The vision of Jesus and the restoration of the fivefold ministry

(Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, or ‘APEPT’)

1. Preliminary Considerations

1.1 Why focus on the “fivefold ministry”?

It is recognised that the gift lists in Romans 12:3- 8; 1 Corinthians 12:4 -11;1 Peter 4:8 -11 are not set out as exhaustive but are contextual.
The list in Ephesians 4:11 -16 however is arguably different as this seems to be a circular letter; its ecclesiology is universal rather than contextual. Moreover, it is late in Paul’s writing and represents his most mature and extended reflection on the nature of the church.
This passage most clearly designates a list of persons as gifts to the church, in distinction from gifts given to persons for the church.
Most significantly, as will be discussed in depth later, the very elevated Christology of Ephesians provides the key to understanding the nature and purpose of the “five – fold ministry.”

1.2 Five or four?

A strong case can be made from the grammar of Ephesians 4:11 that we should translate “pastor – teacher.” This would give four distinct gifts.
Whatever position is taken on this debate will make no significant difference to the points under discussion here.

1.3 Ministry and church

It needs to be mentioned in passing that the APEPT do not stand over the church in some sort of hierarchical order but are internal to the body of Christ.
The position taken here is that the APEPT , especially when understood as a functioning team or apostolic band, are the “pioneer church”. That is, the church in its foundational capacity.
Ministry, mission and church are not three realities but three forms of the one reality. The church lives dynamically in its witness by the act of the ministry of persons. As such the church is the mission in its essential nature.

2. Our Present Situation

2.1 Sociologically: the end of Christendom

All western societies are both post -Christian and post-modern.
For the first time in 1500 years or so the assumed framework for social discourse and decision making is not the narrative of the Bible.
The church is no longer the chaplain of the state but merely another institution to which one may choose to belong in a relativistic and pluralistic culture.
In this context the church must assume a missionary mode in relation to the culture in which it exists if it hopes to “survive.”
Hence the renewed interest in APEPT from a sociological and pragmatic viewpoint.

2.2 Theologically: the church and the powers

Since Christians however believe in the sovereignty of God over all history (Dan 4:35; Rom 8:28, 11:36; Eph 1:11 etc.) it must be possible to discern deeper spiritual issues in these events.
The primary spiritual struggle on earth is between the church as the vehicle of the kingdom of God and the demonic powers (Luke 10:18- 19; Gal 4:3; Eph 6:12; Col 2:8, 20; Rev 12:7- 17 etc.).
These powers do not work directly but through the fallen super- structures of the “world” (Matt 4: 8- 9; John 12:31;14:30; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19 etc.): sin, idolatry and death.
The nature of the presentation of the demonic influence on society will be according to “the spirit of anti-Christ “ (Dan 7:5ff; 2 Thess 2 :3 – 4;1 John 2:18,22; 4:3; 2 John 7; Rev 13: 1ff; etc). This will be a repetition of the temptation of the Garden of Eden that humans need not submit to the authority of God expressed in his Word. Death can be overcome by independence from God (Genesis 3:1-4). Such temptations, with the lifestyles that follow them and the structures that support them must be essentially triumphalistic.
The one thing which dethrones the powers and their dominions, the humility of the cross, will never be imaged (Col 2:15; 1 John 3:8; Rev 12:11).
When the church is conformed to this world (Rom 12:1) it becomes in many ways, however unwittingly, an enemy of God and his eternal purposes (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15- 17).
Institutionalism, clericalism, privilege, worldy power and so on have been characteristics of mainstream western Christianity for centuries. Luther called this state “the Babylonian captivity of the church”. The major Protestant Reformers tried to challenge this by addressing the problems in the institutional church of their time. The record of the last 400 years suggests that they were not radical enough in their efforts and that Christendom in both its Catholic and Protestant forms has held back the progress of the kingdom of God.
Often the church has been seduced by the respectability and influence of the powers and has acted as one of them. (In the history of religious wars colonialism etc.). It has failed to realise that the powers by holding the world together hold it away from God.
The post-Christian and post-modern era is therefore a divine strategy to free the people of God from the dominion of the powers so that the true glory of the church as the agent of the kingdom may be released for the salvation of the world.
It is in this theologically viewed context that we may discuss the role of APEPT as opposing the dominion of the powers inside and outside the church and pointing towards the transformation of the cosmos.

