‎"In the Church of today, who stopped the mouths of the Prophets?" by Robert Blackburn

If God put them in the church, exactly who was it that took them out. There has been a call going forth expressly over 25 years now and longer for the 5 fold ministry to be put back in the church in it's full biblical operation. Full operation and full authority, not just a few approved by some board of men. There was a big push in about 1985 and it was preached up and talked up in all conferences and meetings. There was a real hunger among the people to see this happen and many in the ministry, especially young ministers were charged and reached out with all they had to receive every bit of it they could obtain. Many tears, fastings and study went forth and the vision was enormous. Years later, it is apparent that something or someone stopped the reinstatement and demonstration of these offices. Our performance proves it.

Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and he said, "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers." In a letter to another church he said, "God put them in the church." And in the above verses, the first thing the apostle said after that was that they were for the "perfecting of the saints." The idea that Evangelists were to preach mostly to the sinners was an erroneous teaching, a very clever one. The evangelist didn't birth children, that was the Body's job. The biblical evangelist had just as much authority to rebuke and exhort the church as any other office. Being gifted with word of Wisdom and word of Knowledge, this office could come and minister to the saints and speak words given by the Spirit that pointed out, called out or addressed issues that were disturbing that particular body, without any prior knowledge of the issue. The people would be awed and even righteous fear came upon them because they knew it was the work of the Spirit. The body was edified. The other three offices also had the same authority and it was their place and responsibility to address the church, including the pastor.

There are precious Shepherds, wonderful pastors that have given their entire lives for the church. A good shepherd loves the sheep and would lay down his life for them. He's not a hireling. They deserve great honor and respect. But they were never intended to carry the church all by themselves. It is their job to see that the sheep that have been placed in their care have food; a well balanced diet. And that means food from the other offices too, not just what they decide is adequate. This doctrine and practice of a one-fold type ministry is mans self-designed attempt to control and lord over God's people. Real shepherds encourage the other offices to minister to their bodies and allow them to "take their liberty" as the Spirit leads them. They have nothing to fear. The body would not function properly without the office of pastor and a good one knows his place in the kingdom order. But what we and too many of they have failed to understand is that, neither can the Body function properly or be healthy without the other four.

These offices definitely overlap in many circumstances as they did in the early church but all five must be present in their fullness. Why? Because God set the church up that way, and He never changed it. And it's important to note, full operation of all five also provides the checks and balances that keeps the body healthy, productive and prevents this one person, self-willed dictatorship style form of religion from proclaiming that no one has the right to question them. We know all were set in order in the early church. We've been talking of restoring them in their entirety. That means we no longer have them as they were intended. Then, in order to have them put back in, we have to find out, who took them out.