1 Corinthians 12:28a

INTRODUCTION

A. The Body Principle of Spiritual Gifts

1. The Manifestation of the Body

Jesus Christ, in His incarnation, revealed Himself in a human body. Through that body, all of the attributes of deity were made manifest and God became visible in human history. God has revealed Himself a second time -- in Body II, the church. The corporate assembly of believers is indwelt by God in order to make God visible to the world and apparent in human history.

2. The Members of the Body

Each one of us who knows the Lord Jesus Christ is an individual and vital member of that body. And, like members of a human body, we must work together in order to bring about a full, functioning body. The church, in the same way, must have a mutual ministering and working interdependence for the purpose of unity in Body II. God would then be visible through the manifestation of Christ in the corporate life of the church.

a. Maturing

As we function, work, minister, and build each other up, Christ becomes manifest, to the glory of God. That is the design of spiritual gifts (i.e., spirituals, the divine enablements, the endowments, the energizing, the services, the charismaton; 1 Cor. 12:1, 4-7). Paul uses five different words for them . As we minister, the Holy Spirit energizes us, and we build each other up. For example, as I minister to you, you are built up. As everyone else ministers to you, you are built up. The purpose of this ministry is for you to come to maturity and be like Christ. As we all individually become like Christ, then corporately we become like Christ. It is God's design for the church to be a corporate manifestation of Christ to the world.

b. Mastering

There is another benefit. As we minister our gifts, not only do we build each other up, but we help each other to understand how to better minister in a given area. For example, you may not have the gift of preaching, but as I preach to you, you are being built up and learning how to better communicate your faith. I may not have the gift of mercy, but as you show mercy to me I will learn how to be merciful to someone else from having seen you in action.

So, this beautiful, mutual interdependence not only builds us up to Christlikeness, but it helps us to better minister in all areas and in all dimensions to each other. The Spirit of God has designed this network of mutual ministry in the church. It is vital to the Christlikeness of both the individual and the body in order to manifest God in the world. When a Christian is not functioning as he should, he is crippling other Christians and consequently the total manifestation of Christ in the world, to say nothing of forfeiting the blessing and reward that comes through his own obedient life.

B. The Basic Principles of Spiritual Gifts

Now, I have been giving you some of the basic principles on which the whole subject of spiritual gifts must be built. Many people in the world don't have this foundation of basic principles in order to govern the true and the false. What are the basic principles? Let me give you fourteen basic principles on which spiritual gifts operate.

1. They Are Essential

Paul says, "...I would not have you ignorant" (1 Cor. 12:1b). The gifts are essential for the life of the body. Ephesians 4:12 says that the saints must minister in order that the body might be built up.

2. They Are Counterfeited

Anything that God does, Satan counterfeits. So, the spiritual gifts are counterfeited. First Corinthians 12:2-3 explains in detail the fact of this counterfeiting. We know that they are counterfeited all the time. There are two basic counterfeits: Fleshly counterfeits and satanic counterfeits.

a. Fleshly Counterfeits

For example, Paul had the gift of preaching, but he could have preached in the flesh. To the Corinthians he said, "And I...came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom..." (1 Cor. 2:1a, cf. v. 4). In other words, "I didn't let my spiritual gift become a counterfeit. I didn't come to you appealing with human wisdom, speech, and oratory." So, it is possible to have a fleshly counterfeit.

b. Satanic Counterfeits

The satanic counterfeits, such as the false prophets, the false proclaimers, and the false teachers who are really mouthpieces for Satan, are also possible.

Be aware that the gifts are going to be counterfeited today as they have always been.

3. The Holy Spirit Is the Source

All spiritual gifts are supernaturally empowered, energized, and given by the Holy Spirit. They are beyond the natural. It is not like singing, playing an instrument, or being clever with a certain art; they are supernatural enablements. First Corinthians 12:1 calls them "spirituals." They are characterized and controlled by the Holy Spirit. They are manifestations and workings of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7, 11).

4. They Will Always Unite

Spiritual gifts will always unite the body, they will never divide it. First Corinthians 12:4 says, "...the same Spirit." Verse 5 says, "...the same Lord." Verse 6 says, "...the same God who worketh all in all." Verse 11 says, "But all these worketh that one and the very same Spirit...." If the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God operate the gifts, then there cannot be disunity. So, whenever spiritual gifts create division, they are not spiritual, but counterfeit. True gifts will always unite.