3. Pre-conditions For Understanding

3.1 Does APEPT belong only to the New Testament period?

This question must reasonably be answered if the hypotheses put forward in this paper are supportable.
The Dispensational or Cessationist position is that the gifts of apostles and prophet were supernatural endowments need for the establishment of the church before the formation of the New Testament canon.
The main pillar of this argument is that miraculous and revelatory gifts recorded in the Bible are concentrated at hinge periods in salvation – history e.g. the exodus, the time of Elijah and Elisha the first advent of Jesus, the birth of the church. Since the church has been birthed and established gifts of this sort are no longer needed (Eph 2:20).
This is often supported exegetically by equating the coming of “the perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10 with the New Testament. Hence supernatural gifts no longer operate.
There are a number of weaknesses to this position.
Exegetically it could not be expected that the Corinthians and Christians in the first three centuries could grasp Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 13:10.
Theologically, this view places apostles and prophets in competition with New Testament revelation rather than seeing them as bearers of it.
If all the APEPT are gifts to the church we must suppose that they belong to its essential nature and not to some limited period of its life. Support for this position comes not only from the line of thought in Ephesians 4 but from the use of the aorist tense in Ephesians 4:8 where Jesus “gives” the APEPT at a fixed point in time, presumably Pentecost when the church is constituted by the ascended Lord’s gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:33).

3.2 Humility as a precondition for understanding the function of APEPT

The line of thought in Ephesians 4 begins with an appeal to the church to “Be completely humble and gentle” (v.2). Similar sentiments are found in a like passage in Philippians 2:1-4.
It is this relational precondition which was the basis of Jesus exaltation by the Father mentioned in Ephesians 4: 8 and described at greater length in Philippians 2:5 -11.
If we know the things of Jesus and the wisdom of the plan of God by sharing in “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:15), then if we do not possess the humility of Christ we cannot receive the revelation of the Spirit concerning the implications of his exaltation for the church. (This is an extended argument of Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 1-2.)
For most of its history the church of Christendom has been characterised by a lack of humility and brokenness. It has been at times when these attributes have been present that he sort of supernatural gifting characteristic of the A-P has been operative, either in revivals or in marginalised groups such as early Pentecostalism.

3.3 Unity as a precondition for understanding the function of APEPT

Paul teaches on unity at length in Ephesians 4:3-6. A sequence is explicit in Colossians 2:2 -3 : “My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
In periods when the church is functionally dis-unified we should not expect it to be open to receive that which has been accomplished for the whole people of God in the ascension of Jesus and his gifts to the entire body.
Whilst the life of the church is characterised by interpersonal suspicion or hostility it openly denies not only its own nature but the source of this oneness, the completed work of Christ and the ushering in of the new creation.
It cannot function as a unifying power over against the forces of fragmentation in society but appears as one of them.
As such we would expect the Spirit of the risen Lord not only to be grieved and quenched (Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19) but to a certain measure to be withdrawn as an act of corporate discipline.
It is therefore to be anticipated that the revelation of the meaning of the exaltation of the ascension for the church through the APEPT would only emerge when the church is weak in worldly terms but strong in humility and unity.
A similar argument in relation to the necessity for holiness could be developed from scripture both from the life of Jesus (John 17:19,1,4) and in the church e.g., Eph 3:5. (The sequence would be holiness –> humility –> unity –> revelation.) Space prohibits this to be done here.

4. A Biblical Framework For Church And Ministry

4.1 The current scene

Much of the western church has been dominated for the last half century or so (at least) by behaviour that what may be described in Paul’s language in Ephesians 4:14:“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”
Every few years some “new teaching” has been offered as the solution to the problems of the Christian life or the malaise in the church. This could have been the Charismatic Movement, the baptism of the Spirit, spiritual warfare, inner healing, signs and wonders, seeker – sensitive services, purpose driven churches, anointed worship church planting and so on.
Whilst all of these possess a measure of validity and have helped many individuals and congregations in numerous ways, the state of the western church at the start of the third millennium, in terms of impacting the wider world with the gospel, has not improved from its previous position. In fact, the body of Christ as an entity is in a state of crisis.
It is therefore of vital importance that this study on the “five-fold ministry” be divorced from this pattern. What is being presented here is not being offered as a “solution” to the “problems” of the church today. This could only maintain our infancy.
Similarly, the history of the affluent church has been marked by repeated scandals to do with money and immorality, a pattern familiar to the New Testament e.g. 1 Tim 3:1- 10; 2 Tim 3:1- 9; Titus 1:10 -11; 2 Peter 2:1- 3; Jude 4,11 but warned of in terms of “the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Despite these seemingly endless and often highly public scandals to do with sex and money some of the largest churches in Europe, North America and Australia concentrate on prosperity teaching and personal blessing. This suggests that only a recovery of previously largely ignored material in the New Testament as a whole and Ephesians 4 in particular can remedy this sorry state of affairs
In moving to an examination of some of the overarching concepts that form the structure of scripture and which underlie our critical passage in Ephesians 4, it is hoped that we may move beyond both the rationalism of the modern period and the functionalism/pragmatism of the post-modern era to a place where we may, by the Spirit’s revelation of the Word, be grasped by the realities that moved Paul and other apostolic- prophetic writers to express to the church the way forward to its true unity and maturity.

