Christian Living

---

The Five-Fold Ministry

Part 1: Historically-speaking

As a child, I spent a few years living in a town called Zion in northeast Illinois. In recent years, I've done some research on the town and discovered that quite a few evangelists and ministers from America's past actually hailed from that small town as well, or had some sort of "Zion Connection." Gordon Lindsay, the founder of Christ for the Nations institute, Dallas, Texas, was from Zion. So was Finis Jennings Dake of Dake's Bible fame. Jerry Jenkins, co-Author of the popular "Left Behind" series is from Zion. John G. Lake's ministry was jump-started there when his wife was actually healed by Zion's founder, John Alexander Dowie, a Congregational minister who founded and oversaw the Christian Catholic Church, established in 1896. In 1901, with 5,000 followers, Dowie established the “City of Zion” and ran the town as a Puritan theocracy. In 1904, he revealed that he had been Divinely commissioned to be the “First Apostle” and told his followers to anticipate the full restoration of apostolic Christianity. Many thought Dowie was nuts after this and, in 1906, the believers in the Zion community began to diminish. Dowie passed away the following year.

According to author Frank Viola in his article on the five-fold Ministry, "In 19th century England, Christians were ripe to flock to apocalyptic prophecies about the coming Millennial Age. The upheaval that the French Revolution had produced left God’s people wishing for a reign of peace under their Lord that would set all things right. In the year 1824, Edward Irving, a Presbyterian pastor in Scotland, began teaching that “the five-fold ministry” of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers had disappeared from the church and were in need of restoration. According to Irving, the restoration of these ministries would usher in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on the earth. As a result of Irving’s teachings, he and his followers began the Catholic Apostolic Church in 1832. Its chief purpose was to restore “the five-fold ministry” and usher in the Millennial Kingdom. The church ordained twelve “apostles” who were to be the last days equivalent of the original Twelve whom Jesus appointed. Henry Drummond, a wealthy banker from England, became the leader of the church. Drummond himself took the highest position . . . the “apostle to Scotland." It was prophesied that these twelve apostles would be the last apostles to appear on the earth before Christ’s return. (This is a throwback to Mani of Persia of the third century who labeled himself the “Apostle of Light,” the very last apostle of Jesus to exist on the earth.) Eventually these twelve apostles died (the last one dying in 1901). Upon their death, the Catholic Apostolic Church died in England. In Germany, however, the Catholic Apostolic Church ordained twelve more apostles and took the name New Apostolic Church."

After Dowie's "Heaven on Earth" in Illinois went up in smoke (the town still exists by the way - Go, ZeeBees!), and following the Azusa Street outpouring in Los Angeles, many Christians began to ponder what was being referred to as “the five-fold ministry” and the mighty "outpouring of the Holy Spirit” that would usher in the return of Christ. Sound familiar? In his article, Viola goes on to describe historical movement after movement whereby new generations of apostles appeared on the scene, supposedly to restore the five-fold ministry to the earth.

The churches involved in these apostolic movements were charismatic in nature offering the same ol' fare from edifice to edifice, era to era. Even today, they include the same 500 year-old order of worship, the office of "pastor" (often referred to as “apostle”), nurseries, well-rehearsed singers, and ridiculously high overhead. Yawn. Nothing new under the sun, is there?

What IS the five-fold ministry? It's based upon the "ascension gifts" referred to in Ephesians 4:8,11 "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men...And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers..."
The five-fold ministry is based upon the doma gifts, the ascension gifts. The word doma comes from the Greek word "gifts" used in Ephesians 4:8. These doma gifts did not come into the Church until Jesus ascended (hence the term "ascension gifts"). Before this time, there were apostles, prophets, and teachers, but they were not doma gifts to the Church; they were gifts from the Old Covenant.

Though I'm already aware that this message will step on some delicate theological toes, and I'm also aware there are many Christians who will remain clueless as to what this subject is all about, all I'm asking is that you read it, weigh it, pray about it, and extend grace if you disagree. If this treatise proves to be a revelation to anybody, the individuals who accept it and receive it as truth are bound to experience a brand new, deeper level of fulfillment in ministry than they EVER imagined was possible. All I know is that the so-called "restoration of the five-fold ministry”has apparently been occurring off and on for over 180 years, has been warmed-over continually, failed to ever fully materialize (and with good reason as you will see), and has been repeatedly repackaged for different target audiences.

Please, Lord...do a NEW thing.

Please request "Part 2: INTRODUCING: God's New Thing."
Write [email protected] and type "Part 2" in your SUBJECT bar.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE