Fivefold Ministry

Definition and Meaning

The fivefold ministry (Korean ojungjik, 五重職, literally "fivefold office") refers to the five ministries that, according to Ephesians 4:11, Christ gave to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Also called ojung jigim in Korean, the term is a translation of the English expression "fivefold ministry." Ephesians 4:12 states the purpose of these ministries: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."

In the original Greek, "pastors" and "teachers" are joined under a single article. For this reason, some interpreters read the two as a single office ("pastor-teacher") and count four ministries rather than five.

Biblical and Historical Background

There are two main views on whether these ministries continue to the present day.

• The Reformed tradition: In the Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin regarded apostles, prophets, and evangelists as extraordinary offices given in the early period of the church. He distinguished these from pastors and teachers, which he considered ordinary offices that the church must always have. This view interprets "the foundation of the apostles and prophets" in Ephesians 2:20 as a foundation of the church laid once for all, and it is closely connected with cessationism.
• Some Pentecostal and charismatic groups: Holding to continuationism, the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue today, these groups regard all five ministries as still valid. The mid-twentieth-century Latter Rain movement in North America is known to have emphasized the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet. Later, the New Apostolic Reformation, led by C. Peter Wagner and others, asserted that apostles and prophets must once again be established in the church today to lead it.

Practice in the Korean Church

• Presbyterian, Methodist, Holiness, Baptist, and similar denominations generally follow the offices established in their denominational constitutions, such as pastor, elder, and deacon. They teach Ephesians 4:11 as a passage that shows the various roles of ministers of the Word, and they do not use "apostle" or "prophet" as present-day titles.
• Full Gospel denominations affirm the continuation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, they generally do not include apostle and prophet as formal offices in their denominational polity.
• Some independent churches and mission organizations promote a "fivefold ministry" and confer the titles of apostle and prophet on their leaders. Proponents of the New Apostolic Reformation claim that this represents a restoration of biblical church order. The general assemblies of several Presbyterian denominations are reported to have passed resolutions cautioning against the New Apostolic Reformation or urging members to refrain from participating in it. These denominations expressed concern that claims to restore the offices of apostle and prophet could undermine the sufficiency of Scripture and the order of the church.