Apostles – The 5-fold Ministry – Ephesians 4:11-13

The Ascension Gifts, also referred to as the 5-Fold Ministry, or the Ephesians 4:11-13 Ministries

“And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity]” (Ephesians 4:11-13 AMP)

The role of the 5-fold ministry of Apostle encompasses all the other roles within this office.

An Apostle has seen Christ and been commissioned by Him into this ministry role.

An Apostle is a great Teacher (eg Paul, Peter and John’s writings in the Bible).

An Apostle is an Evangelist (eg Peter’s powerful sermon where three thousand were converted in one day, (Acts 2:14-41), and the many converts among the Gentiles through Paul’s work).

An Apostle will speak forth Prophetically (eg Ananais and Sapphira).

An Apostle can also perform the function of a Pastor – caring for a new Church until such time as Godly men and women are put into roles of Elders and Deacons and a Pastor is called.

So basically an Apostle is a “Church planter”.

He or she is one who has had a vision or meeting with Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1 and 1 Corinthians 15:8), who can speak forth the Words of God through Prophecy, and who can bring people to salvation while Teaching and Pastoring a new Church until such times as God calls him or her elsewhere.

Apostles are also “ordainers” of others into ministry or missions. They can also “impart spiritual gifts” (1Timothy 4:14 and Acts 8:18).

I believe that in every fellowship, in every congregation in the Body of Christ, Jesus has placed those who are part of the 5-fold ministry of Jesus.

That is, there will be local Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers in every congregation or fellowship.

These people, who are called into these functions, may not have much influence outside of their local fellowships – but they will be present within those individual fellowships none-the-less.

There may however be some within their local fellowships who are called by God to have a wider influence – whether that be an influence over cities, States, countries, or even world-wide.

So what does the word ‘Apostle’ mean?

According to the Expository Dictionary Of Bible Words, (which is a modern replacement of the classic “Vine’s Expository Dictionary”) the root meaning of the term ‘Apostle’ refers to a person or persons who are ‘being sent away’, ‘commissioned’, or ‘appointed to a specific task’.

In the New Testament the noun ‘a-post-ol-os’ occurs in about eighty contexts with the consistent translation of ‘apostle’ meaning a divinely appointed messenger or representative.

In Hebrews 3:1 Jesus is described as the supreme ‘apostle’.

Hebrews 3:1 reads: “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, Whom we acknowledge as our apostle and High Priest.”

Some translations substitute the word ‘messenger’ for the word ‘apostle’ in that verse – so it is clear that an ‘apostle’ is indeed a ‘messenger’ or God.

So what are the hallmarks of an Apostle?:

First of all they are God’s messengers ‘who are sent’ forth to deliver a message from God.

And of course the most important message from God is the Gospel.

The message of salvation that God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Secondly, from the New Testament, we can see that genuine apostles have a signs and wonders – healings and miracles ministry anointing.

Jesus, as the Supreme Apostle had a healings and miracles ministry anointing.

The Gospels are full of such evidence of that.

The 12 Apostles also had a similar healings and miracles ministry anointing.

When Jesus sent out the 12 apostles He gave them authority to heal the sick and drive out demons.

Matthew 10:7-8 tells us that Jesus said: “As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

So we see that ‘apostles’ are ones who, as messengers of God, are sent with a message, and who had a healings and miracles ministry anointing.

In 1 Corinthians 15:8 the Apostle Paul described himself as an apostle – although as one abnormally born – that is, he was not one who had been with Jesus during Jesus earthly ministry.

He was also clearly was a messenger of the Gospel and had a ‘signs and wonders’ ministry.

Paul’s writings in the New Testament bear that out.

He healed the sick, he raised the dead, he was bitten by a deadly viper snake but didn’t puff up and die, and he stated that:

“His message and his preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

A third hallmark, or trait, of an apostle is that they are Christian church (or fellowship) planters.

They plant, that is they start, local churches or ministries.

This is often done by bringing people to salvation in Jesus, and then discipling them, often meeting in people’s homes.

Then as numbers begin to grow they establish a small ‘house church’. Which in turn grows into a larger group of people that meet in a larger area. Often in a ‘church building’.

Once again we can see that this is exactly what the Apostle Paul did:

Acts 20:20 “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.”

While numbering the exact amount of churches that Paul started is very challenging, from reading Acts and Paul’s letters we can estimate that he started at least 14 and probably more like 20 plus churches.

Some have said that Paul only started 14 churches in his lifetime.

If so that is a remarkable thing, but I tend to think there are more than 14.

We could well assume that there are some churches started that were not necessarily mentioned as churches in the New Testament.

For instance, there is no mention of a church that started in Athens, but there are households that began to follow Christ there, so we can assume that a church was born there.

In Philippi, there were two households that surrendered to the Gospel (Lydia’s and the Jailer’s), so there could be two organic churches there.

Some say that there is just one church in Philippi because Paul wrote a letter to them, but it is actually to the saints in Christ who are in Philippi.

He also wrote a letter to the churches of Galatia, with many of them are not mentioned.

So numbering the churches Paul started is a challenge.

In Asia alone, the New Testament mentions Ephesus, Smyrna, Perg-amum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Colossae, and Hier-opolis.

