What the Five-Fold Ministry is:
or “just how do I fit in this mess?”
OK first of all, I don’t want to bump into people’s egos or preconceptions.
This is something that can scrape against a lot of denominational doctrines, but it is NOT meant to raise hackles. Just as a definition of terms.
“Five-Fold Ministry” is a term coined by modern evangelical ministries. It comes from Ephesians 4:11-16
” And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
The phrase itself does not occur in the bible, but is a simplification of basic church hierarchy:
Apostles go out and establish individual churches and ministries, raise up and anoint pastors and teachers, organize everything, then leave to the next place.
Prophets are guides, agents of correction, leaders in times of trouble, speakers of God’s voice for warning or comfort or both. They often go from church to church where needed and are not always welcomed. Because if a prophet comes, it usually means some kind of change and upheaval.
These two ministries usually follow behind:
Evangelists who go from place to place preaching the gospel of repentance. They make converts, baptize them, teach them some basics, then move on. It is a ministry that all Christians are called to at some level, but some are called to specialize in it. An example, and highest modern standard would be Billy Graham.
Which comes to the basic pillars of the church:
Pastors who are the shepherds of individual churches and
Teachers who are the ones teaching sound doctrine and the Bible.
These two ministries go hand in hand for a strong well-balanced church. Where apostles, prophets and evangelists come and go, a pastor is there for your lifetime, ideally. He is there for births, deaths, marriages, counseling, exhorting, preaching to and aiding the individuals in his church. The teacher is there in Sunday School, sometimes K-12 school and beyond as well depending on the church, passing on knowledge to children and adults. You may have a teacher teaching your grandchildren who taught you as a child.
These five are specifically JOBS, that are LEADERSHIP POSITIONS in the church and are distinct from “spiritual gifts”. For example: a prophet will prophesy, but you may prophesy but not hold the “office” of “prophet”.
All 5 are also analogues of leadership positions in the secular world.
An Apostle is an entrepreneur of churches.
A Prophet is an innovator or provocateur.
An Evangelist is a recruiter and a salesman.
A Pastor is a shepherd, or a business owner, or a father, or all of them.
A Teacher is…well, a teacher, an integrator, or an editor.
Heresy and Consequences:
or “can we burn him at the stake…just a little?”
I am going to say this:
What people call heresy in the Christian church is almost always a doctrinal dispute between denominations. Very seldom is it actual blasphemy disguised as doctrine specifically meant to lead people away from Christ and salvation. Real heresy is easily recognized and avoided and goes directly against the Word of God.
SO:
Dunking verses dipping = not heresy.
“Gifts of the Holy Spirit”= not heresy.
Snake handling in church = dangerous and stupid, but = not heresy.
Being lonely and strange with lots of cats = not heresy.
“Jesus was a gay crossdresser” and “Satan is misunderstood” = heresy.
Got the picture?
Christian faith is easy.
Just believe God for His Word, and that Jesus died for your sins.
The rest is pretty much the same now, as it was when Jesus was preaching …
and was spelled out in Constantinople 381AD:
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man;
he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.
In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
By the way, “catholic and apostolic” means “universal and according to the teaching of the original 12 Apostles” in this context.
Everything else is poopoo.
Just What is a “Prophecy”?
or “can you tell me what my future is?”
Well, no…just…no.
That is not what a Christian prophetic word is for.
A prophecy is a message given through the Holy Spirit, and it isn’t always good news.
It can be an order, direct from God to an individual or church to DO SOMETHING.
It can be a warning to the church or individual, with a direction and an “or else”.
It can be a choice the individual or church has to make, usually with the consequences of all choices as well as the consequence of NOT making the choice.
It can be a direction for the individual or church to go to stay on the right path.
OR it can be an “attaboy” and an exhortation to stay on the path, though unfortunately not very often.
Well, that kind of makes it very seldom good news, doesn’t it?
The reason for being gloomy is simple: A prophecy is first and foremost for the edification of the church. Which by definition means the improvement of, or enlightenment of the church. By connotation, and an understanding of human frailty, usually means somewhere, someone has messed up.
It’s still a GOOD THING. Usually, we get caught up in worldly stuff, and don’t always pay attention like we should. Like any good Father, God will correct us using the spiritual gift of “prophecy” from one of the church members. Listen to it and take it to heart even if you think it is wrong.
Also, there is a difference between the words “prophesy” and “prophecy”.
Prophesy is a verb. It is the act of speaking out or writing down the word of God through the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy is a noun. It is a revelation or prediction that was spoken or written down by a prophet.
So, what is a Prophet and what does the office entail?
or “is that guy a prophet or just some crazy guy in sackcloth?”
OK, you are NOT Moses, so CALM DOWN. That job has already been taken and done exceptionally well for the ONE TIME it needed to be done.
But Moses, even though he was an extreme example of what the office of “prophet” can entail, was in fact a perfect example.
Moses was called out of obscure circumstances and had a rather dubious past. He was rather meek, and not well spoken, but despite this God had him stand up to the most powerful person on the planet and deliver a demand from God. He was an outcast from his own people, they did not even recognize him as one of them at first. He had to lead this stubborn, proud, and rebellious group out of extremely dire circumstances, into the unknown and unfamiliar. He delivered to them a prophecy, a set of basic principles to live by, and wrote the first five books of the Old Testament. During the 40 years of his ministry, he was supported by God Himself, with signs, wonders and miracles. He assigned and anointed other leaders and his successor Joshua.
So:
A prophet is usually someone nobody knows at first.
He will be discounted by his own people.
He will be reluctant usually, feel unqualified (rightfully), and forcefully assigned to the job by God.
He will have to stand up to rulers and powerful forces who can imprison him and/or kill him.
He will often have to lead reluctant and petulant people away from danger to an uncertain future.
As said God will lift him up to the office. You can’t hire a prophet or apply for the job.
God’s power will be manifest around and through him.
Part of the office is to raise and anoint leaders, write prophesies and instructions, and stick around long enough to see the task through.
Sounds like a grueling thankless job that nobody with any sense would want, that often ends with being sent to jail or killed. Where do I sign up?
Endnote: People are and SHOULD be skeptical of ANYONE who says they are a prophet.
A real prophet speaks with God’s voice, not his own. Because of this, false prophets go around proclaiming themselves because of the perceived power a REAL prophet has.
This is ultimately a selfish and narcissistic act.
You will know them by their fruits. If the fruit of their actions are selfish and narcissistic, and/or their prophesies and instructions are ungodly and turn people from Christ, then they are not a prophet of God.
This is why most Godly men who are called to the job, are people who don’t really want it, and feel rightly that it is way above their level. Because it generally is.