementary teaching, or milk, to solid food in order for the saints to come into maturity. Hebrews 5:12-14, Hebrews 6:1-3 Line upon line, precept upon precept. Isaiah 28:10
These five ministries are designed by our Father God to work together, closely related to one another, to bring many sons to glory, and to reveal the glory of the Lord and His kingdom in the church and to the world.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 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.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
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