The Work of the Holy Spirit III

This is the third installment and in a five-part series on the work of the Holy Spirit. As we begin, let’s review a little bit about what we have learned so far. In the first two parts, we learned that the gifts of the Holy Spirit aren’t exactly the kind of gifts that we are accustomed to. They’re not the kind of gifts or presents that we give and receive at Christmas, holidays, and birthdays. Instead of being “gifts,” they are actually functions of the Holy Spirit.

Functions of the Holy Spirit?

A function is a natural activity or the purpose for an object, and natural functions require no real thought or effort required to carry out. The various functions of the Holy Spirit are the ways that he naturally operates within a body of believers. Functioning is not about doing things; functioning is about simply being what you are created to do without thought or worry.

An example of this can be found in the simple tools we use like can openers, chainsaws, safety pins, or thumb drives. These objects do not fret or worry about being useful or being sufficient to the task. They simply function the way they were intended to function. We are called to be the same.

Types of Gifts/Functions

In the last post, I introduced the concept that there are three categories or types of what we call “Gifts of the Holy Spirit” that are found in Scripture. One type or category of these functions present in the Church today is servant or ministry gifts like the ones listed in Ephesians 4:11. There are also service or motivational functions like the ones Paul lists in Romans 12:6-8 and in I Corinthians 12:28, and there are sign or manifestation functions listed in I Corinthians 12:8-10.

In this post, we will explore the servant or ministry functions. Just a reminder before we begin, Father doesn’t give us things. He only gives us more of himself. And beyond that, he gives each one of us as a gift to the Church and to the world. With that in mind, the servant or ministry gifts are individuals that he gives to the Church.

Servant/Ministry Gifts

The servant gifts as listed in Ephesians 4 are apostles, prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers. In Ephesians 4:11, we read these words: “So, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and teachers.” The question that needs to be asked is: “For what purpose?” Paul goes on in verse 12 to say, “to equip his people for works of service, so that the whole body of Christ may be built up.” 

The word used here for “built up” speaks of a building. It speaks of a home suitable as a dwelling place for God. The servant gifts, these individuals given by God himself to the Church, are tasked with making Christ known to the world, fully teaching the precepts of Kingdom of God, and modeling what it means to be a true believer so that God can dwell in each of us.

Apostles

The Greek word for apostle means “a messenger.” It is someone who has been sent on a mission by one who is in authority. This person is not only sent by one with authority, but they are also sent with authority to act on behalf of the sender.

Now there is a bit of controversy with this function and with apostles in general in today’s society. A couple questions that are asked and that demand an answer are these: Do apostles still exist today? And if they do, for what purpose do they exist? What purpose, if any, does or would a modern-day apostle have? To answer that question, we must draw a distinction between the “office of an apostle” and the “gift of apostleship,” and there is a big difference between the two.

Office of Apostle

In Scripture, we find that there are certain conditions that existed to be confirmed to the office of apostle. We find these conditions in Acts 1:21-22 where Peter is speaking with the other apostles after Judas had vacated his position. Peter said to the others, “Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” From this passage, we can see that there were three requirements to be eligible to be an apostle in the New Testament church.

The first requirement was being with Jesus from the time of his baptism until his ascension. The second requirement is being a witness to his resurrection. A person in the office of apostle had to have seen the resurrected Lord in person. And the third requirement for occupying this office is performing signs and wonders in ministry. We see this noted in II Corinthians 12:12 where Paul writes, “I persevered in demonstrating among you, the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders, and miracles.” Those qualifications can only be met by those men living in the first century.

Gift of Apostleship

I have struggled with that concept over the years, but I have come to understand that there is a gift of apostleship that exists to this day, and I believe that this is what Paul was referencing in Ephesians 4. The gift or function of apostleship belongs to those folks who carry the gospel message with God’s authority and often with signs and wonders. This would include those intrepid souls who take the Kingdom of God into new neighborhoods and regions. Some missionaries would fall into this category.

