God's Divine Order For Ministry

As a follow up to the message, "Building To Plan," the Apostle Paul says to the Corinthian church:
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and (each one of you are) members in particular. And God has set some in the church, FIRST apostles, SECOND prophets, THIRDLY teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, goverments, diversities of tongues" (1 Corinthians 12:27-28).

This is the only place in the entire New Testament where God specifies an order of function for the various ministry gifts. Because of its uniqueness here, it is important that we heed what God is saying.

The apostolic ministry for instance, comes first in God' divine order for ministry. This is so because of its role and the responsibility given to the ministry. The apostolic ministry, is the fatherhood ministry of the body of Christ. For out of the the apostolic ministry, came forth the othe ministries of the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers. It was as the apostles in the early times ministered and functioned in their true apostolic authority, that the other ministries began to come to light.

The apostolic ministry, it must be understood is not just the ministry of one man. It is the ministry of the body. The whole body for example, is supposed to be an apostolic body and all the other ministries are supposed to function in apostolic authority.

This is not a pecking order to show status- No. What we have here is a functioning order for accomplishing an assignment, a mandate and a task, relative to God's eternal purpose and plan. If we change this order it doesn't mean that nothing at all is built. Rather, it does mean that what is built will not be according to plan and will not be as effective or meet that which God intends. During these times of restoration, God is renewing our understanding of the apostolic and prophetic ministry gifts, but especially the apostolic ministry, so that the house is built according to plan and in the right order.