4.2 God’s plan for the restoration of all things

The concept of God’s plan is found throughout scripture, it is central to Pauline theology in general and the letter to Ephesians in particular.
This is a plan that is eternal (Isa 46:10; Matt 13:35;25:34; Acts 3:21; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9,11) and encompasses “all things” (ta panta ) (Isa 14:24ff; Lam 3:37 38; Rom 11:36; Eph 1:11).
This plan is a “secret” or “mystery” hidden from eternity in God (Rom 16:225; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26) but now revealed to the apostles, prophets and the saints (Rom 16:26; 1 Cor 2:10; 4:1; Eph 3: 3ff 9; Col 1:25 -26).
From the side of creation this plan can be expressed in terms of the restoration or renewal of the whole creation (Matt 19:28; Acts 3:21; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1ff etc.).
In the framework of the New Testament, the sign that the power and era of this universal restoration has broken into history is the gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:17 – 21; Heb 6:5) and the inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God (Rom 16:26; Eph 3:6; Col 1:27). This is a truth variously expressed in the New Testament in the Synoptic Gospels the language of “the kingdom of God” is used.
From within the New Testament, it is clear from the nature and urgency of the apostolic proclamation, their ministry not only in but of the Spirit and their “missionary” endeavours that they understood themselves to be the earthly ministers through whom the End would come. Apart from seeing this, the full meaning of the APEPT as the ongoing apostolic ministry in/of the church cannot be understood.
The key to understand the role and significance of the APEPT as the ministers of Christ is the concept of fullness.

4.3 The fullness of Christ and universal transformation

In the letters of Ephesians and Colossians Paul makes the claim that the fullness of God is found in the person of Jesus (Eph 1: 10, 23; Col 1:19;2:9).
The background to this in the Old Testament is the divine glory which “fills”/will “fill” the temple of God (1 Ki 8:11; 2 Chron 5:14; 7:1- 2; Isa 6:1; Ezek 43:5; Hag 2:7) and the whole earth (Num 14:21; Isa 6:3; Ps 72:19). God himself fills “heaven and earth” (Jer 23: 23 24 cf. Ps 48:10; 119:64).
Fullness therefore means the act by which God makes his presence and power felt.
This means that Jesus is the site where the glory of God is revealed to the world in a total fashion (John 1: 14 -16). He is the man who has been given the Spirit without measure (John 3: 34). All of the blessings of the Father from eternity are found in Christ (Eph 1:3- 8).
What is in Jesus is the reality of the new creation which has come into being through his death, resurrection and return to the glory of heaven (John 3;3,5; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:10; Col 3;10).
Outside of Jesus there can only be found an old (pre – resurrection) order which is passing away (1 Cor 7:31; 1 John 2:8).

4.4 The fullness of Christ in the church

The church is “the fullness of him who fills all things in every way” (Eph 1:23).
This means that the reality of the church as the bride of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 11:7) is to be filled with the glory of Jesus. Hence the command to be “filled” with his Spirit (Eph 5:18).
The temple of God which is filled with his power and presence is no longer a physical building but a community of people gathered to Christ in whom God dwells (1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21 -22;1 Peter 2:4 -5; Rev 13:6;21:3). The church is the answer on earth to the cry “Where is God?”
It is through the church that Jesus permeates and eventually comes to dominate all things. This is the essence of the church as a missionary reality; it carries or bears in its life, by grace and truth in the Spirit, the power to impart through the gospel the very life of Jesus and so a share in the world to come.
What goes on in the church is the central thrust of the plan of redemption God has for creation. The church is the only real exhibit of the kind of reconciliation that God has in mind for “all things.”