The function of apostleship is also intent upon raising up and training new workers and leaders to work in the kingdom. We see this in the New Testament as the apostles (especially Paul) trained the next generation of workers. And the gift of apostleship belongs to those whose function it is to strengthen the body of Christ to stand in these dark days of the end times.

Prophets

Another equally potent and divisive controversy also surrounds the existence of prophets in modern-day society. Do they still exist? And if so, for what purpose? In many Christian fellowships in churches, many men and women have claimed the mantle, title, or role of prophet, and there has arisen great controversy regarding the validity of such titles and ministries.

There is no doubt that we find prophets in both the New and Old Testament in the Bible, but we don’t fully know what to think or feel about their ministry. The Greek word defines a prophet as an interpreter or “forth-teller” of God’s will. Like the prophets of old, a modern-day prophet is a spokesperson who speaks forth the message of God in a particular situation. They do not by necessity foretell future events, although they may do so on occasion.

We find prophets in the New Testament like in Acts 11:27-28, “During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)” We see this man, Agabus, again in Acts 21 speaking to Paul.

In Acts 13:1, we find that there were prophets in Antioch as well, “Now, in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” In Acts 15:32, Luke writes about Judas and Silas, “Judas and Silas, who themselves are prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” This is the same Silas who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. In I Corinthians 14:29, Paul gives directions to the prophets in that gathering: “Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.” 

Office of Prophet

We can see, then, that a prophet in the New Testament church (of which we are still a part) was and is a spokesperson. They are ones who bear witness to what they have seen or heard. Part of a prophet’s task within a body is to comfort, encourage, guide, warn, and to reveal sin. There is no mention of them pronouncing judgment, condemnation, accusation, or retribution in this list of tasks. It is not part of Father’s plan that we ever participate in these things.

Just like the function of an apostle, there is a differentiation to be seen here with prophets as well. There is the function of being called as one of Father’s spokespeople. Those called as prophets are people to whom Father gives insight, direction, and sometimes seemingly impossible tasks to complete. It is a calling that requires those individuals to give up all rights to themselves. They truly only have one job: they must obey.

There is also the gift of prophecy, which we’ll discuss in detail in the next post.

Evangelists

The next servant function is that of evangelist. This is something that we are more familiar with in our modern-day society, but this function is more than just being an itinerant preacher who sweeps into town for a few nights before moving on to the next town to preach the same series of prepared messages.

The Greek word says that an evangelist is a bringer of good news. This is a person whose heart and soul exists to share the gospel and to win the lost to Christ. Those who have been given to the Church as evangelists possess the unique ability to share the love of Christ in such a way that it draws people to respond. An example of a person with this gift would be Billy Graham, who was a very well-known evangelist in our day. Embedded within an evangelist’s soul and spirit is a deep understanding of the need for salvation. They possess an empathy for the lost condition unlike that of other ministry gifts.

Evangelists possess the unique ability to clearly and effectively communicate the gospel to others. They are burdened in their hearts for those who have not accepted Christ. They are always looking and always finding opportunities to share the gospel. Unlike the rest of us, they are able to overcome the normal (or abnormal) fear of rejection and engage non-believers in meaningful conversations about Jesus and the need for salvation.

Finally, evangelists seek out relationships. They build friendships for the purpose of sharing their faith. They are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and they are able to communicate with all kinds of people. We have all known folks like this, and I am personally in awe of that God-given ability. The Body of Christ would not exist without these exceptional folks.

Pastors

The next function is one that we are all quite familiar with. It is the function of pastor. Every church around the world has at least one. It should be noted here, however, that the New Testament term “pastor” can only found in Ephesians 4. The Greek word that Paul uses refers to a simple, ordinary shepherd. He or she is someone the Lord has raised up to care for the well-being of a local flock.

