In the book of Ephesians 2:20, we are informed 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? However, 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. Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone is, is yet at work completing His the works through the apostles and prophets, evangelists and pastors, teachers who were works continues until Christ returns to recieves His body, the church.....
The concept of the five-fold ministry comes from Ephesians, "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." God has restored, and is yet restoring, the offices of apostle and prophet in the church today.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." The body of Christ (the church) is being built up to unity in the faith and is attaining the whole measure of the fullness of Christ, therefore, the offices of apostle and prophet is yet in effect.
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