5. They Are Not a Sign of Spirituality

Someone might say, "Well, I am spiritual because I have the gift of...." No. Spiritual gifts have absolutely no relation to spirituality. The Corinthians had spiritual gifts, but they were not spiritual. First Corinthians 1:7a says, "...ye come behind in no gift...." Paul also said to the Corinthians, "You are carnal" (1 Cor. 3:1). They were carnal, but they did have spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts belong to all Christians, carnal or spiritual. So, when someone says they have a certain gift, it doesn't mean a thing in relation to their spirituality.

6. They Are Not for the Possessor, but the Other Members of the Body

According to 1 Corinthians 12:5, the gifts are called "services." A service is something I do for you. In verse 7 they are called "manifestations." A manifestation is something that is made public. And they are "given to every man to profit" (v. 7b). The Greek literally says, "For the good of those gathered together." In other words, they are all given for the good of others. It does no good to anyone to operate a spiritual gift independent of other people. No gift is given for self-edification as its intent and purpose. None of them are.

7. They Have the Promise of Divine Energy

We can find this in several verses of 1 Corinthians 12: they are "spiritual" (v. 1), they are of "the same Spirit" (v. 4), they are of "the same Lord" (v. 5), "...it is the same God who worketh all in all" (v. 6), and "all these worketh that one and the very same Spirit" (v. 11). There is an energizing by God in all these things. It is fantastic to realize that we become channels through which the power of God comes to touch the lives of other people. That is why 1 Peter 4:10-11a says, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth...." In other words, minister your gifts in the divine energy, don't counterfeit them. Why would you even want to when they have the promise of divine power?

8. They Come in Varieties

a. A Unique Position

There are varieties of gifts (v. 4), varieties of services (v. 5), varieties of operations (or energizings; v. 6), and verse 11 says, "...dividing to every man severally [uniquely, particularly]...." No two Christians are alike. Every Christian has his own unique place and position in the body, from which he can minister in a way that no other Christian can duplicate. That is why all of you are vital. There are no unessential people -- no bench warmers in God's design. Now, there are people who have put themselves on the bench, but that was not God's intention.

Now, the varieties of gifts indicates the uniqueness of every individual's ministry. I don't believe that each of us has only one area of ministry. I don't believe that you can divide everyone up and say, "You only have one gift -- either teaching, exhortation, helps, governments, wisdom...." I don't believe that this is the intention of the Spirit of God. When He says there are varieties, there is an interchange of gifts.

b. A Unique Composition

Some people ask me, "Do you believe that a Christian has only one gift?" In a sense, yes. It is the term that is used in 1 Peter 4:10: "As every man has received a gift." Ephesians 4:7 says, "...according to the measure of the gift of Christ." So, in two places, Scripture refers to a singular gift. Now, some people say, "This means that all of us have only one area of ministry." I believe that the Bible shows us that we have one gift, but that gift is a composite of all the various kinds of enablements. These all come together to make that one unique gift that is ours, and ours alone.

1) The Illustrations

Someone asked me, "Well, what about Timothy? In 1 Timothy 4:14 Paul says to Timothy, `Neglect not the gift that is in thee....' And in 2 Timothy 1:6 he says, `...stir up the gift....' Doesn't this mean that Timothy had only one gift?" Yes. "Well, what was that one gift?" Now here you have problems. If you say Timothy had only one thing that he could do, what was it? Paul said to him, "Preach the word..." (2 Tim. 4:2a). Oh, he had the gift of preaching. But Paul also said, "...do the work of an evangelist..." (2 Tim. 4:5b). Oh, he was an evangelist. Paul said, "Teach faithful men" (2 Tim. 2:2b). Oh, he had the gift of teaching. Paul said, "...exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:2b). Oh, he had the gift of exhortation. You say, "Which one did he have?" Not any one of them, but a composite of ministry capabilities that the Spirit of God had given him in one package. For example, you may have had a birthday on which you received many things in one box. This is the way God works and the way the Spirit of God has put the varieties together.

If someone were to say to me, "John, what do you feel your gift is?" I could ask ten different people on the staff of Grace Church and they would tell you different things. Someone would say that I have the gift of preaching. Someone would say that I have the gift of teaching. Someone told me that he felt I had the gift of wisdom. Someone told me a long time ago that he felt I had the ability to lead. Well, what does this mean? I can't say that I only have the ability to minister to the body in one little way. I'm convinced that the Spirit of God has stirred some gifts together and said, "Here, MacArthur, this is yours." I believe this based on the patterns you can see in the gifted men of the New Testament. They were always doing a multiplicity of things.

