Is there an Office of Prophet and Evangelist?

Is there an Office of Prophet and Evangelist?

How many Offices are there in the New Testament Church?

"This is a true saying, if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." 1 Timothy 3:1 (KJV)

The use of the word bishop in some translations has caused confusion. In the King James version, the word occurs in 1 Timothy 3 and is used in relation to the office. The qualifications of the office are given in that passage. Some have used this passage to say that the office of the bishop is over the office of the pastor. Others say that a bishop can be over more than one church. The word bishop is not an accurate translation. The word translated as bishop is the Greek word επισκοπος. It means overseer. The KJV translates this word correctly in Acts 20:28:

KJV: Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

NASB: Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

We can see from this verse that the overseer and the shepherd are the same person. We should also note that the NASB uses the phrase “the office of the overseer” in 1 Timothy 3:1.

Elders

"From Miletus he sent word to Ephesus and called to himself the elders of the church." Acts 20:17

"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood." Acts 20:28

In chapter 20 of the book of Acts, we see three different words used to describe the leaders in the church of Ephesus.

1) Elders - πρεσβυτερος (presbuteros).

2) Overseer - επισκοπος (overseer)

3) Shepherd (ποιμαίνω)*

The context of Acts 20 verse 17 and verse 28 is the same. There is no change in audience, speaker, or setting. The elders in verse 17 are the same shepherds and overseers that we see in verse 28. The words elder, shepherd (pastor), and overseer all refer to the same person. Elder is the title given to the office. Pastor, shepherd, and overseer might be considered different descriptions or functions of the office. Peter makes this clear, too.

"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind" 1 Peter 5:1-2

In this passage, we have the office and the functions clearly stated. The elder is the pastor who feeds the flock and who gives oversight to them. Shepherding and preaching occurs in a local congregation- a flock. There is no other office over the elder.

Ruling and Teaching Elders

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." 1 Timothy 5:17 (KJV)

Some have tried to use this passage to say that there are two groups of elders. They say that there are elders who teach and there are elders who rule Others have tried to say that there is a distinction between those who hold the office and those who do well at holding the office. This cannot stand given that a comparative is not used (ex., “better”). The qualifications of an elder include that he must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1). There are no grounds to think there are non-teaching/preaching elders. The point of the passage is that the elders are worthy of double honor. The word “especially” shows that the reference is to the same group. Elders who rule well are worthy of double honor; they are especially worthy of this double honor when they work hard in the ministry of the Word.

Apostle, Prophet, and Evangelist

"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:11-16

Some have used Ephesians 4:11 to say that there are five offices in the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

If there are five offices in the church, why is it that we only find the qualifications for two offices of elder and of deacon in the Bible? We can see the qualifications given for the office of Elder and of Deacon in 1 Timothy as well as in Titus. The second question that comes to mind is, if this is a list of offices in the church, why are deacons not included? While the New Testament does mention “apostles” and “prophets,” we must make distinctions in how the word is being used. In the Synoptic Gospels, we see men appointed by Jesus.

"And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach" Mark 3:14

The phrase in the NASB translated as “(he) could send them” is taking from the Greek word ἀποστόλους. It is the very form of the word “apostle” and it means to commission or send. Often the commissioning or sending is with as message. The same word can be used in different ways and does not always refer to the office of Apostle. It could refer to the office of Apostle or it could be used in a more generic or descriptive sense. We have an example given below.

"Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus" Hebrews 3:1

Jesus was not one of the twelve, and he did not commission Himself. The point is that there is a narrow sense in which this word can refer to the office and there is a more broader sense in which the word could refer to anyone commissioned or sent for any purpose. We can see the same concept in the use of the word deacon. There is the obvious office of deacon and there is the more generic use of the word. The word literally means “minister” and can sometimes be translated as servant. The finally deciding factor of how any word is used in the Bible, is always context. Consider the two examples below.

“I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.” Romans 16:1-2

The word translated as “servant” in Romans 16:1-2, is the same word that is used for “deacon.”

In Acts chapter 6, we have the establishment of the office of deacon. It should be noted that they were to “select from among you seven men of good reputation.” We can see the qualifications of deacon in passages like 1 Timothy 3:8-12

"Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not insincere, not prone to drink much wine, not greedy for money, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. These men must also first be tested; then have them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but [i]temperate, faithful in all things. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households."

We can see a pattern in this passage. Men are referred to in verses 8 and 10. These men must be husbands of one wife (v. 12). There is the mention of women in v.11. The question then is: are women deacons? That would contradict what we see in Acts and and the qualifications we see here in 1 Timothy. The use of the word “likewise” indicates that the qualifications of men who would to be deacons extends to women also. It is not that they hold an office, but just like their husbands who are elders or deacons, they should be good examples.

Gifts

"But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." Ephesians 4:7-8

The context of Ephesians four is not church governance but spiritual gifts. Some have been commissioned by the Church to gospel ministry (apostles) across cultural lines. Many see those sent by the church as missionaries to be “apostles.” Others, see this a a broader category of any person sent from the church with a message. Some have the gift of exhortation (prophets). Others are strong in preaching the Gospel. And finally, we see that there are those who are gifted by the spirit in preaching and teaching. While an elder must be able to preach and teach, these activities in the church are not limited to the office of pastor. Others may have this gift but not desire the office.

Some things need to be said about the phrase “pastors and teachers.” Notice that there is a different construction with these two words than with the other groups mentioned.

- some as apostles

- some as prophets

- some as evangelists

- some as pastors and teachers

Why does the words “some as” not appear before the word “teacher”? The construction is not accidental, but is significant. The conjunction “and” is used to show that the pastor and teachers are the same group. This is consistent with the functions of the office of elder. Not only are they to oversee, but they are also to lead and protect, as well as to preach and teach, the sheep.

What about the Office of Evangelist?

Philip is often used as an example for a person holding the office of evangelist. We need to see that the Philip mentioned in Acts is not the same Philip who was a disciple of Christ. Philip the Apostles was a follower of John the Baptist (John 1:43). We see him mentioned as being with those other disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:13). History tells us he was martyred in Phrygia. We have two passages regarding Philip the evangelist.

"The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch." Acts 6:5

Philip is one of the original seven deacons. This is the office he holds. Some might try to argue that he holds two offices in the church, but this seems unlikely. We can see that there are similarities in the qualifications for elder and for deacon, but there is also a distinction. The elder must be able to teach. We also see different functions. The elders are to care for the primary needs of the flock through prayer, teaching, and preaching the Word (v.4). The deacons are to care for the physical needs of the sheep (v.1).

"And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Some devout men buried Stephen and mourned loudly for him. But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house; and he would drag away men and women and put them in prison. Therefore, those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them." Acts 8:1-4

We need to notice several things in this passage:.

1) There was no official sending out of men to preach by the church. They went because they were fleeing persecution.

2) We have the example of Steven, who was also a deacon. He preached while he was being stoned. Even though he preached, he is not referred to as an evangelist nor as an elder.

3) Preaching the gospel is common for these devout men (“those who had been scattered went through places preaching the word,” v.4)

4) Because of the persecution, Philip went to Samaria, and while there, he preached. He is no different than Steven or the other men.

"On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him." Acts 21:8

Philip is addressed as the “evangelist.” This is to specify the person that they stayed with. There is nothing in the Bible that would lead us to conclude there is an office or official position of the church as “evangelist.” Given that the Bible lists qualifications for the office of the deacon and of the elder, there would need to be qualifications listed for any other offices as well. We also see in Scripture the functions of the offices, and there is no such description for the evangelist. Both elders and deacons come to the office through the operation or appointment in the church. Nowhere do we find any appointment of an evangelist in the Bible. Sharing the gospel is the responsibility of every Christian. The context of Ephesians 4 is not church government, but spiritual gifts. What we do see is that there are gifts given to all believers, and some believers have a greater burden for the message, the ability to communicate the gospel clearly, and the courage to do so, even in difficult settings. An evangelist is one with such gifting.