Moving in the Apostolic

C H A P T E R

F O U R

4 P IONEERING : B ACK TO THE B ASICS And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, Each and every believer has been gifted by God to fulfill his or her calling and purpose. For some, their gifts will place them in a visible ministry; others are gifted for "behind-the-scenes" ministries. No gift makes anyone more important than anyone else. We are all equal in Christ—equally loved by God and equally necessary to the Body of Christ. And yet, as we have seen, certain offices within the Church are designated by God as being higher in rank than others. The reason for this is that someone has to be first; someone has to be a pioneer. What 1 Corinthians 12:28 tells us is that the Church should be first and foremost apostolic. This is the divine order of ministry given to the Church. There is a wisdom behind this order. It is not to elevate men or exalt the flesh. God has a purpose in everything He does. A Divine Order Each of the gifts has a certain function that operates best in divine order. When the Church neglects this order, it will not be able to progress toward the goal of fulfilling its commission. varieties of tongues. 1 C ORINTHIANS 12:28