Five-Fold Ministry: Function over Title

Ephesians 4:12 says that the role of the apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, evangelist is to equip the saints in the work of ministry and unifying the bride into the fullness of the knowledge of Christ. Their job is to call believers into their inheritance as sons and daughters of God to move in the things of the kingdom. Yes, they are called to also to walk in it themselves, but their job is not to do it all alone. They are called to equip believers to step into their inheritance in the works of the kingdom.

Apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists should focus on building the kingdom of Jesus—not their own kingdom. Therefore, it is important to be able to acknowledge the role and function of someone to establish order, but not to value the title or position as though that person is more valuable than everyone else.

Imagine a father who has several children with different personalities. He cannot treat each one of his children exactly the same, because each child responds differently according to their gifting and personality. In the same way, God leads each one of us differently, and He calls each of us forward into different roles in the kingdom according to the way He designed us.

Not everyone is called into ministry and not everyone in ministry is called into one of the five-fold offices, but those who are called should have more responsibility and trial like the apostles and prophets of old, than they have glamor and privilege like what is commonly seen today.

The giftings and callings of God should not be used to promote our own ministry or lifestyle, but they should be used in humility and meekness to promote the Glory of King Jesus and His kingdom.

Sometimes, titles are a necessary means of communication to promote order and clarity among a group of people—helping to define roles and leadership so that everyone can go in one unified direction.

For example, God provides a model of leadership in the home for the husband, wife, and children to be able to have one unified direction. So, he established that the man would be the leader of the household. Even though the woman is capable of leading, the man is the designated leader. He may discuss decisions and take advice from his wife, but ultimately, he is responsible for the direction of the family and the consequential outcomes of the final decisions made.

Similarly, it is necessary that in the church, there are designated leadership roles to provide structure and clarity of direction. However, many times, the titles and positions become more of a means of gaining personal favor or influence and less about the overall well-being of the body.

Therefore, we must be careful not to place more value on a title or position than on the fruit of that ministry bringing Glory to Jesus and edification to the Body.