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07-31-2015, 10:48 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Tennessee
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Apostle
What is an apostle? I think that we have trouble distinguishing what the roles of ministry are in the church. Could someone share some of their understanding on what is an apostle?
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08-01-2015, 02:36 AM
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Re: Apostle
Quote:
Originally Posted by good samaritan
What is an apostle? I think that we have trouble distinguishing what the roles of ministry are in the church. Could someone share some of their understanding on what is an apostle?
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I wrote up a long blog about the five-fold ministry a couple of years ago. I've shared it here, before, in the Debate section. From Functions and Purposes of the Five-fold Ministry:
Apostle:
As mentioned, an Apostle is someone who is sent, i.e. commissioned by the Lord with a particular function. To find it, we have to look in Scripture to see what an apostle does.
Acts 1:8,
Quote:
8. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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The first function of an apostle is to bear witness, or testify to the world. Their witness or testimony specifically relates to the resurrection of the Lord, as Simon Peter affirms in Acts 1:21-22 when leading the believers in a meeting designed to appoint a new apostle to replace Judas Iscariot.
Acts 1:21-22,
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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.
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So that is first. If one called to be an apostle is actively testifying of the resurrection of the Lord, they are functioning properly and are well on their way to fulfilling the purpose of this gift.
Next, in order to function properly, God Himself must bear witness of His gifting upon them through the following: signs, wonders, diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, as seen below:
Hebrews 2:4,
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4. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will…
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From Hebrews 2:3, we know specifically that apostles are meant. Another verse that substantiates this claim is 2 Corinthians 12:12, which reads:
Quote:
12. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
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Paul, having to constantly establish and prove himself to the carnal Corinthians, here appeals to the signs, wonders, and mighty deeds done by God through him as proof of his apostleship (See 1 Corinthians 9:2).
We see then that the chief method of testifying of the risen Lord is by the operation of the Spirit of Christ working within them. It’s not just the words which apostles preach; rather, it’s the God-ordained confirmation, coupled with their preaching, that matters most (See, for example Acts 8:14-17, where Peter and John are called for, not to preach, but rather to lay hands upon and pray for the Samaritans in order that they might receive the Holy Spirit).
Next, an apostle, in order to function properly and fulfill the purpose of their gifting, must be a conduit, a relay point, if you will, between the Universal (not local) Church and Christ (See Acts 15, and 16:4, noting especially verses 15:4, 15:22, and 16:4).
Acts 6:2-4,
Quote:
2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
3. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
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In this passage, the Twelve, including Matthias from Acts 1 (and not yet Paul, from Acts 9), realized they could not function properly, nor fulfill their purpose, if they were constantly bogged down by menial tasks and acts of service within the Church. Their job was not administrative in nature. So, they charged the Church with the creation of the Deaconate, a seven-man task force entrusted with the supervision of the financial administration and service of the Body (selected by the Church, not the Apostles).
When the Deaconate was successfully created, it allowed the apostles to function properly again. It’s obvious that if one will be a witness of the resurrection of the Lord, and have signs, wonders, diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, they needs must continuously give themselves over to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
But what does that mean? First, when one thinks of prayer and the Word, they should think communication. Prayer is human communication to the Lord. The Word is the Lord’s way of communicating with humanity. We all know that Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church ( Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18). But in order for there to be proper communication between the Head and the Body, there must be constant prayer and ministry of the Word. And it’s one of the main functions of an apostle to make sure that happens, both in their personal lives, but also in the life of the Universal Church. Where no apostles exist, that conduit or relay point, is non-existent. The Head is frustrated and the Whole Body suffers.
Next, because being an apostle is a function with a purpose, and not an office or position, anyone, if ordained by the will of God, can function as an apostle. Even a woman (See Romans 16:7).
