1. Savior. Christ is the Head of the Church and is its Savior (Ephesians 5:23). As Savior, he saves a people for his own possession called saints (Matthew 1:21; Ephesians 1:1-2; Titus 2:11-14).
2. Saints. These saints are to live under Christ’s Headship (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23). Each saint is part of the Church and is to be united to a local church (Acts 2:41-42; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:25). These saints are to do the work of ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
3. Shepherds. God gifts and calls a certain number of qualified men from among his saints as shepherds of his saints under the Headship of Christ (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4). These shepherds are to feed, lead, and protect the local churches over which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:9). The shepherds are to equip the saints for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:7-16).
4. Servants. To aid the shepherds and the saints, the Lord has also raised up a group of qualified men to be servants of the church. These men care for specific needs within the body of Christ so the shepherds can devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:1-7; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8-13). The work of these men is intended to advance the Gospel (Acts 6:7).
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