During the 1900's the five offices Christ gave to the church, began to slowly be restored. Instead of pastors thinking they were everything, they realized they were only one of the five offices. They also began to spend more time being a pastor and less pretending to be an apostle, prophet, teacher and evangelist as well. When there was no one else, the pastors may have had a small excuse. But even then, many were being called by the Lord to each of the five offices. It was only the church government which had replaced them and totally rejected all but pastor. For centries even the pastors were being called priests.
Many continued to go out as an evangelist and spread the good news, it was not a title they desired, or power over other, but to save the souls of as many as they could. Others continued teaching God's word to the people, they also were denied their proper title and place in the Lord's body, but continued with the work they had been called to do by the Holy Spirit. Prophets were totally rejected by the government of each denomination, and would be thrown out of the church, or even killed for following their call. Apostles in many cases were either called a pastor or the new office not given to the church by Christ, missionarys. During this long dark time in the church's history the Holy Spirit continually guided the church back to the truth they had started with. There are still churches today who reject all offices but pastor!
Evangelists were the first to be accepted again, though without their proper title or authority in Christ's body. Even today, there is only one office to which people are ordained, and that is pastor. You see most evangelists and teachers being ordained as if they were pastors. With all of the Christian schools it at least has the appearance that teachers have again become accepted, but not as an office to which the Holy Spirit has called them. Too often pastors are still trying to take the authority of an apostle, and claim no one but the first twelve disciples were apostles. Prophets in many churches are beginning to fulfill their call, but in the same manor without title or authority, unless they become ordained a pastor and use that ordination as their authority. A few are beginning to stand up and take their place as an Apostle, but as an office it is still rejected by most churches and denominations.
There are enough good books on this for those interested enough to spend the time and money to learn. With all of the time that the body of Christ was kept in the dark, the truth of the five offices will not be returned to the church or accepted by the body in a day. We have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go.
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