After all of this, though an apostle has a major, irreplaceable function in the Body, even the most important function ( 1 Corinthians 12:28), it doesn’t mean they are above accountability. They must be in subjection to the bishops and elders of the Church. Just as Paul submitted himself to his elders ( Galatians 2:9-10 and Acts 21:18-26), so, too, must any who take on an apostleship still remain in subjection to the ministry of a local assembly. In fact, in Revelation 2:2, the Lord Jesus commends the Ephesian Church for putting presumptuous deceivers calling themselves apostles to the test (and thereby rejecting them when they were found to be “liars”).
We have the same obligation today. We must put those who would assume an apostleship to the test. What’s the test? Well, it’s to see if someone claiming to be an apostle actually functions as one and so fulfills the purpose for why Christ gave the Church apostles in the first place. Here’s how it’s done:
1.) Prayer Life and Ministry of the Word. If one claims to function as an apostle, their prayer life and ministry of the Word needs must be examined. Consistency, Fervency, and Positive Response from God in their prayer life is key. Accuracy, Purity, and Integrity are the essentials of their Word ministry. If either is found wanting, red flags should immediately go up.
2.) Genuine signs, wonders, diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit should be evident in their life. Here, the Discerning of Spirits must absolutely be present in the eldership of the local assembly. Carnally realized Words of Knowledge, fuzzy prophetic utterances, placebo effect type “miracles”, unverifiable number claims, doubts about people receiving the Holy Spirit or not, supposed but faked exorcisms, and etc. can and does, all too often occur. If there are no evident signs, wonders, and etc. or if the signs and wonders, etc. are proven to be faked or inauthentic, the person attempting to convince you they are an apostle can be rejected on these grounds.
3.) Testimony of the Resurrection. Finally, after the first two parts of the test, one needs to examine an apostle’s testimony of the resurrection. If they are a true apostle of Jesus Christ, their prayer life, ministry of the Word, and power in the Holy Ghost for signs, wonders, miracles, and etc. will all culminate in a true, amazing, life-changing, revival-inducing testimony of the resurrection of the Lord. If they are fake pretenders, or have incorrectly presumed to assume an apostleship against God’s will, no matter how much they say Christ is risen, they will not have the confirmation behind them to convince anyone–especially unbelievers–of the fact.
Lastly, we must recognize a unique aspect of apostleship: The invitation to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13,
Quote:
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.
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No one in the first century, other than Jesus Christ, the "Apostle of...our profession" ( Hebrews 3:1) suffered worse than the Apostles, as Paul claimed. So, regardless of what anyone says, if they are not suffering as the "offscouring of the world", how much of an apostle are they?
Link: https://votivesoul.wordpress.com/201...fold-ministry/
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08-01-2015, 04:00 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 23,543
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Re: Apostle
Awesome post Aaron!
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08-01-2015, 10:36 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WI
Posts: 5,440
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Re: Apostle
Thanks, Sean.
Of course, the question then becomes: if what I've written is accurate and sanctioned by God, then WHO meets the criteria, that is, who may we call an apostle, as in, by name?
Secondly, if we believe anyone is actually an apostle, have they, or are they willing to, submit their ministry to the inspection of the bishops and elders of God's Church, for verification and confirmation?
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08-01-2015, 10:52 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Portage la Prairie, MB CANADA
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Re: Apostle
Very good. Just one question for clarification...
You said anyone can be an apostle, but then qualified it by saying if it's ordained of God. Not sure what you mean. I believe not everyone is called to be an apostle. Some are and some aren't, so in that sense not everyone can be one, right?
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 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.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
__________________
...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
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08-01-2015, 11:26 PM
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Unvaxxed Pureblood
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Zion aka TEXAS
Posts: 26,018
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Re: Apostle
Good post Votive, although I disagree that a woman can be an apostle.
I also think we need to distinguish between the 12 on the one hand, and other apostles on the other hand.
I'm also not so sure that apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor/teacher are super distinct giftings with clear cut lines of distinction between them. Acts seems to present some ambiguity between apostles and prophets, for example.
