The purpose of evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip the saints for ministry and build up the Body of Christ until it reaches maturity in Christ.
In Ephesians 4, these gifted men are not the object of the church — the body is. Les shows that all these roles exist so believers are edified, come to the unity of the faith, and grow into a perfect, mature man. Therefore the success of their ministry is seen not in the prominence of the leaders but in ordinary believers who serve with the gifts God has given them.
Ephesians 4:11-13 — This is the core passage on why evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given to the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:28-29 — Shows the same roles fitted into the local church and that not every believer holds them.
Scripture records that Christ gave gifts to the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. The purpose clause is explicit: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." That is, the goal of these gifted offices is not their own prominence but the maturity and unity of the body. First Corinthians 12 lists some of the appointments God set in the local church — apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues — and then asks, "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" The implied answer is no. Romans 12 also speaks of different gifts given by grace, such as ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and mercy, showing that believers are to serve one another with the capacity God has distributed.
Les places these gifted roles squarely in Ephesians 4. He says the whole purpose of what God has been doing for the church is to edify the Body of Christ. Evangelists, pastors, and teachers are not given so the church can sit and watch a few talented men; they exist until believers come into the unity of the faith and grow into a mature man. Les also stresses that this equipping is for practical service. God leaves every believer here to serve with whatever gift fits them; not everyone is a pastor or teacher. The local church also has helps, administrations, giving, exhortation, and mercy. For Les, the local church's most important resource was men who could proclaim God's Word, and today the printed Word has replaced the miraculous gifted speech of prophets while pastor and teacher remain valid gifts.
In Ephesians, the answer is stated directly: these gifted men are given for the perfecting of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the Body of Christ. Les summarizes it by saying the purpose of everything God has been doing for the church is to edify the Body until believers come into the unity of the faith and grow into a mature man. That is not a passive thing — the goal is a body of believers that is no longer spiritual infants but measured by the fullness of Christ.
Les makes clear that God leaves every believer here to serve — some visit the sick, some encourage, some give, some administer, and some teach. The point of the gifted roles is not to make a few leaders do everything; the saints themselves are to do the work of ministry in whatever capacity fits them. The local church has helps, governments, administrations, and differing gifts precisely because no one believer has every gift.
Les teaches that in the first-century local church, gifted men were essential because there was no printed New Testament — they had to proclaim the Word without anything to go on. Once the printed Scriptures came, the need for that kind of Spirit-empowered proclaimer faded; he specifically says we no longer have apostles and prophets because we have the completed Word. A pastor or teacher, however, is still a gift and is delineated as such.
Every Member Given Gifts
Before listing the gifted offices, Les reminds his class that every member of the Body of Christ has been given a gift of the Spirit, so the purpose of the offices is connected to a gifted body, not a passive audience.
The Stated Purpose: Edify the Body
Les explicitly asks what God is doing for the church and answers: to edify the Body — evangelists, pastors, and teachers serve until believers all come to unity and maturity in Christ.
Gifted Men Who Proclaim the Word
Les explains that a local church's most important asset was men who could proclaim God's truth without a printed Bible; today those Spirit-driven speaking gifts are no longer needed in the same way.
Believers Left Here to Serve
God does not leave believers here just to be saved and content; He leaves them to serve in whatever gift they have, from visiting the sick to administration.
Teaching Is a Gift to Use, Not a Platform for Self
Les says those who teach are gifted men speaking God's Word, and he models the right attitude: the gift comes from God and is for God's use, not personal glory.
God Set Some in the Local Church — Not All Are Teachers
Les compares the Corinthian list with the local church: God appointed apostles, prophets, teachers, helps, governments, and tongues, and then asks if all are teachers — the answer is no.
Printed Word Changed the Need for Certain Gifted Men
Les clarifies that although apostles and prophets were needed before Scripture was complete, being a pastor or teacher is still a gift today.
Gifts for the Working of the Local Church
Les applies the passage to everyday church life: not everyone has the gift of giving or leadership, but those who do should get to work and give God the credit.
Ephesians 4:11-13: 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: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
This is the central passage on the purpose of evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the Church.
1 Corinthians 12:28: And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Shows the variety of gifts and offices God placed in the local church.
1 Corinthians 12:29: Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
Confirms that not every believer is given the same public teaching office.
Romans 12:6-8: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Describes the array of gifts believers are to exercise in service to the body.
According to Les, it's to edify the Body of Christ until all believers come into the unity of the faith and grow into a mature man measured by the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). These roles are means to an end, not an end in themselves.
No. Les points to the New Testament list where not all are apostles, prophets, or teachers. Instead, God gives a variety of gifts — helps, governments, administrations, giving, exhortation, mercy — and every member has the capacity to serve in some way.
Les says pastors and teachers are still delineated as gifts; what changed is that apostles and prophets were needed when there was no printed Word. The completed Scriptures make the earlier miraculous-speaking offices unnecessary, but teaching and shepherding continue.
Watch the Teaching: How the Holy Spirit Gives Spiritual Gifts — 1 Corinthians 12 Explained