PROPHETS AND PROPHECY IN TODAY'S CHURCH
By Rev. Jim and Carolyn Murphy

Table of Contents...

PART TWO - THE PROPHET

CHAPTER 10
FIVE-FOLD MINISTRIES

In this chapter I gave a brief description of the different ministry calls. Of the fourteen ministry calls listed in Figure 6-2, five of them are “public speaking” ministries. They are, 1) the apostle, 2) the prophet, 3) the pastor, 4) the teacher, and 5) the evangelist. I want to give a brief description of each ministry to clarify the differences between them. Let's look again at Ephesians:

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers . . . (Eph 4:11 NIV).

The Apostle

According to Karl Heinrich Rengstorf 11 the word “apostle” was relatively unknown to the Jewish world of Jesus' time and it was certainly not understood in the sense we use it today. Jesus Himself instituted apostleship. The Greek word apostolos means one who is sent. In secular Greek the word apostolos was used to describe the sending of merchant ships. Regnstorf generally describes the apostle as one who is sent and sent with full authority.

There were the twelve original or founding apostles, but Scripture designates others apostles as well. James, the Lord's brother, Barnabas, Junias and Andronicus were also referred to as apostles (I Cor 9:5, Rom 16:7). And, of course, Paul is considered the most powerful of all apostles.

Apostles are not officials of the congregation, they are officers of Christ by whom the church is built.12  The ministry of the apostle is to establish or build the church. He is empowered with special gifts from the Lord for this purpose. Paul describes the “signs of an apostle” for us:

The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance. (II Cor 12:12 NIV).

Thus, the mark of a true apostle can include signs and wonders. From Scripture we also observe that an apostle may from time to time freely operate any of the other ministry offices in order to accomplish the mission of establishing churches.

I believe there are active apostles still at work establishing churches today. In fact, I know there are because I have met lots of them! We continually hear stories from all over the world of individuals who have established dozens or hundreds of churches. And I have personally observed these apostles using many gifts such as administration, evangelism, teaching, and so on. It makes sense that God would empower the apostle with the ability to move in any gift necessary to the establishment of a church body, doesn't it? And not all these apostles are men. Women can be apostles as well. God is no respecter of persons.

The Prophet

In simple language, the prophet may be defined as one who announces the declarations of God. Here are some phrases descriptive of the prophet as set forth Kittel's Theological dictionary:

By and large the New Testament understands by the prophet the biblical proclamation of the divine, inspired message . . . . Because of the revelation imparted to him by the Spirit, the biblical prophet has a special knowledge of the future . . . . The prophet also knows a man's past without prior information (cf Jn 4:19), and he is able to look into the hearts of those who meet him. In spite of this knowledge he is not a magician or a soothsayer.

The prophet is essentially a proclaimer of God's word. 13

God has set prophets in His church to perform a unique function. Whereas pastors and teachers usually speak with authority primarily from the written word, prophets speak from having been in the counsel of God. Prophets may address contemporary events, deal with deep rooted sin in the church, or address civil leaders in God's behalf. According to Ephesians 2:20 they, along with apostles, are instrumental in the laying of the foundation of the church:

. . . built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (NIV).

I am of course not saying that pastors are not in counsel with God or that they are somehow less “anointed” than prophets. They just fulfill different functions in the church.

The Pastor

The English word “pastor” is a carry over of the Latin word pastor which means “shepherd.” The Greek word for “pastor” is episkope and used for an overseer, one who superintends, or a shepherd. In defining pastor, Webster's Dictionary states, “1) Originally, a shepherd 2) a clergyman or priest in charge of a church or congregation.” 14 The picture is that of one chosen and trained by God who is set in a place of care over His local church.

The pastor has sincere concern for the people whom God has placed under his care. He has great patience, and love for them. He also takes very seriously the responsibility of feeding them the proper spiritual food from the Word of God. His goal is to nurture, admonish, encourage, and love them.

The Teacher

Scripture uses a different word for teacher than for pastor. The Greek word for teacher is didaskalos. Didaskalos means doctor, master, teacher. The teacher's ability to teach is a divinely innate gift. Of course this gift must be developed as does any other God-given gift. The teacher has the ability to instruct in such a manner that the hearers can understand and hold onto the instruction.

God chooses, calls, and trains teachers and sets them in His church. Teachers often travel from city to city spending a year or two in each place imparting the truths of God's word to the church. As with any of the public speaking ministries, teachers may from time to time pastor churches. And, of course, many pastors are also fine teachers. These two gifts complement one another well, especially in the pastorate.

The Evangelist

Webster's Dictionary defines an evangelist as, “1) any of the four writers of the Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John 2) anyone who evangelizes; especially a traveling preacher; revivalist.” 15 This definition is inadequate. The Old Testament word for evangelist is basar. In Hebrew, the word meant one who brings good news. According to Kittel's Dictionary, “basar” is often used in the sense of “bringing news of victory” or “declaring a victory.”16  Kittel goes on to say that the message of the evangelist:

. . .is not just speaking and preaching; it is proclamation with full authority and power. Signs and wonders accompany the evangelical message.

They belong together, for the Word is powerful and effective. The proclamation of the age of grace, of the rule of God, creates a healthy state in every respect. Bodily disorders are healed and man's reaction to God is set right . . . . Joy reigns where this word is proclaimed. It brings regeneration. It is not a word of man, but the living, eternal Word of God. The Holy Spirit, who was sought for the day of salvation, attests Himself now in the time of fulfillment when the glad tidings are proclaimed. 17

Although Philip was one of the seven deacons elected in the Jerusalem church, he was also an evangelist (cf. Acts 21:8). Lets look at Philip moving in his capacity as an evangelist.

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:5-8 NIV, emphasis added).

Thus we see that signs and wonders very often accompany the message of salvation.

These are the fivefold ministries or the five most public ministries listed as offices in the New Testament church.
____________________

11. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Gerhard Kittel, Editor. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Vol. 1, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Page 413.

12.  Ibid., Page 407 f.

13. Ibid., Volume VI, Page 828-9.

14. Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, Second College Edition, William Collins Publishers, Inc. 2080 West 117th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44111.

15. Ibid.

16. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Gerhard Kittel, Editor. Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Vol. 1, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Volume II, Page 707.

17. Ibid, Page 720.


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