Ecclesiology
Ministries in the Church - I
Apostles
Lesson XXII
Introduction
There
are ministries in the Church that have been ordained of God. These ministries are not had by human choice,
but are rather, gifts from God. They
have been placed in the Church not by the will of man, but by the will of God.
Mark 3:13-14
(13) And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth [unto
him] whom he would: and they came unto him.
(14) And he ordained twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Mark
It
was not a matter of men making a choice to be a minister, or choosing to be a
preacher - but of men being chosen. They were ordained by the Lord, not by
men. Ordination of men by men is one
thing, but ordination by the Lord is another.
And the first is valueless without the second. And notice also they were being with him
before they were sent forth to preach.
1 Corinthians 12:28-31
(28) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
(29) [Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all
teachers? [are] all workers of miracles?
(30) Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?
(31) But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I
unto you a more excellent way.
Romans 12:6
(6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace
that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the
proportion of faith;
Ephesians 4:11
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
In
1 Corinthians 12:28-31, some of these
ministry-gifts are listed:
Ø Apostles
Ø Prophets
Ø Teachers
Ø Miracles
Ø Gifts of healings
Ø Helps
Ø Governments
Ø Diversities of tongues
Romans 12:6’s list is:
Ø Prophecy
Ø Ministry
Ø Teaching
Ø Exhorting
Ø Giving
Ø Ruling
Ø showing mercy
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some Apostles, and some, prophets, and some
evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.
Ø Apostles
Ø Prophets
Ø Evangelists
Ø Pastors
Ø Teachers
I We notice that Apostles are always named
first.
1 Corinthians 12:28
(28) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set
(appointed) some in the Church, first Apostles…
Luke 6:13
(13) And when it was day, he called [unto him] his
disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;
Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto
him his disciples: and of
them chose twelve, whom also He named Apostles.” The word
did not originate with men but it was a name given by Jesus. The word “apostle” means ‘one sent forth’, ‘a
special messenger’ or ‘one who breaks up new ground’.
Romans 15:20
(20) Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not
where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:
Romans 15:20 explains what is meant by ‘new ground”. “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel,
not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation.” New ground is where Christ has not been
named.
Ephesians 2:20
(20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
Ephesians 2:20 “And are built upon the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets”.
We learn that the Apostles are those who laid the foundation for the
Church and the local Churches.
Matthew 10:1
(1) And when he had called unto [him] his twelve
disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and
to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Matthew 10:1 He called. He gave them power. Whom God calls to any special ministry God
equips for that ministry. See Proverbs
18:16.
Proverbs 18:16
(16) A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him
before great men.
II There are Ranks among the Apostles
We
shall list the ranks as we see them, then look back over each later.
1. Christ is called an Apostle.
Hebrews 3:1
(1)Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus.”
He
was sent into this world that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:18
(18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he
that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God.
Christ
Jesus stands alone. There are no other
of His rank. No Angel, or man have, or
ever will hold His place. We have read
and heard of men who teach believers:
“look in the mirror and you are looking at Christ”. That is blasphemy of the worst order.
Jesus
Christ claims to have been sent by His Father, …
John 17:18
(18) As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I
also sent them into the world.
…
and we are told He came with a message of grace and truth.
John 1:17
(17) For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and
truth came by Jesus Christ.
Robert
Ketcham wrote in Christian Life, December 1947 the following:
“For
several years I have been compiling a record of how the Lord Jesus Christ is
revealed at least once in every book of the Bible. A volume could be written on Jesus Christ in
every book of the Book of Books.
