He (Jesus) Himself gave some to be [false] apostles, some [false] prophets, some [evil] evangelists, and some [phony] pastors and [false] teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16
No--THAT IS NOT WHAT IT SAYS--not what is written! Take those everything is [false, evil, and phony] ideas out of your beliefs and doctrine!
Are "all" of any of those spiritual gift offices false, evil, or phony? Are you a teacher of God's Word--have you ever taught another? Are all teachers false? Of course not. But even here learned would-be servants of God, don't allow for any to be true and from God--not even leaving the Light of Christ open a crack--most often referring to all prophets as being false. Some even go so far as to have complete doctrinal chapters or statements of belief of what they do not allow from that list above--as if certain things all ended with twelve apostles--as if Jesus Christ were not "the same yesterday, today, and forever." Which--woe to them, for that is indeed not what is written.
That does not mean there are not those who are false, evil, or phony. Not at all--certainly there are--which they do to their own destruction (2 Peter 1:2). But it is a disservice--anti-Christ--not to allow for what Jesus has truthfully appointed for His own purpose--"for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
How about you, could you be guilty of categorically speaking against certain spiritual offices appointed by Jesus? Where do you stand?
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