5 Smooth Stones

extremes and come to a balance which impeded the excesses of either view. Washington is often called the father of our country, and, like a father, in fact, brought a type of an apostolic balance to the extreme views within his cabinet so that the entire nation was the bene fi ciary. It becomes apparent that the di ff erences shepherds and teachers have with prophets and evangelists become balanced as apostolic order is allowed to function as a guiding hand over all. The suspicions, and even fears, that each have often had toward the other can be placed to rest when the biblical apostolic relationship is in place and functioning. Proverbs17:17 says that a brother is given to share adversity (NRSV), but without parental guidance and authority exercised, too often the adversity has been between brothers in the family of God. Just as proper paternal authority is meant to help keep the peace in the natural family, fully functioning apostolic ministry will also bring a peace between brothers in the spiritual family of God. When we again have all of the fi ve-fold ministries functioning together fully, all will be able to serve more e ff ectively and the Kingdom as a whole will be the great bene fi ciary. ENDNOTES: 16 The Long A ff air: Thomas Je ff erson and the French Revolution, 1785-1800 by Conor Cruise O'Brien University of Chicago Press “a prophet… a being whose imagination is ablaze with a vision.” “He is the prophet of the American Revolution, the author of the American Holy Book, the Declaration of Independence.”

17 The Papers of Thomas Je ff erson, Volume 33: 17 February to 30 April 1801 (Princeton University Press, 2006), 148-52

18 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. 1989. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. (March, 2018)

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