Seeing the Big Picture
The Smaller Image ... Only A Part of the PictureThe five fold is like five different points of view, seeing the same image, but from different perspectives. The evangelist just sees birth and birthing, the pastor/shepherd sees caring and nurturing, the teacher sees only the written Word of God and its application, the prophet sees only black and white spiritually in an intimate relationship and the living out of the Word, but the apostle sees the big picture.
Unfortunately for the apostle, who sees the big picture, he cannot do the big picture himself: he recognizes his need for the other four! Thus the need for the five fold if we wish to see the Body of Christ in unity being used in its full potential, in the fullness of Christ Jesus!
At school I use a program called Rasterbator for Windows, at home PosterRazor for Macs. These programs enlarges a picture, into 6 foot by 8 foot documents, by making pixels. If you look up close at only one section, you cannot make out what the picture is, but if you walk 10 feet away, the pixels turn into recognized objects as you begin to see the big picture in clarity.
The Big Picture: The Church As A WholeThis is how it often is in the church with different perspectives in the body of Christ. We only see in the light of the little cluster of church that we go to, or our denominational or influential group. Very few have the ability to see the Big Picture, the Church of Jesus Christ in its entirety.
Seeing that Big Picture is truly the gifting of an Apostle. For those who refute that apostles are not for today, I am sorry they do not recognize the need for men and women in the body of Christ who can see the Big Picture of the Body of Jesus Christ today that goes beyond the divisions tunnel vision has produced.