Ø In Genesis He is the Creator and Seed of the woman (1:1; 3:15)
Ø In Exodus He is the Lamb of God for sinners slain (chapter 12)
Ø In Leviticus He is our High Priest (entire book)
Ø In Numbers He is the Star out of Jacob (24:17)
Ø In Deuteronomy He is the Prophet like unto Moses (18:15)
Ø In Joshua He is the Captain of the Lord’s hosts (5:13, 15)
Ø In Judges He is the Messenger of Jehovah (3:15-10)
Ø In Ruth our Kinsmen Redeemer (chapter 3)
Ø In 1 Samuel He is the despised and rejected King (1 Samuel 16-19)
Ø In Kings and Chronicles He is the Lord of lords, and King of Kings (1
Chronicles 12:38-40)
Ø In Ezra and Nehemiah He is the Lord of Heaven and earth (entire
books)
Ø In Esther He is our Mordecai (chapter 10)
Ø In Job He is our Risen and returning Redeemer (19:25)
Ø In Psalms:
Ø He is the Blessed Man
(1)
Ø He is the Son of God
(2)
Ø He is the Son of Man (8)
Ø He is the Crucified One
(22)
Ø He is the Risen One (23)
Ø He is the Coming One
(24)
Ø He is the Reigning One
(72)
Ø He is the Leader of
Praise (152)
Ø In Proverbs He is our Wisdom (chapter 4)
Ø In Ecclesiastes He is the forgotten Wise Man (9:14-15)
Ø In Song of Solomon He is my Beloved (2:16)
Ø In Isaiah He is our suffering Substitute (chapter 53)
Ø In Jeremiah He is the Lord our Righteousness (23:6)
Ø In Lamentations He is the Man of Sorrows (1:12-18)
Ø In Ezekiel He is the Throne Sitter (1:26)
Ø In Daniel He is the Smiting Stone
Ø In Hosea He is David’s Greater King (3:5)
Ø In Joel He is the Lord of Bounty (2:18, 19)
Ø In Amos He is the Rescuer of Israel (3:12)
Ø In Obadiah He is the Deliverer upon Mount Zion (verse 17)
Ø In Jonah He is the Buried and Risen Saviour (entire book)
Ø In Micah He is the Everlasting God (5:2)
Ø In Nahum He is our Stronghold in the day of wrath (1:7)
Ø In Habakkuk He is the Anchor of our Faith (2:4)
Ø In Zephaniah He is in the Midst for Judgment and Cleansing (3:5, 15)
Ø In Haggai He is the Lord of Presence and Power (1:13)
Ø In Zechariah He is the Smitten Shepherd (13:7)
Ø In Malachi He is the Sun of Righteousness
Ø In Matthew He is the King of the Jews (2:1)
Ø In Mark He is the Servant of Jehovah (entire book)
Ø In Luke He is the Perfect Son of Man (3:38, 4:1, 13)
Ø In John He is the Son of God (1:1)
Ø In Acts He is the Ascended Lord (1:8, 9)
Ø In Romans He is our Righteousness (3:22)
Ø In 1 Corinthians He is the First Fruits from the dead (15:20)
Ø In 2 Corinthians He is made Sin for us (5:21)
Ø In Galatians He is the End of the Law (3:10 and 3:13)
Ø In Ephesians He is our Armor (6:11, 18)
Ø In Philippians He is the Supplier of Every Need (4:19)
Ø In Colossians He is the Pre-eminent One (1:18)
Ø In 1 Thessalonians He is the
Returning Lord (4:15-18)
Ø In 2 Thessalonians He is the World’s Returning Judge (1:7-9)
Ø In 1 Timothy He is the Mediator (2:5)
Ø In 2 Timothy He is the Bestower of Crowns (4:8)
Ø In Titus He is our Great God and Saviour (2:13)
Ø In Philemon He is the Father’s Partner (17-19)
Ø In Hebrews He is the Rest of Faith and Fulfiller of types (chapter 9,
11:1-12:2)
Ø In James He is the Lord of Sabbath (5:6)
Ø In 1 Peter He is the Theme of Old Testament Prophecy (1:10-11)
Ø In 2 Peter He is the Longsuffering Saviour (3:9)
Ø In 1 John He is the Word of Life (1:1)
Ø In 11 John He is the Target of the Antichrist (verse 7)
Ø In 111 John He is the Personification
of Truth (verses 3-4)
Ø In Jude He is the believer’s Security (verses 24-25)
Ø In Revelation He is the King of Kings and Lord of lords. (19:11-16)
Jesus
Christ fills the pages of the Book. Does
He fill the pages of your life? What was
the record written today? You started
out this morning with a clean page. The
day is over. Read what you have written. Is the page filled with self? Or with Himself ?”