2) The Increase

When God puts you in the body, He gives you what you need to minister based on your personality. The Spirit of God pours in a multiplicity of ministries through which He wants you to minister to the body. Some of us have more than others; some may have a combination of two, three, four, five, six, or more. That is the beauty of variety.

Don't put the Holy Spirit in a box! We have no right to put an end to all the variety and classify everyone in one specific category. According to the Greek word charisma, we have received grace gifts. Paul uses the word sixteen times, and to speak of all kinds of things in the New Testament. So don't become too classified.

3) The Irresponsibility

Some people say, "I only have one area in which I have been gifted, so I don't have the responsibility in the other areas. I might know someone has a problem, but since I don't have the gift of mercy I don't need to become too involved." That is a cop-out! One of the reasons that some of us are gifted in one area is to help the people who are not gifted in that area so they might know how to minister.

For example, I am sure that I am not gifted in certain areas. This is confirmed to me both by my own attitude and other people. But that doesn't mean I want to be irresponsible. God may not have called me to the body of Christ to minister with the gift of helps, but that doesn't mean that when somebody asks me for help I say, "I'm sorry, I'm a leader." That is ridiculous -- ludicrous! I want to learn how to help. I want someone who has that gift to show me the pattern so I can learn from them and minister.

It is only a question of emphasis. We are to minister in all areas. I could say, "Well, I don't have the gift of giving. Hallelujah! I have the gift of receiving. So, lay it on me." Wait a minute. We are all called upon to give: "...let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him..." (1 Cor. 16:2b). Let every one of you exhort one another (Heb. 3:13). We are all to build up one another in all areas (1 Thess. 5:11). We are all to show love (Rom. 13:8). If you see that your brother has a need, how can you shut up your emotions to him and not meet his need? (1 Jn. 3:17). So, all these areas are areas of responsibility, but some of us have a greater responsibility in them because we have a supernatural energizing to minister in that area to the total body. So, don't catalog the gifts and separate them into little boxes. There are varieties.

9. You Can Have a Gift and Not Be Using It

We can all testify to this from personal experience. Paul says to Timothy, "...stir up the gift..." (2 Tim. 1:6b). This tells me that Timothy became discouraged very easily. When things didn't go well, he stopped ministering. Many Christians are like that, and there are others who never get started ministering.

10. There Are Several Terms to Describe These Divine Enablements

They are called energizings, services, manifestations, grace gifts, and spirituals (1 Cor. 12:1, 4-7).

11. The List Is Not Exhaustive

I thought I had read everybody's list until I was in a bookstore and picked up another book on the charismatic gifts that listed twenty-three different gifts. That is the biggest list I have ever seen. It just proved to me again that when you try to isolate the gifts, you get yourself in trouble. The list in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 contains the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, the working of miracles, prophecies, discerning of spirits, languages, and the interpretation of languages. In Romans 12:6-8 is another list of the enablements that is completely different: Prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy. What does it mean when there are two completely different lists? There is flexibility. Even the term charisma is too broad to be confined to a small list. It refers to anything God has given.

The Issue of Good Words

I resent being called a "non charismatic." I am not a noncharismatic, I am a charismatic Christian. I mean that I have received grace from God. Do you know a Christian who isn't a charismatic? Do you know any Christian at all who didn't receive grace from God? I don't know any. I am saved by grace, equipped by grace, kept in grace, and I will be glorified by grace. There are not charismatic Christians and noncharismatic Christians, there are only true charismatics and counterfeit charismatics. We need to keep the terminology clear.

We usually have to give up good words because people use them to refer to movements. We used to have a good word, "fundamentalist." But then a movement was made out of it and then people said, "I don't want to be a fundamentalist." People made a movement out of a word, so now we are afraid to use a good word. I am not ready to give up on the word charismatic. I'm as charismatic as a Christian can be. The word charismatic comes from the Greek word charis, meaning "grace gift." Everything I have is a gift of God's grace. So, I am not ready to give the word up; I just want to be careful that people understand its use.

12. All Gifts Are to Build the Body

Ephesians 4:12 says, "...for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ." First Corinthians 12:7 indicates that the gifts are for the profit or the benefit of those gathered together.