Otherwise, good post.
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08-02-2015, 12:03 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: WI
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Re: Apostle
Quote:
Originally Posted by mfblume
Very good. Just one question for clarification...
You said anyone can be an apostle, but then qualified it by saying if it's ordained of God. Not sure what you mean. I believe not everyone is called to be an apostle. Some are and some aren't, so in that sense not everyone can be one, right?
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28 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.
1Co 12:29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
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To clarify:
Anyone who is ordained of God, which does not include everyone, as you say. Just that, of all the saints that exist in the world at any given time, God may, under His sovereign discretion, call any of them into apostleship, meaning God could (or already has) call(ed) anyone of us to be(come) an apostle.
So, you are correct. Not all are apostles. Paul made that very clear in the verses you supplied.
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08-02-2015, 12:10 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Oct 2013
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Re: Apostle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esaias
Good post Votive, although I disagree that a woman can be an apostle.
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I take the position that Junia was a female apostle, who, along with Andronicus, are mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:7. I know there are other views regarding who Junia was, what gender Junia was, and etc. So far, I've not found anything to convince me that Junia was a man, or not an apostle. But I'm open to anything anyone would like to share on the matter. If it can be proven conclusively, I will happily amend my understanding.
Quote:
I also think we need to distinguish between the 12 on the one hand, and other apostles on the other hand.
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I agree. There is a distinction in Scripture for those called "the Twelve" by the Holy Spirit. The post I shared was more generic in scope, although I am working on something that gets to the bottom of the foundation, which includes specific references to the Twelve, as opposed to any other apostle. Right now, it's in an unfinished outline only.
Quote:
I'm also not so sure that apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor/teacher are super distinct giftings with clear cut lines of distinction between them. Acts seems to present some ambiguity between apostles and prophets, for example.
Otherwise, good post.
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I see some overlap. Could not an apostle be prophesying as he declares the resurrected Lord? Doesn't a pastor often take on a teaching role as he shepherds? So, yeah, some overlap. But, to my mind at least, some definite distinctions exist, too, which I attempted to outline in the blog at the link provided (if case you didn't get a chance to read it).
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08-02-2015, 06:58 AM
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Unvaxxed Pureblood too
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 39,162
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Re: Apostle
Quote:
Originally Posted by votivesoul
I take the position that Junia was a female apostle, who, along with Andronicus, are mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:7. I know there are other views regarding who Junia was, what gender Junia was, and etc. So far, I've not found anything to convince me that Junia was a man, or not an apostle. But I'm open to anything anyone would like to share on the matter. If it can be proven conclusively, I will happily amend my understanding.
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She lived along Andronicus? You mean his wife? You are worried about whether or not you can prove the name to be masculine (while manuscripts have it both ways) still there is no conclusive evidence to call her (or him) an apostle. Anyway, here is a little song for all the Junia Apostle folks.....
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“Burn the Boats!!!” — Hernan Cortes
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08-02-2015, 07:14 AM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Portage la Prairie, MB CANADA
Posts: 38,154
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Re: Apostle
Quote:
Originally Posted by votivesoul
To clarify:
Anyone who is ordained of God, which does not include everyone, as you say. Just that, of all the saints that exist in the world at any given time, God may, under His sovereign discretion, call any of them into apostleship, meaning God could (or already has) call(ed) anyone of us to be(come) an apostle.
So, you are correct. Not all are apostles. Paul made that very clear in the verses you supplied.
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While I agree with the descriptions you gave of an apostle -- though the female apostle thing I disagree with, too -- I disagree that any one at any given time can be an apostle. I think that's what the verses I quoted stated. Are all apostles amongst the believers? Answer: No. Paul wrote about the body saying the eye is not the hand, etc. Body parts are members of the church, since the world is not part of the body of Christ. So, amongst the body of Christ, all are not apostles.
__________________
...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
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