No
other Apostle has or ever will have the same position as Christ. He is
over all (Romans 9:5).
Romans 9:5
(5) Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning
the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
2. The Twelve
Apostles of the Lamb
Matthew 10:1-6 This is the first list of their names in Scripture. They were sent to Israel before they were
“set” in the Church (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Matthew 10:1-6
(1) And when he had called unto [him] his twelve
disciples, he gave them power [against] unclean spirits, to cast them out, and
to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
(2) Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The
first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James [the son] of
Zebedee, and John his brother;
(3) Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the
publican; James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was
Thaddaeus;
(4) Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also
betrayed him.
(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them,
saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into [any] city of the
Samaritans enter ye not:
(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.
1 Corinthians 12:28
(28) And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Revelation 21:14 The last reference to
the Apostles in the New Testament, and here they are identified as “the
Apostles of the Lamb”.
Revelation 21:14
(14) And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and
in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
We
take note of the fact that there were twelve chosen men. We also take note of the fact that they are
never named in the Old Testament. The
number of the Apostles of the Lamb does not increase nor does it decease. We base that statement on the promise of
Jesus to them in Matthew 19:27-28.
Matthew 19:27-28
(27)Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold , we
have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
(28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall
sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging
the twelve tribes of Israel.
In
order to fulfill that promise to the Apostles, it will be necessary for the
land of Israel to be divided as described in Ezekiel chapter 48. These Apostles were sent with a message
primarily for the Jews or the circumcision (Matthew 10:5-6). That, perhaps, is the reason they will be
prime ministers over the twelve provinces in Israel during the millennium.
Matthew 10:5-6
(5) These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them,
saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into [any] city of the
Samaritans enter ye not:
(6) But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel.
In
his exposition of Matthew 10:5, Alexander MacClaren states and we quote: “These twelve Jesus sent forth. And half of them are never heard of as doing
any work for Christ … but, perhaps, not the least important fact about the
Apostolate is that one to which we have referred, which like the names of
countries on a map, escape notice because it is ‘writ’ so ‘large’—namely, the
small place which the Apostles as a body fill in the subsequent narrative and
the entire oblivion into which so many of them pass, from the moment of
appointment. The true purpose is not to
speak of men. Men are nothing except
instruments and organs of God. They were
not supernatural channels…not lords over God’s heritage.” (Vol. 7, page 55.)
Perhaps
one could suggest, that as they were originally sent to
Acts 1:2-3
(2) Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he
through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen:
(3) To whom also he shewed himself alive after his
passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
No
one before the twelve qualified to be an Apostle. Of course all ask or want to ask the same
questions. Why did He choose Peter? Why did he choose John? Why did he choose Judas? We are told that He called whom He would that
is why he called Peter and John. We
suggest a possible reason for the third question. Judas was chosen to prove
that it is possible to live under the personal, bodily presence of Jesus and
not accept Him as Lord and Saviour.
Judas was not saved and then lost, as some teach. See Matthew 26:24; John 17:12 and Acts
1:25.
Matthew 26:24
(24) The Son of
man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man
is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
John 17:12
(12) While I was with them in the world, I kept them in
thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but
the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
Acts 1:25
(25) That he may take part of this ministry and
apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his
own place.
It
is evident Judas never was saved.
It
is to prove that people born and raised during the Millennial Reign of Christ,
can do as did Judas: live under His rule and not accept Him into their
hearts. Their hearts will not be
revealed until Satan is loosed, for a little season after the millennium. See Revelation 20:1-3. Then multitudes
will turn to Satan and turn their backs on Christ.
Revelation 20:1-3, 7-9
(1) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the
key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
(2) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,
which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
(3) And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him
up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till
the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a
little season.
(7) And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall
be loosed out of his prison,
(8) And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in
the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to
battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea.
(9) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came
down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Another
thought comes to mind. Out of the twelve
disciples chosen, one was false. Could it be that one of every twelve who calls
himself a ‘Christian’ is false? We do
not know if this is so or not, but we do know that many so-called followers of
Christ have not been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, they prove it by their
statements.