13. Some Gifts Are Also Sign Gifts

These gifts were given for the Apostolic Age. First Corinthians 14:22 says, "Wherefore, tongues [languages] are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not...." There Paul says very clearly that the gift of languages was given as a sign for unbelievers. Yet, 1 Corinthians 14:5 says, "You should never speak in languages except you interpret in order that the church may receive edifying." Even though it was a sign gift, it was also to have a capacity for edification. So, all gifts were given to build the church, even the sign gifts.

14. The Gifts Are Distinct from the Fruit of the Spirit

Don't confuse the fruit of the Spirit with the gifts of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control...." The gifts are activities -- action, ministries. However, the fruit must be behind the action. When the action operates without the fruit, the gift is being operated in the flesh.

There are the principles. Now, there are basically three categories essential to the understanding of spiritual gifts: One, the gifted men; two, the permanent edifying gifts; and three, the temporary sign gifts. Now, as a beginning point, 1 Corinthians 12:28 says, "And God hath set some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues [languages]." Ephesians 4:11-12 says, "And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ."

Now, let's look at the gifted men:

I. A FOCAL POSITION

A. A Distinct Approach

In Ephesians 4:11, the first two positions that Paul names are Apostles and prophets. Now, what are Apostles and prophets? Some people say that they are gifts. They are not gifts! That is not the correct and precise way to treat them. There is not a gift of apostleship, or a gift of a prophet. They are gifted men. They are official titles -- special ministries.

1. The Gifts

a. Their Nature

Ephesians 4:7 says, "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Every one of us has received the gift, the divine enablement, the divine endowment, the divine capacity to minister to the body in a unique way commensurate with our personality. We all have the gift. The Greek word for "gift" is dorea. It refers to a free gift, with the stress on "free." It is not emphasizing so much the quality or the character of the gift as it is its gratuitous nature. We have all received a supernatural, spiritual, free gift.

b. Their Character

Now, Ephesians 4:8 says, "Wherefore, he saith, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." In this verse Paul uses a completely different Greek word for gift -- doma. This word does not refer to the free, gratuitous source, but the character of the gift. He is referring to the very special quality of the gift.

2. The Gifted Men

Ephesians 4:9-10 are a parenthesis. So, if you skip over verses 9-10, verses 8 and 11 read this way: "He gave gifts unto men, and He gave Apostles and prophets, evangelists and teaching pastors." Verse 11 refers to the gifts that He gave in verse 8. What are those gifts? Apostles and prophets. According to verse 7, all Christians receive spiritual gifts. But in verses 8 and 11, He gives gifted men. Who does He give them to? To the church. Ephesians 4:12 says, "For the perfecting of the saints...." So, a distinction needs to be made between spiritual gifts and gifted men.

To illustrate from my own life, the Spirit of God has given me a gift to minister to the body. He has also given me as a gift to the local assembly. All of us have received gifts, but some of us (in God's grace) become gifted men given to the church. I am a teaching pastor. I am not an Apostle, I am not a prophet, and I am not an evangelist. I have been given to the church as a gifted man, and that is different from my gift. I have been given to teach you how to minister your gift and to build you up so that the church might be built up. This is the difference between the gift and the gifted men.

B. A Divine Appointment

Now, 1 Corinthians 12 aids us in understanding this distinction. Verse 28 says, "And God hath set [lit. `appointed']...." God has appointed. It isn't a grace gift, it's a divine appointment -- like an ambassador is appointed to a post in Italy, France, England, or any other country. God has appointed Apostles, prophets, and teachers. In addition, He has given gifts such as miracles, healing, helps, governments, and languages. There are men appointed to office as well as gifts given to believers. The distinction between the two is made in the word appointed and the phrase "after that," found in the middle of verse 28.

Now, there are five offices of gifted men. Ephesians 4:11 gives four while 1 Corinthians 12:28 repeats Apostles and prophets and adds a fifth--teachers. The gifted people given to the church are Apostles, prophets, evangelists, teaching pastors and teachers. The question is: Are they all given to the church for the entire duration of the church? In other words, does the church always have to have Apostles, prophets, evangelists, teaching pastors, and teachers? Was there a time when the church didn't have all five? Does the church have all five now? Let's begin by looking at...

