Classification of the Primitive Ministry.

The whole ministry of the church of God is classified by the apostle Paul as follows: "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: that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." Eph. 4: 11-14. "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." 1 Cor. 12: 28.

The ministers classified in these two scriptures are identical. They are properly divided into two classes-traveling and local. Traveling preachers plant churches and water the

same; while the local, shepherd and feed the flocks. All these gifts were necessary to the perfect government of the early church, and they are just as necessary today. Whatever was essential then is essential now.

As before stated, the early ministry were properly divided into two classes-local and traveling. The term "elder" applies in Scripture to both the traveling and the local ministry. First, to the traveling. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." 1 Pet. 5:1. "The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth." 2 John 1. "The elder unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.' 3 John 1. Secondly, to the local. "And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in ev

ery church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." Acts 14: 21-23. "To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior. For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee." Tit. 1:4, 5.

They ordained elders in every church-in every city. These were the local ministers who cared for and fed the flock. But Paul and John were both traveling preachers. They were apostles, and each testified to being an elder. If Paul and John were elders, then all God's preachers are elders, all on one common plane. But some may object that "elder" simply means "older one," and that therefore elders are a class of officers selected from among the older ones to form a sort of Sanhedrin. No such thought is conveyed in the New-Testament Scriptures. Though the word literally rendered is "older one," yet in the New Testament it is used in an official sense, not in its literal sense, and applies to the sacred calling and office of a min

ister. In Moses' church under the Old Testament not all the older men of Israel were termed "the elders of the people," but a large number (seventy) of men of sound wisdom and judgment were selected and these sat as a Sanhedrin. These were the elders of Israel. Under the New Testament the term "elder," as before observed, applies to all the ministry, but they must be men and women of sound judgment and wisdom, and fully anointed by divine. power to be "able ministers of the new testament."

The traveling preachers are classified as "apostles" and "evangelists." Who were the apostles? God gave "some apostles," "first apostles." The first twelve ministers chosen by Jesus Christ to be the first propagators of his kingdom among the lost sheep of the house of Israel were called apostles. "And when it was day he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." Luke 6:13. These twelve were to be eye-witnesses of his personal work on earth and also of his resurrection from the dead. When one was chosen to take the place of Judas, he had to be one who had accompanied Jesus Christ