The summation of this purpose, as found in Ephesians 4:12, “is to equip and perfect the saints and to build up the Body of Christ”. It is imperative that those in Apostolic ministry understand this purpose. It is equally important that those within the Body of Christ understand this purpose as well. 

Imagine that you received your first car, but no one told you to put gas in the car. To further complicate things, you had no working knowledge of gasoline or gasoline stations. When the car was given to you, the delivery person showed you how to turn the car on and off. You already knew how to drive – so off you went down the road. 

Although you were very excited about your car, eventually the  car would stop because it ran out of gasoline. The purpose of gasoline is to power the car so it will go. However, it is not the responsibility of the gasoline to get to your car. It is your responsibility to take your car to get the gasoline. 

In the same way, the purpose of Apostolic Ministry is to equip the Body of Christ. Just like the car will not function without gasoline; so too the body of Christ will not reach it’s maximum potential without fully understanding and embracing the role of Apostolic Ministry.  It is the responsibility of both those in Apostolic Ministry and the members of the Body of Christ to understand and rightly appropriate Apostolic Ministry.  

When there is a lack of true Apostolic Leadership, it may cause a deficit within the Body of Christ. Many Pastors and local churches are suffering because they do not accept or receive the role of Apostolic Ministry within their church congregation.  

This lack of understanding causes a two-part deficit. The first part of that deficit is within the Body of Christ. The second part of that deficit are from those who are called by Christ to be His Apostles.  Some individuals that have been called to the office of an Apostle are missing from leadership because of denominationalism and limiting ideologies.

The body of Christ is greatly affected and infected by poor Apostolic leadership. This poor leadership may be caused by missing or unprepared leaders.  Many leaders, because of denominationalism and incorrect teaching, are limited in the range and scope of their personal ministry. This may be because of incorrect instruction regarding the role of the Apostle.

Many denominations do not accept the office of the Apostle.  They incorrectly teach that the role of the Apostle was done away with after the death of the original 12 Apostles.  I have personally counseled those who struggled with the Apostolic call on their life because of incorrect teachings.  Others struggled with their call  because of gender.  This question is answered by the scripture in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

It is because of these incorrect beliefs that some fail to heed the call to Apostolic Ministry. They fail to heed this call because of pre-conceived notions concerning the office of an Apostle. 

When individuals lack proper instruction regarding Apostolic ministry, they may also lack the necessary support from their leaders to walk in their Apostolic calling. This is one of the foundational reasons The Apostolic Hub exists. It is our mission to provide the necessary support and teaching to empower the Body of Christ to line up according to the word of God. 

Protocol and order are important concepts within the Word of God.  God is a God of order and He has set order within His church. In Ephesians Chapter 5:19-26, Apostle Paul utilizes a word ‘hupotassó’, (Strong’s Number 5293). This word is often translated as ‘submit’. However, the deeper meaning of this word can be discovered through its usage. 

Utilized primarily in a military setting, this word ‘hupotasso’ means for soldiers to function according to their rank and file. In the Biblical Roman army, 80 soldiers formed a Century. This Century was led by a Centurion. 10 Centuries formed a Cohort and 10 Cohorts formed a Legion. The Legion had a Ruler. Each Legion had several ranking officers and it was imperative that each officer functioned according to his specific rank. 

Apostle Paul is saying that it is very necessary for every part of the Body of Christ to function according to their specific rank. Although the subject matter of Ephesians Chapter 5 is the family; Apostle Paul makes it abundantly clear, in verse 32, that is he talking about Christ and the Church. “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the Church.” Paul utilizes this opportunity to underscore the importance of the individual functions of the Body of Christ lining up according to their rank and file. 

In the natural sense, a man is the leader in the home with God as his guide. However, there are many unprepared, inadequate and abusive husbands and fathers. These men are unable to provide adequate leadership in their homes because they have a weak foundation. 

It is because of this weak foundation that the wife and children may suffer greatly. Many families have learned to forge ahead despite inadequate or absentee fathers. However, these same families and children could have accomplished so much more with the proper covering and support of a stable and prepared father-figure. 

A lack of true leadership may be as detrimental in the home as in the church.  Just as an inadequate or absent father may damage the children and the home; so too can inadequate or absent Apostles greatly weaken the overall body of Christ.  God created both the family and the church – therefore He know what is best for optimal functionality. 

It is my hope and prayer that you will prayerfully and thoughtfully receive the scriptures that are presented in this article. Armies and families must function according to their specified design for maximum efficiency. The Body of Christ must also function according to it’s specific design, as outlined by Jesus Christ, whose body it is. 

I earnestly desire to see the body of Christ “grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ… [and to] grow and mature, building itself up in [unselfish] love. Ephesians 4:15-16

©2019 Dr. Patti Mack-Tucker  – All Rights Reserved