By
way of example:
1
Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness…”
1 Corinthians 1:18
(18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that
perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Any
one who claims to be “Christian’ and rejects the doctrine of the blood and the
cross, are being deceived. They are not
Christians.
Acts 1:12-26
(12) Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount
called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
(13) And when they were come in, they went up into an
upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip,
and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas [the brother] of James.
(14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his
brethren.
(15) And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the
disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and
twenty,)
(16) Men [and] brethren, this scripture must needs have
been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before
concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
(17) For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part
of this ministry.
(18) Now this man purchased a field with the reward of
iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his
bowels gushed out.
(19) And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem;
insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to
say, The field of blood.
(20) For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his
habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let
another take.
(21) Wherefore of these men which have companied with us
all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
(22) Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same
day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us
of his resurrection.
(23) And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who
was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
(24) And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest
the hearts of all [men], shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
(25) That he may take part of this ministry and
apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his
own place.
(26) And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell
upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
In
Acts 1:12-26 we have the record of
the choice of one to take the place of Judas.
Some very good Bible teachers believe that the eleven made a mistake by
choosing Matthias because they believe Paul should be the one to take the place
of Judas. We think not.
The
disciples had witnessed the Ascension of Christ, and in obedience “to tarry in
Jerusalem” (Acts 1:4), they had gone to an upper room in Jerusalem to wait for
the promise of the Holy Spirit.
Verse
14: they were continuing in prayer and Peter must have been directed by the
Spirit to Psalm 69:25, and by the Spirit had obtained the interpretation of
that verse in a Psalm of the cross.
Psalm 69:25
(25) Let their habitation be desolate; [and] let none
dwell in their tents.
Without
Peter’s words in Acts, we could never have read ‘Judas’ into that verse!
Acts
1:21-22 spells out in detail the only kind of man who could be chosen as an
Apostle of the Lamb. He had to have been
a disciple during the three and a half years of Jesus’ ministry on earth. That is, from the days of John the Baptist
until the day of His Ascension. And he
had to have been a personal witness of the resurrection. So it should be evident that no man since the
Ascension can or could qualify to be an Apostle of the Lamb.
Then,
they appointed two men from their ranks, “among them’. And after that prayed (in verse 24): “show us whether of these two men thou
hast chosen”, not, whom we
have chosen. Matthias was then numbered
with the eleven Apostles and no mistake was made. He was God’s choice.
3. Paul the Apostle
stands alone in a rank by himself
He
is not counted among the twelve. He came
with a new message received directly from the Risen Christ.
Galatians 1:11-12
(11) But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which
was preached of me is not after man.
(12) For I neither received it of man, neither was I
taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Although
he always went to the Jew first, he claims that as the gospel of the
circumcision was committed to Peter so the gospel to the un-circumcision or
Gentiles was committed to him.
Galatians 2:8
(8) (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the
apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the
Gentiles:)
Paul
and the twelve Apostles are declared to be foundational Apostles.
Ephesians 2:20
(20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles
and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
Since
the foundation is laid it needs not to be laid again. So in this sense this ministry of Apostles is
never repeated. They recorded by Divine
Inspiration the message for the Church of the New Testament. What they wrote for the Church is beyond
anything found in the Old Testament. The
Old Testament was written primarily about Israel and their promised Messiah. The message of the Apostles was given once
for all. It constitutes the faith for which
we are to earnestly contend.
Jude 3
(3) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you
of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort
[you] that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.
We
do not expect a new message for a new message will not be given. Anyone who claims to have a ‘new message’ or
a ‘new thing’ will sooner or later be proven to be wrong. If it is new, it is not true and, if it is
true, it is not new.
Paul
said of himself, “not I but the grace of God in me” (1 Corinthians 15:1).
1 Corinthians 15:10
(10) But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his
grace which [was bestowed] upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more
abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Peter
called himself a ‘fellow-elder’ (1 Peter 5:1).
1 Peter 5:1
(1) The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also
an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the
glory that shall be revealed:
He
did not count himself above the other elders but as one with them.
In
Scripture, the attention is not placed on the writers but rather on that which
has been written. Not inspired men but the
inspired pen!