Peter refers to this church leader as an elder in I Peter 5:1-4 where he writes, “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed. Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 

The pastor’s role can be misunderstood as well. Like the other servant functions, this one has morphed and changed over the centuries as well. There are those today who believe that the pastor’s primary purpose is to keep a church running smoothly and growing steadily. Parishioners and religious leaders alike have begun to see the pastor as the CEO (chief executive officer,) the CFO, (chief financial officer,) the CIO (chief, information officer,) and the COO (chief operational officer) all rolled into one. It is my strong conviction that Jesus didn’t go to the cross merely to create a corporation that is worried about its bottom line and its profits. I have said as much in a church board meeting before. Needless to say, I didn’t remain on that board very long.

Others believe that the pastor is a kind of a spiritual guru. This may not be the kind of guru sitting on top of the mountain lotus-style, but certainly the pastor should be an all-knowing spiritual expert who has the answer to every problem man has ever encountered. I can only imagine how disappointed these people must be, but they also believe that the pastor’s role is to take sole responsibility for all the ministry in a local body. This is a very prevalent notion and the cause for much of the burnout we see among church pastors.

Taking a look at a pastor’s role, we can see that pastors shepherd God’s people by protecting them. Maybe not from lions and tigers and bears perhaps but certainly from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Pastor protect their flock from charlatans who want to “fleece the sheep” as well as from false doctrines that creep into Christian practice.

Pastors also shepherd God’s people by feeding them. In times past, shepherds would lead the sheep from one green pasture to another to ensure they got proper nutrition. Modern-day shepherds do the same thing for their sheep. Pastors seek out truth and prepare messages that address the challenges people are facing and that meet the needs of those under his or her care. It is incumbent upon local pastors to listen carefully to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the local body and deliver that message.

Pastors also shepherd by leading their flock away from dangerous doctrine and practices, away from the precipices of worldliness and apathy, and toward Christ and the truth. A pastor leads his flock toward a life of faith and obedience. Pastors shepherd by caring, by listening, by helping, but not by enabling or excusing behaviors. This might entail speaking hard words and difficult truths occasionally.

Teachers

The last of the servant gifts listed in Ephesians 4 are the teachers who are given to the Body of Christ as a function. The Greek word here is very straightforward. A teacher is an instructor. A teacher is one who is acknowledged for their mastery in their field of learning, and these people are called to function in every local body. As a former public school teacher myself, I believe that part of a teacher’s role is to create places, times, and an atmosphere where learning can take place.

What Do Teachers Do?

Teachers teach. A teacher shares information. They share their content knowledge, their expertise, and their experience. A teacher builds relationships. It has been said that students don’t care what you know until they know that you care. A teacher models what they are teaching. It can’t be a “Do as I say, not as I do” attitude. A teacher’s life needs to be an example to be emulated by his or her students.

A teacher imparts wisdom and truth. They understand that the easy answer is not always the best answer. In short, a teacher knows their stuff. They are prepared. They have a depth of understanding of what they are teaching. And a teacher listens, councils, and advises their students in the way they should go.

A true teacher is also constantly learning. They are they learn from the various resources available to them, from their own personal experiences, and from the students. Teachers in the Kingdom of God are consistent. What they teach lines up with the Word, and their lives are aligned with what they teach.

Ministry Functions in the Church

One of the guiding questions in the last post was about how these gifts, or functions, fit into a local fellowship. Is there any room in our local church for these five functions? You had better believe there is! There is great need.

We must remember that these gifts are not given to individuals. These are individuals who have been given to the collective body, to the entire gathering. In I Peter 4:10 we read, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace and its various forms.” If you are part of a local gathering, you have a function. But don’t get a big head about it, as Paul writes in Galatians 5:25-26, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.”

Some Perspective

Here is a little perspective: we are just like the common, ordinary tools that we use every day – tools like computers, can openers, shovels, telephones, microphones, saws, safety pins, and thumb drives. Each one is very different from the other, but each one is designed and created for a designated purpose. Each one is necessary to perform that particular service. You are needed in your local fellowship, and it is essential that you function in the way you were created and designed to function.

As Father gives us more and more of himself, may we be sure to share him with others.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®

Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ^TM

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.