Question: "What is the five (5) fold ministry?"

Answer: The concept of the five-fold ministry comes from Ephesians 4:11, "It was he who gave some to be (1) apostles, some to be (2) prophets, some to be (3) evangelists, and some to be (4) pastors and (5) teachers."

Ephesians 4:12-13 tells us that the purpose of the five-fold ministry is, "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

Ephesians 2:20 informs us that the church is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone." If the apostles and prophets were the foundation of the church, are we still building the foundation? Hebrews 6:1-3 encourages us to move on from the foundation.

Although Jesus Christ is most definitely active in the church today, His role as the cornerstone of the church was completed with His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. If the work of the cornerstone is complete, so must the work of the apostles and prophets, who were the foundation, be complete.

What was the role of the apostles and prophets? It was to proclaim God's revelation, to teach the new truth the church would need to grow and thrive. The apostles and prophets completed this mission. How? By giving us the Word of God. The Word of God is the completed revelation of God. The Bible contains everything the church needs to know to grow, thrive, and fulfill God's mission (2 Timothy 3:15-16).

The ongoing work of the apostles and prophets is manifested in the Holy Spirit speaking through and teaching us God's Word.

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that MIRACLES, then GIFTS OF HEALING, HELPS, GOVERNMENTS, DIVERSITIES OF TONGUES. --1 Corinthians 12:28

As God's people humble themselves (with prayer & fasting), unity will come, followed by power. Just as a hand has more power with all five fingers, so will the church be stronger with all five ministries operating.