We
would do well to read what Paul writes about Apostles in 1 Corinthians 4:9-15.
1 Corinthians 4:9-15.
(9) For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles
last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the
world, and to angels, and to men.
(10) We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but ye [are] wise
in Christ; we [are] weak, but ye [are] strong; ye [are] honourable, but we [are]
despised.
(11) Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and
thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;
(12) And labour, working with our own hands: being
reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
(13) Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth
of the world, [and are] the offscouring of all things unto this day.
(14) I write not these things to shame you, but as my
beloved sons I warn [you].
(15) For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet [have ye] not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you
through the gospel.
Read
also 2 Corinthians 4:8-11; 2 Corinthians 11:18-33 and Acts 20:33-35.
2 Corinthians 4:8-11
(8) [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed;
[we are] perplexed, but not in despair;
(9) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not
destroyed;
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the
Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for
Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal
flesh.
2 Corinthians 11:18-33
(18) Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory
also.
(19) For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye [yourselves]
are wise.
(20) For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a
man devour [you], if a man take [of you], if a man exalt himself, if a man
smite you on the face.
(21) I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had
been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold
also.
(22) Are they Hebrews? so [am] I. Are they Israelites? so
[am] I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so [am] I.
(23) Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am]
more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more
frequent, in deaths oft.
(24) Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes]
save one.
(25) Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned,
thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
(26) [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in]
perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the
heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in
the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;
(27) In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
(28) Beside those things that are without, that which
cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
(29) Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and
I burn not?
(30) If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things
which concern mine infirmities.
(31) The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
(32) In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept
the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
(33) And through a window in a basket was I let down by
the wall, and escaped his hands.
Acts 20:33-35
(33) I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.
(34) Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have
ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.
(35) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring
ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how
he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Apostles
in that
class, with those credentials,
will never cause a problem or burden to anyone.
Furthermore,
Paul makes the claim in 1 Corinthians 9:1 that he had seen Jesus Christ. And of the Apostles, he was the last
to see Christ (1 Corinthians 15:8).
1 Corinthians 9:1
(1) Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen
Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
1 Corinthians 15:8
(8) And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one
born out of due time.
Another
claim is made in 2 Corinthians 11:2.
2 Corinthians
11:2
(2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I
have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin
to Christ.
A
statement that leads us to believe that Paul claims to be as the father of the
Church. And as the human father at his
daughter’s wedding presents the bride to the groom, so Paul will present the
Church to Christ. In 1 Corinthians 4:15,
he speaks of himself as a father to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 4:15
(15) For though ye have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet [have ye] not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you
through the gospel.
A
like ministry to that of the Apostle Paul and the Twelve Apostles, no longer
exists. They laid the foundation, and such is no longer needed. They had a universal ministry by means of
their inspired letters to the whole Church of all generations. Today any claim
to Apostolic authority outside of the Bible does not exist, and any such claim
is false.
4. Barnabas is called
an Apostle.
Acts 14:14
(14) [Which] when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard
[of], they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
In
Acts 14:14, Barnabas is called an Apostle. He is not in the same rank as Paul nor
that of the Twelve. It is our opinion
(and therefore could be wrong) that Barnabas must have been a local Church
apostle. Paul was called to be an
apostle to the whole Church in every location in every generation. We are still being blessed by his ministry
through the Scriptures.
Perhaps
missionaries who go to lands where the gospel has never been preached and lay
the foundation can be classified as apostles like Barnabas, but they only have
authority in one location, the location of their ministry. We believe those who can go into a virgin
territory, establish a foundation for a local Church, then maintain it in such
a way that after they leave the work will remain, qualify as apostles in
that location. They have no authority in any other local
Church, nor over any other ministry. They
have no authority over the whole Church of Jesus Christ. Most, if not all, the missionaries I have
known have been humble individuals and have never tried to be lords over God’s
heritage.
1 Corinthians 16:12
(12) As touching [our] brother Apollos, I greatly desired
him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at
this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.
The
apostle Paul desired Apollos to go to
5. Then there are False Apostles
2 Corinthians 11:4
(4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom
we have not preached, or [if] ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear
with [him].
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
(13) For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
(14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light.
(15) Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works.
