THE REFORMATION OF THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY

THE REFORMATION OF THE FIVE FOLD MINISTRY

EPHESIANS 4:11-13 FIVE FOLD MINISTRY

Ephesians 4:11-13 Commentary: The Unity and Maturity of the Body of Christ 

In Ephesians 4:11-13, the apostle Paul beautifully articulates the divine design for the growth and unity of the Church. He begins by highlighting the various roles or "gifts" that Christ has bestowed upon the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Each of these roles plays a unique part in nurturing and equipping the believers for their collective mission.

  • Apostles: These are the sent ones, pioneers in the faith, establishing and laying the foundation of the Church.
  • Prophets: They bring divine insight and revelation, guiding the Church with spiritual wisdom and foresight.
  • Evangelists: Charged with spreading the Good News, evangelists ignite and maintain the flame of faith in the hearts of both believers and unbelievers.
  • Pastors: Shepherds of the flock, pastors care for and protect the community of believers, providing spiritual nourishment and guidance.
  • Teachers: Responsible for instructing and grounding believers in the foundational truths of the faith, ensuring a solid understanding of God's Word.

The purpose of these gifts is not just the development of individual believers but the maturation of the entire body of Christ. Verse 12 expresses this beautifully, stating that these gifts are given "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." The emphasis here is on unity and collective growth. The Church is not just an assortment of isolated individuals; it is a dynamic and interdependent organism.

The ultimate goal, as stated in verse 13, is the attaining of "the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." This unity is not a bland uniformity but a rich tapestry of diverse gifts and callings working together harmoniously. 

The maturity mentioned is not just personal growth but a corporate maturity, reflecting the fullness of Christ in the collective life of the Church.

In essence, Ephesians 4:11-13 paints a picture of a vibrant and thriving community where each member, equipped by the unique gifts given by Christ, contributes to the overall health and growth of the body. It challenges believers to move beyond individualism and actively engage in the communal journey toward the fullness of Christ, reflecting His character and love to the world.

THE FUNCTION OF THE FIVE FOLD MINISTERS

PASTOR
Pastors are shepherds, called to love and nurture God’s people.
Words associated with pastor include shepherd, nurture, tend, feed, comfort, lead, protect, guard, sheep, nice, still waters, green pastures, patient, longsuffering, serve, counsel, and compassionate. 

Pastors are wonderful gifts from Jesus and of great benefit to the local church. They are typically full of mercy, love and compassion. They offer wise counsel, sound godly wisdom and advice. 

There are many times when we need the loving grace and compassion that is on the pastoral ascension gift. The grace on the pastor is to impart in the believer a love for God’s people.
 
However, we need more than compassion and love, we also need to become disciples. For that we need the teacher. (Even though there is a unique ascension gift of teacher, it is not to say that the pastor cannot teach. See 1Timothy 3:2). 

TEACHER
Teachers are set in the Body of Christ to instruct us in the Word of God.
Words associated with the teacher include, explain, train, instruct, educate, simplify, academic, prepare, mature, tutor, expositor, disciple, steps, keys, and how to. 

Teachers have a unique grace to breakdown Scripture into easily understood and attainable steps. It is not enough for a person to only be born-again, they must be instructed in the Word of God and the ways of righteousness. The grace on the teacher is to impart a heart in the believer to make students of the Word of God.


EVANGELISTS
Evangelism is telling the Good News that Jesus Christ died for sins, was raised from the dead on the third day, and is now extending forgiveness of sins to all who would believe. 

Words associated with the evangelist ascension gift include, go ye, souls, the lost, Gospel, Good News, herald, glad tidings, salvation, Great Commission, reconciliation, signs and wonders.
 
Without the ascension gift of the evangelist we would quickly forget about the Great Commission. The grace on the evangelist’s gift is focused on the harvest.

However, the evangelist’s grace ends after a person is born again. Then that person needs the grace of the other ascension gifts to fully mature. The grace on the evangelist is to impart a heart in the believer for the lost.

PROPHET
 Prophets are ascension gifts that are set in the church to produce a hunger for the voice of God.

Words associated with the prophet are see, hear, say, seer, mouthpiece, messenger, watchman, revelation, decree, proclaim, prepare the way, burden, announce, pray, utterances, turn, prophesy, prophecy, foretell, forthtell, root out, intercession, repentance, holiness, deliverance, dreams, and visions.

Prophets receive and communicate the mind and will of God. Jesus uses them to announce His will, unlock mysteries of His Word, bring conviction of sin, and focus the believer on an intimate spiritual and holy life. Prophets are spokesmen of God.
 
The basic foundational function of a New Testament Prophet is for edification, exhortation and comfort. The grace on the prophet is to impart to the believer a hunger for the rhema Word of God (voice of God)

NOTE: The best way to receive/hear Gods voice is to study and fill up on God word and then God can speak directly to you whenever He wants or needs to.

NOTE: We are living in a world where the devil is in charge, so whatever you don`t like about life and this world don`t blame God, blame the devil.

APOSTLE
Apostles are God’s builders ( architekton) of the glorious church.  

Words associated with the apostle are impart, confirm, activate, strengthen, strategies, the church, design, plan, structure, architect, ordain, reform, proton, demand, builder, doctrine, administrate, father, govern, pioneer, trailblazer, foundation, sent-one, warrior, first, order, messenger, and ambassador. 

Apostles are the most panoramic of the five-fold ascension gifts. They have the ability to see the whole picture.

All of these words best describe the different attributes of the various ascension ( doma) gifts. Once we understand their differences we can benefit from their uniqueness. 

Whereas a pastor might be more local church-minded, the apostle has more of a world (universal) church vision. 

The grace on the apostle is to impart to the believer a heart to build Jesus’s Church.

HIS HEART IS TO MOBILIZE THE LOCAL CHURCH INTO A FINED TUNE, INVADING AND OCCUPYING ARMY.

THE GATES OF HELL CANNOT PREVAIL BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS INVADING AND ATTACKING HELLS STRONGHOLDS! THE CHURCH WAS NOT INSTITUED BY JESUS TO OCCUPY A COMFORT ZONE BUT TO GO...INTO ALL THE WORLD...PREACHING AND SPREADING THE GOSPEL...PULLING DOWN STRONGHOLDS, CASTING OUT DEMONS, HEALING THE SICK...DESTROING THE WORKS OF DARKNESS...PLANTING CHURCHES...GIVING SPIRITUAL AND PHYSCIAL SIGHT TO THE BLIND...CREATING SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERES AND ENVIROMENTS IN COMMUNITIES AND CITIES...THE CHURCH WAS DESIGNED TO BE AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE...NOT A SOCIAL AND ENTERTAIMENT CENTER...BUT A HOUSE OF PRAYER AND WORSHIP...RECEIVING GODS INSTURCTION, STRATEGY AND TACTICS TO REDEEM A SIN SICK WORLD FROM SATANS ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF THE EARTH...WHICH IS OUR INHERITANCE! GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN US THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD.
 
All of these words best describe the different attributes of the various ascension ( doma) gifts. Once we understand their differences we can benefit from their uniqueness.


Apostles, Prophets and Evangelist are the forerunners and pioneers of the N.T. church, each played a significant part in the book of acts in establishing the birth and structure of the N.T. church.

Prophets function in the church setting as a watchman to guard against enemy spiritual attacks, to receive communiques from the throne room to block personal and corporate attacks against the body of Christ. 

Prophets also function as seers in the church setting, they are gifted to see the future and to relay that info to the church hierarchy. All prophets are seers but not all seers are prophets.