A Foundation and a Frontline: Christ’s Design for His Church

Distinguishing Between Foundational and Continuing Church Offices

As we journey through Ephesians, Paul’s mention of the ascended Christ giving “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers” to the church (Eph. 4:11) can raise questions. These terms are sometimes used loosely or controversially today. The purpose of Christ in giving these leaders, however, is unmistakably clear in the very next verse: they are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12).

Before examining each role, it is also important to note a consistent pattern within the New Testament: these specific foundational and leadership offices were entrusted to men. Christ chose men as His apostles, and the qualifications for an elder/overseer in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 specify that a candidate must be ‘the husband of one wife,’ indicating a male role. This biblical qualification is a key aspect of God’s design for leadership within the local church.

Since our authority comes solely from the Scriptures, it is essential to show what the Bible actually teaches about these roles. With this purpose in mind, let’s take a careful look at each role to understand God’s design for establishing and maturing His church.

The Office of Apostle: The Foundation

The role of the apostle is the most specific and foundational in the New Testament.

Paul is explicit that the household of God is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). A foundation is, by its nature, laid once at the very beginning of a building project. It is unrepeatable, and everything else is built upon it. This metaphor strongly implies that the apostles’ work was a one-time event for the entire church age.The qualifications for this office confirm its uniqueness. When seeking a replacement for Judas in Acts 1, Peter stipulated that the candidate must have been a direct eyewitness of Jesus’ entire earthly ministry and, most critically, His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22). Later, Paul defended his own apostolic credentials with two non-negotiable questions: “Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). Furthermore, he insisted that his commission was not man-made but came directly from the risen Christ Himself: “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father” (Galatians 1:1).

Conclusion: Based on the scriptural evidence, the office of apostle was a unique, foundational role for the first generation of the church. Since the requirements—being an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ and receiving a direct, personal commission from Him—cannot be met today, the office itself has ceased. Their teaching, however, continues as the authoritative foundation of the church, preserved for us in the New Testament.

The Office of Prophet: The Revelation

Prophets are mentioned alongside apostles as part of the church’s foundation, serving a critical role before the New Testament was completed.

In the early church, prophets were men through whom God delivered new, direct revelation. Paul explains that the mystery of the gospel “was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Ephesians 3:5). Their function was to speak God’s authoritative word when the New Testament canon was still being formed.The book of Hebrews provides the crucial framework for understanding the shift in this function. It begins, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). This passage draws a clear, definitive line: the era of partial and ongoing revelation through the prophets is past, and the era of final, complete revelation through the Son has arrived. While the New Testament records prophets foretelling future events (like Agabus in Acts 11:27-28) and forth-telling words of “upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3), their foundational, revelatory office has fulfilled its purpose.

Conclusion: The office of the prophet, like that of the apostle, was foundational and tied directly to the era of new revelation. With the coming of Christ, God’s final Word, and the completion of the New Testament, this specific office is no longer active in the church.

The Office of Evangelist: The Frontline

Unlike the foundational roles, the role of the evangelist is primarily proclamational and ongoing.

An evangelist is a gifted herald of the euangelion (the good news). Their primary function is to preach the gospel to unbelievers. A perfect model is Philip, who is explicitly named “the evangelist” in Acts 21:8. In Acts 8, we see him doing the work: he went to Samaria and “proclaimed to them the Christ,” and he was sent to preach the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch, leading to his conversion.There is no biblical requirement that would limit this role to the early church. In fact, Paul’s command to Timothy, a pastor, was to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5), showing that evangelism is a continuing need. The Great Commission itself, to make disciples of all nations, necessitates the ongoing function of evangelists.

Conclusion: The work of the evangelist continues today. They are a gift from Christ to His church, specially equipped to spearhead outreach, preach the gospel clearly to the lost, and gather new believers.

The Office of Shepherd-Teacher: The Ongoing Care

This is the primary, continuing leadership office Christ has given for the health of every local church.

Many scholars see “shepherds” (pastors) and “teachers” as a single, combined role: the pastor-teacher. The texts link them inextricably. Paul tells the Ephesian elders (also called overseers) that the Holy Spirit made them overseers “to care for (literally, ‘to shepherd’) the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Peter likewise exhorts the elders to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight” (1 Peter 5:2).How does a shepherd lead? Primarily through teaching. A non-negotiable qualification for an elder/overseer is that he must be “able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2). The shepherd-teacher’s function is the ongoing spiritual care, protection, instruction, and guidance of a specific local flock. They feed the sheep with God’s Word and guard them from false doctrine.

Conclusion: The shepherd-teacher is the normative, continuing leadership office in the local church today, responsible for the vital, week-in, week-out work of feeding and protecting God’s people.

What This Means for the Church Today

Understanding these roles leads to three practical applications:

Trust Our Foundation: We can have absolute confidence in the New Testament, knowing it contains the complete and final teaching of the foundational apostles and prophets. We don’t need new revelation.

Support Our Leaders: We should value, pray for, and support the evangelists and shepherd-teachers who continue to build upon that foundation today.

Use Discernment: A clear biblical definition of these roles equips us to discern truth from error. It guards the church against the confusion caused by modern claims to apostolic or prophetic authority that exceed the scriptural description, allowing us to identify such claims as false.

Final Conclusion

Christ, our victorious King, has wisely provided for His church. He gave the foundational gifts of apostles and prophets to establish it in truth, and He continues to give the gifts of evangelists and shepherd-teachers to expand and mature it. He gave these leaders not to perform a one-man show, or to seek glory for themselves, but to equip every saint for the work of ministry, so that the entire body may be built up in love until we all reflect the fullness of Christ Himself.