In many evangelical Churches in Europe, people speak of “the ministry” in the singular, as if there were only one, pastoral ministry. People readily say that God calls pastors. But the Bible shows that God does not call only pastors to lead his Church:
“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers.” (Ephesians 4:11)
The next verse gives the purpose of these gifts: “to equip the saints for the work of ministry”. Prophecy was studied in the previous lesson. Let us look here at the other functions.
Apostles
The meaning of the word
The Greek apostolos comes from the verb “to send”. In everyday language, it could refer to a naval expedition or a group of colonists sent far away. In Hebrew, the word is linked with the rabbinic term shaliah (plural sheluhim), the envoy who represents the one who sends him and acts with his full authority.
The author links men such as Abraham, Moses, Elijah or Ezekiel with this figure. Three features unite them. They reflected the character of God, like the radiant face of Moses (Exodus 34:29-30). They led people to faith. And they exercised a spiritual authority that came from God.
In Luke and in Paul
The word appears mainly in Luke and in Paul, but not with the same meaning.
- In Luke, it almost always refers to the Twelve, Matthias included (Acts 1:26). The notable exception is Acts 14:14, where Paul and Barnabas are called apostles.
- In Paul, the title is not reserved for this group. He applies it to co-workers, such as Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:7) or his missionary companions (1 Thessalonians 2:6-7). The apostle is subject to Christ (Galatians 1:1) and receives a specific mission. Paul’s is to proclaim Christ to the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15-17). Paul also links apostleship with witness, and Acts 1:8 links witness with receiving the Holy Spirit.
To put it simply, the apostle is a sent one. Sent by his leader, he represents him wherever he goes and carries his authority. Jesus himself is called “the apostle” of our faith (Hebrews 3:1).
Apostles today?
Just as some think that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased, some think that the ministry of apostle came to an end with the generation of the first apostles. This course defends another position.
In 1 Corinthians 12:28-31, Paul lists the gifts that God grants to his Church. In verse 29, he asks in the present tense: “Are all apostles?” Then he encourages his readers to desire the greater gifts. This suggests that in the mid-50s it was still possible to receive this ministry.
The apostle is first of all someone whom God calls and appoints for a mission (Luke 6:13; Galatians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1). It is difficult to give a strict definition, because the apostles of the New Testament combine several gifts. We can nevertheless conclude that anyone whom God entrusts with a particular mission to build his Church can be called an apostle. This ministry is vital: through it the Church is built up, miracles accompany it and lives are transformed.
Evangelists
Only one person in the Bible is called an “evangelist”: Philip (Acts 21:8), one of the seven chosen to wait on tables in Acts 6. Some translations speak of a “proclaimer of the good news”.
His ministry can be seen in his encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) and in his preaching in Samaria, accompanied by signs and miracles (Acts 8:5-8). Like the apostles, evangelists are chosen by God and equipped by him for the task he entrusts to them.
Pastors and teachers
Some translations speak of “shepherds” and “masters”. The Greek word poimēn, shepherd, is found for example in Matthew 9:36 and 25:32.
The shepherd is close to the elder or the bishop (“overseer”) of the New Testament letters: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care” (1 Peter 5:2; see Acts 20:28). He guards the flock and protects it from attacks coming from within as well as from without. Paul gives the qualities required in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and specifies that the elder must be able to teach.
So every pastor must be a teacher. But a teacher is not necessarily a pastor. He may be an itinerant teacher, or train pastors in a Bible school.
Conclusions
These ministries are complementary for building the Church. Three points deserve to be highlighted.
Do not underestimate the local pastor. As David Petts notes, he may not be the one you see on television or on the internet, nor the one through whom the greatest number have come to God. But he is called by God to a mission that is not spectacular and yet is essential.
Do not expect everything from him. All evangelism and all the building of the Church cannot rest on his shoulders alone. Paul shows that the ministries do not rest on a single person. Every Christian must feel responsible and find the place where God wants them to work.
Get trained. A call from God does not exempt anyone from training. Jesus spent several years training the Twelve before sending them out. Paul was an educated man, trained at the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). Timothy was trained by Paul.
Key points
- Ephesians 4 distinguishes several ministries, and pastoral ministry is not God’s only calling.
- The apostle is a sent one who represents the one who sends him, and the word has a narrower meaning in Luke than in Paul.
- For this course, anyone whom God entrusts with a particular mission to build his Church can be called an apostle.
- Philip is the only person called an evangelist in the Bible, and his ministry is accompanied by signs.
- Every pastor must be able to teach, but not every teacher is necessarily a pastor.
- A call from God does not exempt anyone from training.
To think about
- What expectations do you place on the pastor of your Church? Are they fair?
- What place is God calling you to take in building the Church?
Further reading
- Ephesians 4:1-16
- 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1