The Five Fold Ministry (PASTOR)

          All of the ministries have their importance and their function in the local church so maybe I shouldn't play favorites; but the Pastor is truly my favorite. Time and time again they stand behind a pulpit and deliver thus sayeth the Lord with few thank yous or pats on the back. They are the first to get blamed for the problems of the church and generally the last to get paid...many don't get paid at all. They ask for nothing in return but to be heard, not because they are narcissistic, but because what they have to say is important and comes from God.

           Through all of this they love us even when we act unlovable...and I have no doubt that to love some of us (including myself) takes many hours of prayer. Yet they persevere in their labor of love : PRESS ON PASTORS!! For whether we tell you or not and even when we act like we don't...WE NEED YOU!!

TEXT: Ephesians 4: 7-13

4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, PASTORS and teachers; 

4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:


Pastor (Greek - poimēn) : a shepherd (literally or figuratively)
Pastors (Hebrew - râ‛âh) : to tend a flock, that is, pasture it; intransitively to graze (literally or figuratively);    generally to rule; by extension to associate with 
Bishop (Greek - episkopē) : inspection (for relief); by implication superintendence; specifically the Christian “episcopate”

          The term Pastor is found only one time in the New Testament which is in our text. It is an Old Testament concept and by the definitions we can tell exactly what the meaning was used for...the shepherd of the flock.

          We know that Timothy was the very first official Bishop of any New Testament church while Peter was the Senior Bishop (Pastor). Christ referenced the shepherd on several occasions during His ministerial work here on earth so we  have plenty of resources to pull from. 

          In comparing the definitions we will find that the office of the Bishop is the Pastor and to this end the New Testament leaves us with plenty of information to study from.

Let's look at several passages in the Bible and see what they have to say about the Pastor.

John 10: 7-18

10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 
10:8  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 
10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 
10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 
10:12  But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 
10:13  The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 
10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 
10:15  As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 
10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 
10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 
10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 21 : 15-17

21:15  So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 

21:16  He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 

21:17  He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.



Psalms 23 : 1-2

23:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

23:2  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

          The Pastor is the most versatile of all ministries in that one they must be able to feed and water the souls of the flock, they must be able to counsel the flock,they must be able to correct the flock and through all this must be able to defend the flock from the wolves with their very life if need be.

          Very few Pastors get the luxury of being able to only fill one role of the five fold ministry. Most not only have to be Pastors but usually have to be Teachers as well and sometimes Evangelists and even others at times. Paul told Timothy to do the work of an Evangelist and in another place told him to be apt to teach.

          The primary role of a Pastor is to be in direct leadership over a specific flock and to answer to God for the spiritual welfare of that flock. A Pastor is not in his role while standing behind the pulpit. A Pastor may never step behind the pulpit and still fulfill the role of Pastor. While behind the pulpit the Pastor is fulfilling the role of Evangelist and Teacher. The role of Pastor truly begins when he steps out from behind the pulpit. 

          The Pastor is in his truest form when in his office studying and praying and counseling. The Pastor's job is not to do the manual labor around the church...this is the job of all that would call themselves Deacons. The Deacons job was to do the menial tasks and physical labor so that the ministers wouldn't have to.

 Acts 6: 1-4

 6:1  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 

6:2  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 

6:3  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 

6:4  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.



          The job of a Pastor is to take care of the personal-spiritual needs of the flock just as a father takes care of a child. The needs of the child are feeding, watering, clothing, shelter, instruction, correction, rebuke, punishment and most importantly love. If even one of these is left out, from the pleasant to the unpleasant, then the father as well as the Pastor is not doing their job as the Lord has laid out in His Word.

Love and Blessings,

Jonathan D. Saunders.

The Five Fold Ministry (EVANGELIST)

This is number three of five in the lineup and my goal as with all the others is to show the importance of having all of these ministries functioning properly in the Church. 

TEXT: Ephesians 4: 7-13

4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 

4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 4:11  And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, EVANGELISTS; and some, pastors and teachers; 

4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Evangelist (Greek - euaggelistēs) : a preacher of the gospel; from a similar word meaning to announce good news (“evangelize”) especially the gospel: - declare, bring (declare, show) glad (good) tidings, preach (the gospel).

          The first thing I am going to do is to give you every instance of the word evangelist being used in the Bible. 

II Timothy 4: 1-5

4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 

4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

4:5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Acts 21: 7-11

21:7  And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 

21:8  And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 

21:9  And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 

21:10  And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 

21:11  And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

          The term evangelist originally denotes lay-preachers which are preachers of the Gospel that do not have any one specific place that they have settled to preach the Gospel; but rather preach anywhere that the Lord leads them and people (lost souls or other churches) need them. 

          Phillip is the only one in the Bible that is actually given the title of Evangelist and if we study what know about him both in the Bible and from other historical resources we will find that for the most part he traveled where ever he was led so as to preach Jesus Christ. His means of operation was not that of the Apostle per-se seeing as how he wasn't a missionary in the proper since but he did promulgate the Gospel, led souls to Jesus, Baptized and built up the church.

           The primary goal of the evangelist is to build up the church or in Biblical terminology, edify. Paul himself is a great example of several of the Gifts including Evangelist. We know that he was an Apostle by calling and he functioned in this office regularly by going on missionary journeys.  He operated as well in the office of the Prophet (not in the spiritual aspect but in the physical actions) by appointing and anointing the authorities in the areas that he would go into and Christianize. After this, he continued in the office of Evangelist by not only helping build up the churches that he would establish but would also keep regular tabs on these churches whether by letter or person thereby operating in the office of pastor as well. Paul truly was multifaceted. 

          The role of Evangelist is to come in after the Apostle has went in and made new converts (thereby starting a church base) and gave them guidelines, and the prophet has come in and set up the structure and brought them deeper into the knowledge of Christ. The Evangelist at this point builds up the church (physically and spiritually) and keeps tabs on the local churches and when needful, goes back to churches that have been previously established and reproves and rebukes in a manner that would not normally be accepted from a Pastor. Paul many times said in his writings "It is needful that I come unto you" or "It is needful that I write unto you". He was often times correcting problems that would arise in established churches that the Pastors couldn't or wouldn't deal with themselves. Sometimes a Pastor doesn't even know how to deal with a situation other than to pray and then God lays it on the heart of an evangelist to go in and help.


          Paul's journeys were called missionary trips but in all actuality several of his trips were not missionary in nature at all; but were evangelistic in the fact that he was going back to churches that were already established to either build up their most holy faith or to right a wrong.


          Paul told Timothy to do the work of an Evangelist. By this he was telling Timothy to be a church builder and to keep tabs on these churches as well as do the pasturing of the church that he was over. At this point in history the church was outgrowing itself. There were more converts to the faith than there was room in the corporate church setting which naturally meant that many house-churches were springing up. These were firstly going to need structure so that everything could be done decently and in order. Secondly they were going to need someone to watch over them so that these satellite churches didn't turn into cults by their very design. 

          According to scripture, Paul considered the office of Evangelist a paid ministry, even going so far as to rebuke one church for not desiring to give of their temporal means when he and those with him had sown unto them eternal things.


         I hope and pray that all who read this series will learn and grow in knowledge of the Word.

Love and Blessings,

Jonathan D. Saunders.