Am I a prophet because I do have the gift of prophecy? Or do I need the gifts of healing to be able to function in an evangelistic ministry? What are ministry offices or what is the five-fold ministry?
Gifts, ministries and offices have been confused a lot. Many talk about the prophetic ministry or being an intercessor and about flowing in certain gifts.
Ministry Gifts
In 1 Corinthians 12: 1-10 Paul gives a list of the nine gifts of the spirit:
Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Gift of Healings, Gifts of Miracles, Prophecy, Gift of Discerning of the Spirits, Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues.
In verse 4 it says:"Now there are various different gifts, but the same Spirit.". Concerning the ministries it says in the following verse (v 5): "And there are various different ministries, but the same Lord;". The gifts of the spirit are given by the spirit, but the ministries are given by the Lord.
Ministries
The body ministries are described in Romans 12: 6-8. It says there: "Having then gifts that vary according to the grace that is given to us, we should use them,
if prophecy, according to the proportion of faith;" - Prophecy is a body ministry.
"if service, in serving;" - Serving is a body ministry.
"a teacher in teaching;" - Teaching is a body ministry.
"if an encourager [parakleo], in exhortation;" - encouragement and exhortation is a body ministry.
"one that gives [metadidomi], with generosity;" - Giving is a body ministry
"one that rules, with diligence;" - Ruling and leading is a body ministry.
"one that shows compassion, with cheerfulness." - Compassion is a body ministry.
Leadership ministries
In Ephesians 4:11-12 it says: "And He Himself gave some apostles, and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers; For the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ"
"He gave" is also refering to Jesus. These are the leadership ministries and all of them have a different function.
Ministry offices
In 1 Corinthians 12:28 it says: "And God set in place in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, next gifts of healings, supports, directors, various different tongues."
It is interesting that only three of the five ministries are mentioned here. The other two ministries are included in the gifts or functions. That means that everyone can have a apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral or teaching ministry. And often you see these ministries in action in the local church. But the three ministry offices that are specifically mentioned here are given for the whole body of Christ. They take a specific place and carry a lot of responsibility and authority.
Nowadays there are a lot of people that call themselves apostles and prophets and they try to exercise authority over others. But if somebody really has been placed by the God the father in a ministry office then he has also received the authority from him.
On the other hand you will see a lot of people that don't give themselves titles, but they are actually in a ministry office. Many of the so called "pastors" are mainly in a teaching ministry and after a while they might even be in teaching office - maybe without even being aware of it.
Well, frankly: "Everybody can have gifts. Everyone has a ministry, as soon as they become part of the body. But to be in a ministry office it needs the calling of the Lord for it who will also place you in this office."
You will often identify somebody in a ministry office on the given (not taken) authority. Or as the scriptures says in Matthew 7:20:"Therefore by their fruits you will know them." An apostle brings forth fundational things on which the body can be built. If a prophet prays then something will happen and if a teacher teaches, then even complicated things are suddenly getting very easy to understand.
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