The Fivefold Ministry according to Ephesians
Two parts of the fivefold ministry was only meant for the foundation of the Church
I often hear pastors quoting Ephesians 4:11-16 to explain how their congregations function in terms of a fivefold ministry. Let us look at the text first and then discuss it further in context with the rest of the Bible.
11And He gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the saints for their work of service, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all come to the unity of the faith and from the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the full size of Christ; 14so that we would no longer be children who are tossed like waves and driven to and fro by every wind of teaching, by the deceit of men, by cunning to lead astray; 15but, while we consider the truth in love, in all things we should grow up in Him who is the Head, namely Christ, 16from whom the whole body - well joined and connected together by the support that each member gives according to the operation of each separate part in its mate — promotes the growth of the body for its own edification in love. – Ephesians 4:11-16
We read here that He (Jesus Christ) appointed the following persons to equip the saints for their work of service:
- apostles
- prophets
- evangelists
- shepherds
- teachers
It all looks very good, except that there is a big gap in most believers' interpretation of the passage. When I hear that certain people in the congregation describe themselves as apostles and prophets, I realise how inaccurately we read the Bible, and people attribute to themselves positions that do not currently exist. I previously published two articles addressing both [ (false) apostles ] and [ (false) prophets ]. These offices do not exist in today's church because their role has become obsolete. Any person who sees themselves as an apostle or prophet is deceived and wrong.
We can undo the whole argument of a current fivefold ministry by referring to another passage that Paul wrote to the same congregation:
17And he came to preach the gospel of peace to you who were far off and to those who were near; 18because through Him we both have access to the Father through one Spirit. 19So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens of the saints and householders of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, while Jesus Christ himself is the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, well joined together, rises to a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you are also being built up together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:17-22
Paul refers here to the Church of Jesus Christ which aims to reconcile us to God (verse 13). However, what is important to understand is that Paul sees the apostles and prophets as the foundation on which the Church is built, while Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. Furthermore, the Church grows into a holy temple, as Paul explains in Ephesians 4. However, think carefully about the example of a building. The first part that is laid is the foundation. Often the first stone laid is a cornerstone. Then the rest of the building is built on top of this foundation. We no longer continue building the foundation. On the contrary, we no longer see it, but we know that it is there. It is so with the Church. The foundation has already been laid, and there is no need for another foundation to be built on top of it.
If we look at Ephesians 4, we see that Paul takes the illustration of the building further. He again mentions the apostles and prophets who laid the foundation, but then mentions the other three ministries that continue to build on this foundation – the evangelists, pastors, and teachers. We need only these three offices today. Evangelists go out and win souls and start new congregations; pastors lead congregations pastorally; and teachers minister the Word. There is no reason to lay another foundation.
It is found that ministers are often both shepherds and teachers, and rightly so, but it does not have to be that way. We can just as easily have two offices, each fulfilling its specialty ministry, and complementing each other. Unfortunately, most of our congregations are driven by individuals who do not want to give anyone else a chance and want to do everything themselves. This is not in line with the teaching of the Word.
As described in the other two articles, the office of apostle and prophet no longer exists today. I briefly summarise the reasons here:
Apostles
There were 12 disciples, whom Jesus later referred to as apostles. One, Judas, did not make it, and his office was taken over by Matthias (Acts 1:20,26). These men were persons who saw Jesus himself and worked with Him. Paul is later called an apostle, based on the fact that he saw Jesus himself during his conversion. He refers to himself as the last apostle (1 Cor 15:8). The last apostle to die was John. After that the office of apostle was over.
Prophets
The Word makes it clear that after God spoke to man through the prophets in the past, He speaks to man in the present time through the Son, the Word (Heb 1:1). All the prophets prophesied up to Jesus. Those who prophesied further than that made judgments about Israel and the nation's future. It therefore does not apply to the Church.
The above two offices were indeed there when the Church was established, but as the foundation was laid and the Church grew, these two offices did not grow further, but are the basis on which the other three offices – evangelists, shepherds, and pastors, do their work and continue the growth of the Church.
Summary
The fivefold ministry does not operate in the Church today in the sense that there are five different groups who live out these five ministries. You are not an apostle, because you do not meet the requirements as laid down by the New Testament. You are not a prophet either, because everything that God wants to reveal to man today, He does through the Word, Jesus Christ. Be an evangelist, a shepherd, or a teacher and strengthen the congregation through that, but do not present yourself as the foundation. The tragedy, however, is the presence and actions of many [ false apostles ], [ false prophets ], and [ false teachers ] in our time, against which Jesus Christ, Paul, and Peter have already warned us. Stay away from them.