There are three kinds of spiritual gifts. In addition to the situational gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 and the personality gifts of Romans 12, there are the vocational gifts of Ephesians 4. The Lord has given “each one of us grace” and enabled us to be one of the following: an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor or a teacher. These vocations have been distributed to us for the “equipping of the saints for the work of service” and for the “building up of the body of Christ.” These gifts will be needed “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God.” Obviously, that hasn’t happened yet, so it’s important to understand how these vocations are at work today.
Apostles
Originally, there were a few apostles directly chosen by Jesus, eyewitnesses of His ministry and the Resurrection. These apostles had unique authority, cooperating with the Holy Spirit to grow the church and write Scripture. Obviously, there aren’t apostles like this anymore. These days, those who have the gift of apostleship focus on establishing church meetings, building organizations and changing cultures for Christ. For example, Barnabas and Paul were apostles. In Acts 14:21-23, they demonstrated the general mission of an apostle: go to a place, preach the gospel, make disciples, start a church meeting and appoint elders to oversee it. While apostles may receive more specific instructions from the Lord and their methods might vary, the goal is always the same: deconstructing existing cultures and rebuilding them in the image of Christ.
Prophets
A prophecy is a message from God for an individual or a group at a specific time. These messages are for edification, exhortation and consolation, although the message could include a prediction of future events or another type of revelation. All prophetic words will get us to seek God. Of course, under the New Covenant, we prophesy only in part. In other words, messages that we receive from God require interpretation. All revelation must be tested. Although any Christian can spontaneously give a prophetic word in a church meeting, prophets receive revelation more consistently. They routinely offer God’s perspective on things, which is why they naturally become advisers. Agabus demonstrated this, advising Paul about his trip to Jerusalem and counseling a group of believers in Antioch about preparing for a famine. Apostles are equipped to change cultures for Christ; prophets advise them about how God wants it done.
Evangelists
Jesus commanded us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” He added that certain supernatural signs would confirm our message. While all Christians are called to do this, evangelists are uniquely qualified for the task. Philip, an evangelist by vocation, shows us the main characteristics of evangelistic work: listening to the Holy Spirit, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and demonstrating the Kingdom through signs and wonders. For instance, Philip went to Samaria and proclaimed Christ. The crowds paid “attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.” Ultimately, an evangelist preaches the Gospel and demonstrates the power of God to authenticate the message.
Pastors
Pastors have many titles in the New Testament, including shepherd, overseer, bishop and elder. They lead church meetings, acting as referees, making sure everything is done in an orderly fashion. While pastors can teach, they’re not teachers. The defining characteristic of pastors is that they are counselors, using the Word of God to practically help people. They are the ultimate “glue guys.” They keep the congregation together and moving in the right direction. Since pastors are leaders, they should be mature in their faith before being appointed to oversee a local gathering of Christians. This is one of the many requirements we’ve been given when it comes to choosing a pastor. These requirements are listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9.
Teachers
Jesus said that part of making disciples is“teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” While pastors use the Word of God to counsel people, teachers use it to impart wisdom, make doctrine easy to understand and share insights. Teaching from the Word can manifest spontaneously during a meeting or it can take place in a more structured setting. While pastors invest in individuals and measure their personal progress, teachers are more comfortable pointing out truths in the Word that apply to everybody. Although pastors may have more responsibility for the health of a congregation, teachers are also held to a high standard for what they teach others.