Revelation
2:2 “…and
thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found
them liars.”
2 Peter
2:1 Warns about false prophets, as
well. These we consider in our next
lesson.
Revelation 2:2
(2) I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience,
and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which
say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
2 Peter 2:1
(1) But there were false prophets also among the people,
even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift destruction.
I
have not found any Scripture that supports the idea, commonly accepted today,
of great end-times apostles.
We
had better to be aware of great end-times apostates (2 Timothy 3:13 and the book of Jude).
2 Timothy 3:13
(13) But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,
deceiving, and being deceived.
Jude
(1) Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of
James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, [and] preserved in Jesus
Christ, and called:
(2) Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
(3) Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you
of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort [you] that ye should earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(4) For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were
before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of
our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ.
(5) I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye
once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of
Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
(6) And the angels which kept not their first estate, but
left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the judgment of the great day. {first estate: or, principality}
(7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them
in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange
flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(8) Likewise also these [filthy] dreamers defile the
flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
(9) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the
devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a
railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
(10) But these speak evil of those things which they know
not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they
corrupt themselves.
(11) Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of
Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in
the gainsaying of Core.
(12) These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they
feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds [they are] without
water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit,
twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
(13) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own
shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
(14) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of
these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
(15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all
that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.
(16) These are murmurers, complainers, walking after
their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling [words], having men's
persons in admiration because of advantage.
(17) But, beloved, remember ye the words which were
spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
(18) How that they told you there should be mockers in
the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
(19) These be they who separate themselves, sensual,
having not the Spirit.
(20) But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most
holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
(21) Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
(22) And of some have compassion, making a difference:
(23) And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the
fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
(24) Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling,
and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy,
(25) To the only wise God our Saviour, [be] glory and
majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
It
seems to me that the unhealthy desire for Apostles and Prophets today has its
base in a desire for a ‘quick fix’ for present day Church problems. I am now convinced that a majority of
Charismatic and Pentecostal Churches have embraced the basic tenets of Latter
Rain. One of the major doctrines
of the Latter Rain movement has been that “God is restoring His Church”. In a very real way, the foundations of many
of their doctrines are based on this false premise.
I
quote from a Latter Rain booklet:
“We have reached the last days of the complete
restoration of the church of the Living God as promised in Joel 2:25. ‘And I will restore to you the years…’ Acts 3:21 plainly states that ‘... the heavens must receive Christ until
the times of restitution of all things which God had spoken by the mouth of all
his holy prophets since the world began.’
Jesus Christ will return for a Bride completely restored to His word.”
Joel 2:18, 21, 25, 27
(18) Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity
his people.
(21) Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD
will do great things.
(25) And I will restore to you the years that the locust
hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great
army which I sent among you.
(27) And ye shall know that I [am] in the midst of
Israel, and [that] I [am] the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall
never be ashamed.
The
promise in Joel is clearly given to Israel and not to the Church.
Notice
Joel 2:18, “Then will the LORD be jealous for his land and his people.”
Verse
21: “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the LORD will do great things.”
Then
verse 25, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.…”
Then
verse 27, “And ye shall know that I am
in the midst of Israel….”
It
is evident that Latter Rain teaching has accepted replacement theology, that is,
that the Church has replaced Israel.
Then
the passage quoted from Acts 3:21 cannot be separated from verse 20. Here is the quotation:
Acts 3:20-21
(20) And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you:
(21) Whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets since the world began.
It
is the sending of Jesus that will bring about the promised restitution. It will not be done by a restored Church.
This is old post-millennialism with
a new name.
Now
if the restoration of the Church is a false doctrine, all the doctrines based
on that false foundation are false also.
The basis for the present emphasis on the restored apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastor and teachers is the result of believing in the restoration
of the Church.
Peter
Wagner in his New Apostolic Reformation has set forth this same idea of
restored ministries. The strange part of
this doctrine, to me that is, is that these ministries are being restored in
the reverse order. The pastors, teachers
and evangelists have been restored, and now they are looking for the prophets
and finally the Great last-days-Apostles.
And according to this false teaching, these Apostles will be far greater
than Paul or the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.
Beware!