When Jesus vanquished all foes and freed the prisoners, he led a triumphant procession and gave ministry gifts to mankind. He has given these gifts lavishly ever since. These gifts are the five-fold, equipping ministry gifts of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Ephesians 4:8-11). In this study, you will learn how these ministry gifts operate and how each ministry gift differs from the others.
Equipping Ministry Gifts
There is an ordained structure in the body of Christ. Jesus sets elders over his body. These are the fivefold, equipping ministry gifts. Paul and Barnabas were sent as apostles to the Gentiles (Acts 14:14; Romans 11:13; Galatians 2:9). Peter, John, and James were sent as apostles to the Jews (Galatians 2:9). The elders over the body of Christ work across congregations and denominations. They operate under the headship of Jesus Christ to establish and promote the kingdom of God.
These ministry gifts equip the saints to do their work (Ephesians 4:12). Any of the ministry gifts may operate alone in a limited fashion, but they are more effective by operating together through relationships. An equipping prophet has spiritual relationships with other equipping ministry gifts, especially apostles. A prophet with no spiritual relationships with other equipping ministry gifts is still a prophet but not an effective, equipping prophet.
When the equipping ministry gifts work together as a team to bring forth God’s kingdom, they form a powerful apostolic ministry. There is a mighty anointing carried by the apostolic ministry. This anointing on the team is much greater than the anointing on any of the ministry gifts operating alone. It covers the team and their efforts with protection and blessings. A person can be in an apostolic ministry without standing in the office of apostle or any of the other offices. Being in an apostolic ministry gives a person access to great authority in his/her life and ministry.
Apostles and prophets promote the overall plan for the kingdom and stress love and unity in the body of Christ. Teachers help God’s people understand and experience the depths of God. Evangelists passionately pursue lost souls. Like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, pastors teach and preach the gospel of the kingdom, care for the people and make disciples by the power of the Spirit. All of these functions are important in promoting God’s kingdom. While these descriptions may be overly simplified, they help point out the distinctive and important roles of the various ministry gifts. God has only one plan to bring forth the kingdom and that plan requires everyone to be effectively functioning in his/her calling. More details on the individual ministry gifts are addressed below.
Apostles and Prophets
Jesus prophesied of a new line of apostles and prophets being sent to every generation. “I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute” (Luke 11:49). Apostles and prophets are the foundation ministry gifts. Jesus is building his church on the foundation of apostles and prophets with himself being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The mystery of God’s plan “has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:5). The apostles and prophets know the deep things of the Lord and show them to the body of Christ.
The apostles are like architects who know where things go and how to put things in order. When an apostle goes into new territory, he/she establishes God’s kingdom there. The prophets give direction. The prophet cannot override the apostle, because the apostle first brings the authority and then the prophet comes in with the direction. Those two ministry gifts have been missing in the body of Christ. As a result, the body has lacked authority and direction. Natural-minded people resist the authority of apostles and the direction given by prophets.
True apostles see all of the body of Christ and focus on the eternal things which promote God’s kingdom. The apostles serve the body of Christ and not themselves. The greatest among you shall be your servant (Matthew 23:11). The apostles are willing to lay down their lives and take up God’s will. They move with authority, power, and signs and wonders. There are many who desire the position of apostle but God has not set them in that position. False apostles put themselves as the head instead of Jesus Christ. This sets them up for failure. In the last days, there will be false apostles and false prophets in the midst of the righteous. God is in the process of plucking up the false, exposing their deeds, and bringing forth the truth.
The apostolic and prophetic ministry gifts call for people to obey God. Every generation has to give an account of how it receives these ministry gifts. The religious leaders did not embrace Jesus, who is the truth, nor did they help the people. “You weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers” (Luke 11:46). When the leaders distort the truth or become insensitive to the needs of the people, they reject the prophets just like those before them. “The blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation” (Luke 11:50). Failure to hear from the apostles and prophets keeps the body of Christ divided and its members immature.
Teachers
The equipping teachers see God’s plan and clearly show it to others, connecting the scriptures through revelation of the Spirit. “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). The role of the teachers in the kingdom is set behind only the apostles and prophets. “God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets and third teachers” (1 Corinthians 12:28). Everyone who teaches is not called as an equipping teacher, but those people who sit under true equipping teachers are greatly blessed.
Some people are given more than one ministry gift. The teaching gift is often a secondary gift given to the equipping ministry gifts. Sherry and I are both teachers but teaching is not our primary gift. A person with two or more gifts has to keep the proper balance in his/her ministry. For example, a person whose primary gift is the prophetic gift and whose secondary gift is teaching cannot stay in God’s perfect will while teaching predominately. It is important for believers to know which gifts have been given to them and the order of their gifts.
Pastors and Evangelists
Pastors and evangelists are the best-known and most widely accepted ministry gifts. Both pastors and evangelists are important in the body of Christ, but their appointed positions are ranked below the three ministry gifts discussed above. Pastors are described throughout the word of God as shepherds. The terms pastor and shepherd are interchangeable, which helps clarify the position of pastor as one who leads and cares for God’s people like a shepherd leads and cares for the sheep. Pastors are frequently admonished by God to feed his sheep. Jesus gave Peter important instructions which relate closely to the role of pastors. He told Peter to feed his lambs, feed his sheep and take care of his sheep (John 21:15-19). All these roles are important for pastors. All of the sheep belong to God, not to the pastor. In this passage, Jesus pointed out two critical requirements for pastors: they are to love Jesus and follow him with a sacrificial lifestyle. He requires a pastor to lay down his life for the sheep. These requirements apply to all equipping ministry gifts for Peter was an apostle and not a pastor, but he could pastor God’s people.
