These roles are given to mature the saints, equip them for ministry, and build up the Body of Christ.
The gifted roles are not for the benefit of the leaders themselves but for the edifying of the Body of Christ. Les explains that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given so believers can be brought from spiritual infancy to maturity and become equipped to minister to others.
Ephesians 4:12 — This is the verse Les reads and explains as the direct statement of why gifted leaders are given to the church.
1 Corinthians 12:18 — This supports the truth that God places each believer in the Body according to His will, giving every member a function.
Ephesians 4:12 tells us that these gifted roles are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. The purpose is not the self-development of the leaders but the building up of every believer in the Body. Scripture also says in 1 Corinthians 12:18 that God has set the members every one of them in the body as it hath pleased Him, showing that every believer has a God-appointed place. Romans 10:17 further shows why instruction is necessary: faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Les teaches that God gave the church evangelists, pastors, and teachers to bring the saints from infancy and carnality up to maturity. He explains Ephesians 4:12 as the maturing of the saints, the work of the ministry, and the edifying of the Body of Christ. These gifts are not for the pastors and teachers themselves, but for the whole Body of Christ. Les also states that the primary purpose of the church is to feed its members so they can go out and become soul winners among the world in which they move.
Les points to Ephesians 4:12 and explains that the gifted roles are for the perfecting and maturing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. He emphasizes that the edifying is not of the pastors, teachers, and evangelists, but of the Body of Christ.
Les clarifies that not every church member is a member of the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit places every child of God into the Body of Christ, and God has set each member in the body as it has pleased Him. Every believer, whether hidden like a little toe or more visible, has a function.
Les says the primary purpose of the church is to feed its members so that those members can go out and become soul winners in the world. Teaching and preaching are necessary because faith comes by hearing the Word. This is why God gives evangelists, pastors, and teachers to explain the Word to others.
In the clips provided, Les specifically identifies evangelists, pastors, and teachers as the three basic gifts that the church needs today. The transcripts do not contain a separate discussion of prophets, so this page limits its comments to the roles Les actually addresses in this material.
Body of Christ and Ephesians 4:12
Les reads Ephesians 4:12 and explains that the gifted roles are for the maturing of the saints and the edifying of the Body of Christ, not for every church member.
The Primary Purpose of the Church
Les teaches that evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given so the church can feed its members and send them out as soul winners.
Three Basic Gifts
Les identifies evangelists, pastors, and teachers as the three basic gifts the church needs and says their purpose is to bring saints from infancy to maturity.
Why Teachers Are Needed
Les connects the need for teachers and preachers to Romans 10:17, since faith comes by hearing the Word.
Every Believer Has a Function
Les teaches that the Holy Spirit places every believer into the Body of Christ, and each one has a function whether small or great.
What Happens to Believers at the Bema Seat?
Now that's exactly what God is doing with us. He is cultivating, He is nurturing every individual believer for His own purpose. Not ours, but for His. So He says, you are God's building. We're no longer our own, we're His. Now verse 10. Ephesians 2. Verse 10. Ephesians 2. Now this would sound a little bit egotistical, except for one fact.
God Places Members in the Body
Les teaches that God has set every member in the body as it pleased Him, and each believer simply needs to say, 'Here am I, Lord, use me.'
The True Meaning of Israel as a "Peculiar People"
Now what in the world is the role of a schoolmaster? Come on, you parents, oh, to teach your kids. And why do we educate our children? To be prepared for a role in adult life, isn't it? That's the whole reason parents scrape and save and put their kids through school.
Ephesians 4:12: For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
This is the key verse describing the purpose of gifted leaders: to perfect, equip, and edify the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:18: But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
Shows that God places each member in the Body as He wills, implying every believer has a place and function.
Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Explains why preaching and teaching are necessary for the faith and growth of believers.
Les says not every church member is a member of the Body of Christ. He teaches that when a person becomes a child of God, the Holy Spirit places them into the Body of Christ. Each believer then has a function in that Body.
In the clips provided, Les specifically identifies evangelists, pastors, and teachers as the three basic gifts the church needs today. The transcripts do not address prophets separately, so this page does not add extra claims about that role.
The church is supposed to use these gifts to feed and mature believers so they can go out and become soul winners. The goal is the edifying of the Body of Christ, not the promotion of the gifted leaders themselves.
Watch the Teaching: Why Only Paul Uses the Term 'Body of Christ' — Bible Study