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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.