The Five Fold Ministry
Ephesians 4:11-13
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors [shepherds] and teachers, 12 to equip his 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.
Why Five Fold Ministry?
Ephesians 4:12
to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
The body of Christ needs apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Scripture makes it clear that their purpose is to equip followers of Christ to do the work of the ministry. Thus, all Christians are to do ministry, not just pastors. Another purpose for the Five Fold Ministry is to build up, strengthen, energize the Church. Thus apostles, prophets, evangelists. pastors, and teachers are gifts to the body of Christ. Clearly, we should not despise the Five Fold Ministry. (Five Fold is spelled various ways: Five Fold, FiveFold, Five-Fold, 5 Fold, 5-Fold)
Has the Five Fold Ministry Ceased?
Ephesians 4:13 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.
Some say the Five Fold Ministry has ceased after the Book of Acts, since 100 AD, or when we had the completed Bible. The problem is there is no evidence, no Bible verse to justify this mindset. In fact, Ephesians 4:13 says just the opposite. The Five Fold Ministry is needed until we reach the unity of faith, we currently do not have that unity. The body of Christ is certainly not mature, far from it. The body of Christ today is certainly not obtaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Why is there not unity of faith, maturity, the fullness of Christ? One reason is many teach that apostles and prophets no longer exist, or they downplay these roles in the body of Christ. One of the roles of the prophets is to bring the Church back to the truths of Scripture. It is interesting to note that those who deny the Five Fold ministry, deny there are modern day prophets. There are those who say apostles and prophets are not for today, but they believe evangelists, pastors, and teachers are for today. What is their biblical basis for their position regarding Five Fold Ministry? There is none.
The reality is the body of Christ will not have the unity of faith, maturity, and the full measure of Christ until Jesus returns and we all receive our glorified bodies.
Necessity of Five Fold Office/Ministry
"Jesus Christ gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers and pastors for the equipping, perfecting, mending, perfectly joining together, putting in order, ethical strengthening, completing, fulfilling, of the Saints, for the work of the ministry."
"All five ministries are absolutely necessary for the health and vitality of the church and its mission. Furthermore, all five functions are critical for the church to self-regenerate, develop, and “perfect” itself! In other words, the five fold ministry is like the self-healing capacity in our bodies. Our bodies have the inbuilt capacities for self-regeneration and the ability to be restored to functionality."
"The historical reduction of taking all five ministries and downsizing them into the two of pastors and teachers has caused a fatal and degenerative disease in the body of Christ. Our God given genetic codes have been corrupted. No wonder why we are frustrated, broken and alienated from one another. We have an autoimmune disease... We are body divided against ourselves. Then that result is a long-term dysfunctionality and self-alienation (autoimmunity) that has led to a systematic breakdown... a deceased body."
Quotes by Jeremiah Johnson
The Five Fold Ministry is One Part of the Body of Christ
The Five Fold Ministry is only one part of the body of Christ. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors (Shepherds), and Teachers are not more important than the rest of the body of Christ. We could say that they make up the hand, but there is the ear, the eye, the feet, all are needed.
Ephesians 4:15-16
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 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.
1 Corinthians 12:15-20
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
Those who have the calling of being a Five Folf Minister are not self-appointed, they are ordained by one of the Five-Folf offices, normally by an Apostle or Prophet.
Detailed descriptions of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors [shepherds] and teachers.
Examples of Five Fold Ministry Roles
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