Pastors have continual contact with their allotment of God’s people. Peter urged the pastors to shepherd, guide, and protect “those allotted to your charge” (1 Peter 5:1-3). Pastors may also provide some form of temporary leadership for those outside their allotment, particularly those who have not found their place in the body of Christ. They can provide an important service to this group by helping them find their place in the body. However, there is a natural tendency for pastors to try to keep everyone who comes to them without helping them find their place and fulfill God’s purpose.
The evangelist carries the gospel of the kingdom to places where it was previously unknown. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The word of God identifies only Philip as an evangelist, but his life is a great example of an equipping evangelist. Philip was one of the seven men known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom whom the apostles put in charge of serving people in the first church in Jerusalem (Acts 6:3-6). The apostles prayed and laid their hands upon Philip, along with the other six, before directing them to serve the people. Later, Philip went to Samaria where he preached Christ with great signs and wonders following his preaching (Acts 8:4-8). With his relationships to the apostles, the church in Jerusalem sent some apostles to assist Philip in the work in Samaria (Acts 8:14-25).
Distinct Messages of the Various Ministry Gifts
The heavenly Father is always speaking through his Spirit, but not all of the people are listening. When people are sensitive and tuned to the right frequency they may hear a message which others would miss. Different people may hear different messages because they are tuned to different frequencies. An evangelist often hears about effectively spreading the gospel to the lost. A pastor often hears about caring for the Lord’s sheep. Both apostles and prophets hear about laying foundation in the lives of the people, but apostles are tuned to a different frequency than prophets.
Apostles and prophets hear on a different frequency than other believers. Prophets are able to see energy and movement in the supernatural realm and bring into focus what God is doing. They see the various facets of what God is doing and how things connect.
When Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, all of the apostles heard one basic message. The Father said, “You are my beloved Son, in you I am well-pleased” (Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22). However, the prophet, John the Baptist, heard another message. He testified of Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29-36). The message which was burned in the heart of the prophet was different from the one burned in the hearts of the apostles. Both messages are true and supplement each other. Different ministry gifts hear the Father’s messages on different frequencies. Each of the messages reflects a part of the full message, not the whole message. All of the messages together represent the fullness of the message.
When people listen to only one ministry gift, they have a limited view of the Father’s message for their lives and for the body of Christ as a whole. When people are drawn to one messenger but fail to hear others who are also speaking for the Lord, they are limiting God’s influence in their lives. Some people lift up their own pastor as being special and are unwilling to hear other ministers. This attitude keeps the body of Christ divided because that message is limited, while the full message unites his body.
Practical Applications
Do you desire to be fully equipped? Connecting to an equipping ministry helps establish believers in the kingdom and develop them in the things of God, such as spiritual gifts. The gifts of the Spirit are prominent where the equipping ministry gifts operate (1 Corinthians 12:28). If believers connect with ministries which do not function in the gifts of the Spirit, their development in the gifts will be hindered. If you have a desire to be used in the gifts of the Spirit, ask the Lord to connect you to a ministry in which you can learn how to operate in the gifts. He will give you the desires of your heart.
Local congregations connected to the equipping ministry gifts are able to function at a higher spiritual level than other congregations. The Apostle Paul established the church at Corinth (Acts 18:1-11). The Corinthians could operate in the gifts of the Spirit because they were under an apostolic ministry. The gifts were used so much by the Corinthians that Paul sent extensive instructions on how the gifts were to operate (1 Corinthians 12-14). On the other hand, Paul did not establish the church at Rome, and they were lacking in the gifts. He wrote to the church at Rome that he desired to come impart some spiritual gift to the believers there so they would be established (Romans 1:11). Desire spiritual gifts and follow the Spirit to an equipping ministry where you can develop in the gifts. As a kingdom leader, you need to be related to an apostolic ministry so you can be established in the kingdom and fully operate in spiritual gifts.
Conclusions
The equipping ministry gifts mature believers and equip them to advance the kingdom. Each of these ministry gifts has a unique function in the kingdom. While all the ministry gifts can function independently, none of the gifts can fulfill the function of another gift. These ministry gifts work best together, not in isolation. All of the gifts are needed.
Study Questions
Kingdom leaders need to operate in the gifts of the Spirit in order to be most effective as leaders. For you to operate in these gifts, you need to understand the direct connection between spiritual gifts and ministry gifts. The following questions will help you address these important connections in your life and ministry.
#1 How are spiritual gifts used in the ministry with which you are connected presently?
#2 What can you do to be exposed to a greater use of spiritual gifts?
#3 With respect to spiritual gifts, what type of ministry do you need to be connected to in order to operate in spiritual gifts?
#4 What type of relationships do you need to help you operate in spiritual gifts and develop the type of ministry to which you are called?
#5 What plans do you have to connect with the right kingdom ministries and develop in operating spiritual gifts?