II. THE FOUNDATIONAL POSITIONS

A. Apostles

1. Their Unique Apostleship

The Apostle was the primary gifted man in the history of the church. The Greek word apostolos, from which we get apostle, is the simple, common, everyday word for messenger. Now, there are some people who are confused when they see that word appearing in the New Testament. They want to elevate everyone who is a messenger to someone with an official title. So we have to be careful to make a distinction between the official Apostles and the simple messengers.

a.The Primary Apostles

There were a few men in the New Testament who fall into a very special category of Apostles:

1) Their Identity

a) The Lord Jesus Christ

Hebrews 3:1 says, "...the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." He is the first Messenger -- the first Sent One. He is the APOSTLE!

b) The Twelve

The Twelve are called Apostles. There are lists of them in Matthew 10:2-4, Luke 6:13-16. And in Acts 1:25-26 they chose one to take the place of Judas. The lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles. Here the word messenger takes on a technical meaning. Before it had a general meaning. Christ gave it a very special technical meaning; the Twelve gave it a technical meaning as an official title. When someone says, "Who is an Apostle?" the Twelve are referred to.

You say, "Is that the limit of its official use?" No. One other man in the New Testament falls into the category of an official Apostle.

c) Paul

Romans 1:1 says, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God." Galatians 1:1 says the same thing.

These thirteen are the official Apostles.

Throne, Throne, Who's Got the Throne?

Some people will say, "Well, how come there are only twelve thrones? Who isn't going to sit on one of the thrones in the Kingdom?" Of course the argument is: "Matthias shouldn't have been chosen. The Spirit of God wanted Paul to be the twelfth. They simply were out of line when they chose Matthias." Well, people only make that conclusion based on sentiment for Paul. Don't worry about Paul. He is probably going to receive more reward than anyone. He was the most faithful man in recorded history. I don't know who won't sit on a throne. But the Bible doesn't say they were wrong in choosing Matthias.

The point is that the Twelve plus Paul were special Apostles called of Jesus Christ and uniquely set apart.

2) Their Importance

What was their duty? First John 1:1-3 says, "That which was from the beginning [Christ], which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)--That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you...." Who is this collective "we" that John is talking about? It is the Apostles. He is speaking as an Apostle, saying that an Apostle is someone who heard and saw the manifestation of Jesus Christ and declares Him to others.

Beloved, there are no Apostles today because no one sees Jesus Christ today. First Peter 1:8 says, "Whom, having not seen, ye love...." When someone says that they just saw Jesus the other day, remember this verse. The Apostles had to be those who had seen, heard, and had a vital personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They had to see the resurrected Christ. When choosing Matthias, in Acts 1:22 Peter said, "...must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection." They had to see the resurrected Christ. You say, "What about Paul?" He saw the resurrected Christ (Ac. 9:5; 18:9-10; 22:17-18; 23:11).

b. The Secondary Apostles

You say, "Well, what about the other uses of the term apostle?" The other uses are far more general. It was a very common word.

Laying the Foundation

The Apostles had no successors. Dr. Criswell aptly says, "Like the delegates to a constitutional convention, when their work was done, the office ceased." In fact, after Acts 1 they are rarely mentioned. If we need Apostles and prophets today, how come they are never mentioned in the epistles to the founding churches (i.e., First and Second Timothy and Titus). In all of the instruction to the church -- how it is to be run, governed, and operated, and who is to lead, guide, and serve the church -- there is never a word about an Apostle or prophet. After Acts 15, the last time we know they ever met together, they are scattered all over the world and never appear again. Why? When they were gone, they were gone -- period.

Ephesians 2:20 says that the church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets. Once the foundation is laid, the building goes up. So I believe Apostles and prophets have ceased, and their ministry has been taken over by evangelists, teaching pastors, and teachers.

To illustrate how quickly the Apostles faded away, by the time the Jerusalem Council met in Acts 15, James, the Lord's brother who was called a messenger (an apostle in the secondary sense), presided over the council, not one of the official Twelve or Paul. The church had already been founded. The design of God was for the Apostles to lay down the solid doctrine and the pattern for the church's founding, then turn over to the elders and deacons the actual running of the church while they faded away.

There were others who were called "messengers." In Romans 16:7 Andronicus and Junias are called messengers. James, the Lord's brother, is called "a sent one" (Gal. 1:19). Second Corinthians 8:23 says that certain messengers accompanied Titus. Epaphroditus is even called a messenger in Philippians 2:25. But these are more general uses. The official category has passed away. If you want to use apostle in its very general sense, all of us are messengers today because we carry the good news to a needy world.

2. Their Unique Abilities

a. 2 Corinthians 12:12 -- "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds [miracles]."

b. Hebrews 2:3-4 -- "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him." Who were the ones that heard the Lord? The Apostles. Verse 4 continues: "God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit...."

