Ephesians 4:12

“... To prepare God's people for works of ministry so that the Body of Christ may be built-up.”

The ministry gifts have a dual purpose- to equip the saints for ministry, and to build up the church, the Body of Christ.

there is an attitude amongst some Christians that the pastor is responsible for every ministry that happens in the church. As we stated in the previous verse, no one person can contain every ministry gift, let alone do everything that is needed to be done.

pastors have responsibility for oversight, to give directions and set parameters for ministry in the congregation.

Pastors and the other five-fold ministers are to equip the saints, God's people, for works of ministry. They are not responsible for doing all the ministry.

The way it should happen is that they first demonstrate the ministry. Then the disciples practice the ministry with supervision. Finally, they are declared to be competent ministers of the gospel .

the rabbinical model was for disciples to literally follow the Rabbi around everyday, observing and sometimes participating in the ministry. This was the model followed by Jesus and the Twelve.

So apostles should mentor future apostles, evangelists should mentor future evangelists, and so on. Because we are meant to be fathers to sons, the desire of the minister should be that the son should rise to greater levels of success in the Lord than he himself did. Any minister who is not seeking to raise up or to equip the saints is falling down on their job.

the expectation is not that every member of the body becomes a five-fold minister. The expectation is that every believer has the opportunity to participate in the ministry of the church and to do the works of ministry .

when this process is happening, the church becomes mature. Every christian should be taught how to share the gospel with unbelievers, how to pray for the sick, how to encourage the downhearted, and how to hear the Lord. These things flow from the hearts of the five fold ministers, and should flow to the hearts of the saints.

The second purpose of the five fold ministry gifts is to build up the Body of Christ.

the church needs strengthening to do its tasks, and the ministers are like coaches showing the body how to develop its gifts and become stronger in Christ. As different parts of the body learn to minister, the body as a whole is built up.

it is built up numerically through the witness of its members under the encouragement of the evangelists.

it is built up in purpose under the grace of the apostles and prophets, and it senses its purpose and direction as people learn their giftedness.

pastors and teachers keep the body strong and on the right tracks. As the members of the body grow in understanding, they ensure at the whole body stays close to the Lord.

so the church is built up in every way through the correct operation of the ministry gifts of the Holy Spirit .

key points in this verse:

• the ministry gifts are given to equip the people of God.

• it is not God's intention for the gifted ones to do all the ministry.

• mentoring of rising ministers and equipping all the people are the focus of the five-fold ministries

• as God's people are equipped to do the works of ministry, the whole body is strengthened and built up.