Bible Questions and Answers

The phrase ‘fivefold ministry’ does not appear in Scripture. It is concocted from Ephesians 4:11 describing the gifts given in the first century by Jesus Christ for the establishing of the Church.

Ephesians 4:11,12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

These functions were enabled by gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in truth in the first century AD; because the New Testament Scriptures were not written.

Holy Spirit gifts were given by the laying on of the hands of the apostles. With the death of the apostles, Holy Spirit gifts were no longer available. Guidance from then on was solely by the Scriptures.

Eventually, the Church slid into apostasy and became the State Church of the Roman Empire. It adopted false doctrines and became ‘Babylon the great, the Mother of Harlots’ described in Revelation 17. The secular power of this apostate church was broken at the Reformation. There are now many churches which retain the false doctrines of the ‘Mother Church’ and thus constitute her daughters.

Today there are no apostles or prophets. Those who call themselves ‘evangelists’, ‘pastors’, and ‘teachers’ and who engage in preaching, shepherding and teaching others must do so by first understanding and obeying the Gospel preached by Jesus and his apostles.

There is no supernatural Holy Spirit guidance of individuals today. All guidance comes from the word of God as written in the Bible.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn