THE NEW TESTAMENT EQUIPPERS

The New Testament church never experienced "Hired Holy Men" who called themselves "Senior Pastors." Nor did they celebrate distinguished celebrities who lorded over the people of God, taking titles.

In this illustration, we see the centrality of Christ as the source of a group of equipping servants. These terms are not titles (nouns). They are verbs. The five fold servants are not superiors, but rather servants who mentor Body Members.

Ephesians makes it very clear: these equippers are not given by the Holy Spirit: "...and CHRIST gave..." Their tasks all relate to mentoring believers in Christ's body who are latent with spiritual capacities that must be developed. Christ the Source--the Holy Spirit the "One called alongside to help"--to install the power of Christ's gifts in the body members who use them for edification.

One of the most amazing events in recent years was when we began to examine the members in our TOUCH FAMILY cell groups. We discerned latent tendencies related to these five areas of ministry. They were then connected to the proper Five Fold equippers to be coached.

If the ecclesia is alert to how spiritual gifts are evolving, the five fold servants can then begin to draw together these different groups and mentor them. This is a very important truth that has been hidden by our mistaken definitions of the five fold as "above" the Body members rather than "beneath" them to equip them for their future ministry areas.

It is wrong to think that every cell member can become a cell leader. That is not true. It would be like saying that every body member should be an arm or a leg. We see there are five distinct areas of ministry in the Kingdom. We find our servant activity as they are developed.

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