EVERY BELIEVER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY
11 AND HE [Jesus] HIMSELF GAVE SOME TO BE apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12 FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY, FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Ephesians 4:11 (NKJV)
The five major ministry gifts given by God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, are enumerated here in the above passage of the Bible. These are ministry gifts; they are the people, humans, who are called to certain offices of ministry:
“AND HE [Jesus] HIMSELF GAVE SOME TO BE APOSTLES, SOME PROPHETS, SOME EVANGELISTS, AND SOME PASTORS AND TEACHERS” (Ephesians 4:11 NKJV).
They are human beings who are given as gifts to the church, the Body of Christ. Their functions are mentioned in the
next verse of the same chapter, verse 12, they are given to the church:
a) for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry.
b) they are given for the edifying of the
body of Christ.
In other words, the saints would be equipped by these fivefold ministry gifts, to do the work of ministry, and that would result in the edification of the whole Body of Christ. Now, for clarity
purpose, the ones in the ministry offices are not the ones to do the work, theirs is to equip the saints to do the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:12).
When the saints started doing the work (Ephesians 4:16), the whole Body, the believers in general, who belong to each local Body of believers, would begin to experience edification, that is, they would be steadfast and be made rooted firmly in Christ Jesus. This will continue, or it is expected to continue, until we all, the overall Body of believers, would come to the unity of the faith, oneness of faith, and oneness of the knowledge of the Son of God. And, become a perfect man, a mature person or believer, and that to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
The stature of the fullness of Christ is the standard for every believer, not one pastor or any other person. The aspiration of every believer should be, to be like Christ in character and the
demonstration of power. Anything short of this is an aberration!
The question now is, as one of those called into the fivefold ministries; Are you doing your work, equipping those entrusted to you? (1 Peter 5:2,3)
And, If you are among the saints to be equipped, Do you make yourself available to be taught and be equipped for your edification and the work of the ministry?
Thus, whether you are among those in the fivefold ministries, or you are among the saints to be equipped, you have a responsibility; either to teach and equip others, or to make yourself available to be taught and do the work of ministry.
Therefore you should part of kingdom builders. You should not be idle in the doing of the kingdom work.
Peace.