Ephesus was really a city full of churches meeting in homes and from that work all the others were started.

So while starting upwards of 20 churches in one’s life is impressive, what is far more impressive is how many daughter churches Paul’s ministry started as well.

A fourth hallmark, or trait, of a Biblical apostle is that they are one’s who have seen the Lord Jesus.

The original apostles had been with Jesus, spent time with Him, and had seen His Glory in His resurrection and ascension.

Paul was the first of the new apostles of the ‘church age’ – meaning he was the first of the apostles down through the centuries that were called by Jesus as apostles, but who had not physically been with Jesus during Jesus earthly ministry.

However, these new apostles have spent a lot of time with Jesus in the sense of having an intimate relationship with Jesus and have witnessed His Glory.

Paul saw Jesus in His Glory on the road to Damascus.

Many apostles since have testified that they had seen Jesus in a vision.

Steve Ryder, who started the “Reach Out For Christ” ministries churches, testifies to having seen Jesus in a blinding white light in a study late one night.

Reach Out For Christ International Ministries is a worldwide Christian Organisation that was established by Dr. Steve Ryder in 1979 and has its headquarters based in Carrara on the Gold Coast.

It soon had planted three churches and now has a global network of churches established worldwide with representation in many different countries as well as a number of travelling ministries that operate out of different nations.

And that is just one of many modern day examples.

Smith Wigglesworth is known as ‘the apostle of faith’.

Jackie Pullinger planted house churches in Hong Kong and has seen many healings and miracles in her ministry.

She believed that Jesus had called her as a messenger of the Gospel.

There have been many other ‘messengers of the Gospel’, ‘missionaries’, down through the church ages as well.

A fifth hallmark of an apostle is that they contend for right doctrine and belief and bring correction to error and false doctrines.

Once again, we can see where Jesus did that in the Gospels often telling the ‘religious’ of His day that they were in error because they did not understand the Scriptures.

For example, in Matthew 22:29 where Jesus corrected the Sadducees over the question of marriage in heaven.

And in the Letters to the Churches in Revelation chapters two and three Jesus brings correction.

Likewise, Paul brought correction to the church at Corinth when he dealt with the issue of sexual immorality and pride where a man sleeping with his father’s wife. (1 Corinthians 5)

And again at Corinth over wrong practices towards Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

Actually, a read of Acts and Paul’s letters show many instances of Paul doing the work of an apostle by bringing correction in various matters.

A sixth hallmark of an apostle is the commissioning of others into their ministry or ministries.

Acts chapter 6:1-7 tells us that seven deacons were originally chosen by the first church.

And in Acts 6:6 we read that “these seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.”

We read a similar thing in Acts 13:1-3 where the Holy Spirit said to set apart Paul and Barnabas for the work chosen for them and that “after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

This concept of laying on hands goes right back to the Old Testament.

For example, in Numbers 8:10-11 God said to Moses:

“When you present the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them. Raising his hands, Aaron must then present the Levites to the Lord as a special offering from the people of Israel, thus dedicating them to the Lord’s service.”

And Numbers 27:18-20 where God said to Moses:

“Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.”

Another hallmark of an apostle is that they pray for the releasing of ‘giftings’ in other Christian believers.

In 1 Timothy 4:14 Paul tells Timothy: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.”

Some other general information on Apostles:

The Apostle, no matter what level they’re on, will have a strong feeling of wanting to get things done.

They are ‘hands on people’, wanting to fix things up.

They become involved with everything that’s going on in their church and at times need to pull back, or, pull their head in.

Their ability to strategize is exceptional.

The danger is they can become a one-man band.

Paul spent many years ministering in his apostolic gift before he was used on a larger scale.

Sometimes the apostle’s enthusiasm for church growth is mistakenly taken as trying to take over things in the church.

Most of the Christian leaders throughout church history (and to this present day) were not afraid to release people into their gifts.

In fact, it was quite the opposite; they felt the need to release Christians in obedience to the “Great Commission”.

If leaders can understand the explosive potential of releasing these apostles into their gift, we would see tremendous church growth.

Apostles will always want to be doing something, so there is a need to recognise these people as workers and doers of God’s work.

We must always seek God for a channel for the apostle’s energy and see them as an important integral part of church growth.

The majority of the apostles simply desire to help the church to grow.

So to summarise:

The role of the 5-fold ministry of Apostle encompasses all the other ministry functions.

An Apostle has seen Christ, usually in a vision or dream, and been commissioned by Him into this ministry role.

An Apostle is a great Teacher for example Paul, Peter and John’s writings in the Bible.

An Apostle is an Evangelist for example Peter’s powerful sermon where three thousand were converted in one day, (Acts 2:14-41) and the many converts among the Gentiles through Paul’s work.

An Apostle will speak forth Prophetically for example the Apostle Peter speaking to Ananais and Sapphira.

An Apostle can also perform the function of a Pastor – caring for a new Church until such time as Godly men and women are put into roles of Elders and Deacons and/or a Pastor is called.

An Apostle is a “Church planter”.

Apostles are also “ordainers” of others into ministry or missions.

And they can also “impart spiritual gifts” for example in 1Timothy 4:14 and Acts 8:18.

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