"And he gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." -Ephesians 4:11-12
During His earthly ministry, Jesus perfectly modeled for His disciples each of the five-fold giftings of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. The Church now is gifted with these ministries to equip and edify the body so it can be an extension of His five-fold work in establishing Christ’s kingly rule in the world. The Church is empowered through the Holy Spirit byway of these ministries providing it with all the necessary tools to fulfill God’s mission of salvation and liberation from the powers of sin, evil, disease, and death. It is through the 5-fold ministries that God’s elect people can make God’s presence a reality within the body and now the Church invites others to receive renewal, healing, and restoration.
