Ministry is what you Do.

 As I read Acts and the NT letters, I see a lot about what believers did, and what they were called to do. 

On the other hand, when I read about prominent ministers or missionaries, I very often see no mention of what a particular person’s ministry title was or what rank or position that person held.

When I look at the churches of today, I see an enormous emphasis placed on titles, offices, positions, and degrees of authority.

One church says the pastor is the supreme authority and final decision maker. The pastor also appoints the elders.

Another church is governed by elders and the elders hire or fire the pastor.
Both churches claim to have a government based on the NT. Who is right?

The NT is so imprecise about ministry offices and systems of church government. Some of the most prominent ministers in the NT are identified by name but neither Luke nor Paul tells us what their ministry titles or offices were.

Paul often refers to both men and women by name and tells us they were co-workers in the work of the Gospel, but that does not tell us what ministry title they had, if any.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus.
They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Ro 16:3–4 NIV

Clearly they were both very prominent ministers of the Gospel with a very fruitful ministry to many churches in different places. They are both mentioned 6 times by name. No other couple in the NT is named repeatedly.

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures.

He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Ac 18:24–26 NIV

What ministry titles or offices did this man and woman hold? Neither Luke, nor Paul nor the Holy Spirit considered it important to tell us.

When Paul wrote his letters to the church in Corinth, he addressed his letters to the believers, not to the pastors, not to the elders.

We have got it all wrong. We focus on titles, offices, church government structures, hierarchies …

Are we biblically correct? Absolutely not. We need organisational structures, but good theology is not just determined by a list of doctrinal statements, but by our priorities and what we emphasise.

In the Jewish religion at the time of Jesus, only the testimony of men had legal standing, but God chose Mary Magdalene to be the first official witness to the resurrection of Jesus.

What ministry rank or title did Mary Magdalene have, if any? God did not consider it important to tell us.

If you are a believer, whether male or female, you are called to do something, not be a somebody.

Don't misunderstand me. You are a somebody because you are a son or daughter of God, but your ministry title must not be the main thing in your life.