They had unique abilities and miraculous powers. According to Acts 5:15-16, whenever Peter's shadow fell on people, they were healed. They were a unique group for a unique period of history to lay down a doctrinal foundation and to establish a pattern. The only church the Apostles ever collectively founded was the church at Jerusalem. And they set it forth as the model. Of course, Paul individually established churches, but the collective Apostles established, worked, and ministered just that one area of Jerusalem.

Now, we don't need Apostles today because we already have doctrine. Do we need new doctrine? Do we need new truth? Do we need a new pattern for the church? No. Some people say, "Well, what about the missionary today? Isn't he a `sent one'?" Yes, he is an apostle in the general sense of the word. Others want to say, "The modern Apostle is the theologian." That is easy to explain: He simply has the gift of knowledge. You don't need to make him an Apostle. He is just someone who is studying what the Apostles already said.

Now, the second foundational office of gifted men is the office of...

B. Prophets

1. The Definition

Who are the prophets? The Greek word prophetes means "one who speaks out." We think of a prophet as somebody who says, "In three weeks the sky is going to fall." It actually wasn't until medieval times that the word prophet even came to be connected with the idea of prediction in the English language. It was always connected with the idea of speaking forth. The prophet was someone who gave God a voice in the world.

2. The Difference

You say, "What was the difference between a prophet and an Apostle?" In some cases, there wasn't a difference. Paul was both. Peter was both. We know Paul was both because Acts 13:1 calls him a prophet, while everywhere else he is called an Apostle. There really isn't much difference between the two, but there is some. They...

a. Remained in a Local Ministry

The Apostle had a broad-base ministry to the worldwide church. The prophet had a ministry to a local congregation. The only time Paul is ever called a prophet was when he was one of the five pastors at the church at Antioch (Ac. 13:1). The prophet apparently stayed in a more localized ministry.

b. Spoke Revelation from God

The prophets were a distinct, unique group. Their message was revelation from God. In the Old Testament, the prophet spoke revelation from God. In the pages of the New Testament, Paul, Peter, John the Baptist, and Agabus, to name a few, spoke revelation from God (Jn. 3:27-36; Ac. 2:14-40; 11:27-28; 13:1). They spoke the word of God.

c. Taught Apostles' Doctrine

Every time they opened their mouths, it wasn't always revelation. They might preach and proclaim as did the five pastors in Antioch (Ac. 13:1). Every time they opened their mouths they didn't predict the future, and every time they opened their mouths they didn't give revelation. They spoke for God sometimes by direct revelation, and sometimes based on what they had learned from the Apostles.

This is an office, not the gift. The office has passed away, but the gift of proclamation is still here.

3. The Duty

What was the prophets' function? Their function was to give revelation to a local group of believers. That is why the pastors at Antioch were called prophets. That is why Agabus had the very unique ministry of prophecy concerning what was going to happen to the church in Jerusalem. Acts 15:32 says, "And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them." So, they had a ministry of exhortation as well. "Confirmed them" probably means that they confirmed their word with miracles.

4. The Distinction

A prophet was geared to a local congregation. First Corinthians 14:29 says, "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge." Verse 32 says, "And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets." There is no indication of Apostles in Corinth, but there were prophets. This, again, corroborates the idea of a localized ministry. So, the Apostles had a general, broad, widespread responsibility; the prophets had a localized responsibility.

a. Regarding Revelation

Revelation given to the Apostles was doctrinal, revelation given to the prophets was practical. That is a general distinction. The Apostles laid the doctrinal basis -- the Word of God, whereas the prophets gave practical advice to the church. Why?

The church was an infant church. They didn't have the composite Word, needed to extract practical principles. They didn't know what was coming in the future. They were little babies. The prophets had the vital ministry of communicating God's truth to them, in order to preserve the church in its infancy, until such a time as the Word of God was finished and they had their standards. Once that was accomplished, the Apostles and prophets ceased to have any purpose.

b. Regarding Subjection

One more distinction is found in 1 Corinthians 14:37: "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." Paul says, "If anyone claims to be a prophet, make sure that what he says agrees with what the Apostles wrote." So, the prophets were subject to the Apostles.

The prophets were a temporary group. They were around only until the close of the Old Testament canon. Then the prophets don't appear in the four-hundred-year period after the Old Testament. When the New Testament is to be written, prophets appear again. But as soon as the New Test