Don Johnson

Here are some of my understandings:

1. A crucial difference between an office and a leadership ministry gift is that an office exists regardless if someone is actually in the office, which any spiritual gift (including leadership ministry gifts) ONLY exists when someone has that gift. For example, the office of President of the USA existed even when President Kennedy was shot but there was no actual President until Johnson was shown in.

2. The 12 can be said to have an office, in that when Judas left, there needed to be 12 of them (to be 12) and so another was chosen. But when James died, no one was selected to replace him as one of the 12, as he died in the faith.

3. I have heard that the lots MIGHT have been votes by the 11. Even if it was a random device, the Bible says “The lot is in the hands of the Lord.” so for me, the question is whether the 11 did it in faith, and I believe they did.

4. There are many others in the NT who are called apostles besides the 12 and Paul, none of these are said to be in an office. I do not see any offices in the new covenant besides Jesus as High Priest and the 12, which needed to be 12 to map to the 12 tribes of Israel.

5. One is given a gift by God, such as being a apostle (often called a missionary today), prophet (sometimes called a preacher), evangelist, pastor and teacher. My understanding is that these are the teaching ministers, in the sense that they are all expected to be able to teach.

6. When someone is recognized with the above ministry (not office), the existing leadership (possibly non-local as in missionary) can lay hands on them and appoint them as an elder/overseer of the congregation.

7. God can give another gift to anyone whenever he wishes.

8. I cannot find anyone called Apostle John or Prophet Agabus in the NT. What I can find is John, an apostle, or Agabus, a prophet. The point is that I look with skepticism on titles and look at what someone does.

9. If someone is given a ministry gift, do not try to force fit it into another ministry gift. If you are given the gift of being an evagelist, do not try to be a pastor, for example, as it can just lead to frustration. Accept whatever gift you have been given and use it to serve the body of Christ.