5. Ascension, Fullness and APEPT

5.1 The ascension and fullness of Jesus

Ephesians 4:10 teaches that the purpose of Jesus ascending to heaven was “to fill all things”. The emphasis here, following on from the triumph of Christ in verse 8, is on the kingship of Jesus as ruler of the cosmos. “All things” includes heaven, earth, principalities and powers and the church. Cf. Col 1:19 -20.
The picture in this passage is of the king who visits all parts of his realm (even the “lower parts of the earth” v.9) to establish his rule there.
Even though the language is different, the theme is the same as that of the humiliation – exaltation described in Philippians 2:5 -11. The universal authority of Jesus is summed up by his possession of the name and title of God: “Lord.”
John describes the same reality in terms of Jesus’ return to the eternal glory of the Father (John 17:1 -5) where he has completed his work and assumes “power over all flesh.”
It is because Jesus humanity is now taken completely into God (Col 3:3) that it has emptied the universe of any authentic reason for being empty of the fullness of God.
It is on account of his penetration, power and presence throughout the universe that Jesus has “all authority in heaven and earth” (Matt 28:18). This is not to be thought of by analogy with a human autocracy that rules by external sovereign power from a distance, it is the power of a personal penetration into all the low and high places of the universe. (The bi -polar unity of the cross and the ascension.)

5.2 Ascension-gift ministries

The classical manner of referring to the APEPT is as “ascension – gift ministries”. This insight immediately preserves the inner connection between the exaltation of Jesus to the Father and these gifts.
The APEPT are especially to be thought of in terms of Christ as King to his church.
The distribution of these royal gifts and ministries from the Messianic King is the means by which he presences himself through the church to the cosmos. In other words the APEPT of Ephesians 4:8,11 are gifts of the exalted Christ to the church so that in and through them it may receive from his fullness and live in that fullness that is its true nature and destiny.
These gifts are a participation in the life of Jesus himself who is the one true Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher (John 3:17; 4:34; Heb 3:1; Luke 13:33; John 4:19; 7:40; Mark 1:15; John 10:11; Heb 13:21; Matt 23:10; 28:19; Mark 1:27; John 13:13 ). (This will be discussed more fully later.)
In the power of the Holy Spirit the APEPT is able to impart a share in the life of Jesus. Embodied in them by grace is all that is needed for the healing of the nations.

5.3 APEPT and the fullness of the church

The object of the APEPT is to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:12 -13).
Immaturity in the church (see before) can therefore be traced most immediately back to immaturity in the “ascension – gift ministries.”
The APEPT will be able to impart maturity to the body of Christ only to the degree that they have received a revelation of and share in the reality of the ascended Lord Jesus as the “one mature man” to which the people of God are to be conformed (Romans 8:29 – 30).
It is (see before) the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of power that signals to the universe of men and angels that God’s purposes for humanity have reached their completion in the person of Jesus. This is Jesus being “taken up in glory” (1 Tim 3:16 cf. Acts 1:9).
Similarly the author of Hebrews speaks regularly of the perfection of Jesus as our human High Priest in association with his suffering upon earth and entry into the heavenly sanctuary (2:10; 4:14; 5:9; 7:26,28). He stresses that the sacrifice of Jesus purifies or cleanses not only earthly things but the heavenly sphere (9:23ff.). This being so, all the universe can be filled with God.
The wisdom and insight which is given to the church through the APEPT and apostles and prophets specifically (Eph 3:5), is that everything and everyone is included in the plan of God to pour his life into his creation.
When the APEPT are properly functional they, by centring the church on the person of Jesus, move it to a maturity, perfection or completion which is identical to that reached by God in the person of Jesus. Such persons therefore are not distracted by infantile attitudes and temptations to do with false teaching, status, sex, power or money but with the people of God “grow up in every way into him who is the head, even Christ” (Eph 4:15).
Through the Word of these ministers the body of Christ understands itself to be the image of Christ on the earth both by character (2 Cor 3:17 -18; Col 3:10) and multiplying and having dominion over the powers of evil in men and angels (Matt 28:19 -20; 2 Cor 10:3 -4; Eph 6:12ff).
These men and women are the gifts of Jesus through which he fills the church in order to reach all creatures. These ones are given to grasp that the church is the proof on earth that Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand in the heavenly places (Eph 1:20). They build up the church to live and proclaim this by opening up the truth of the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies where we enjoy fellowship with the ascended Jesus (Eph 1:3; 2:6; Heb 12:22 -24).
As such, they give the church to know, where “knowledge” means intimate communion (Eph 1:18; 3:19; 4:13) all the riches of Christ for them. In this knowledge of Jesus the church always images the ultimate truth that has created not only itself but in Christ the new heavens and earth, that the cross is the way to the crown.