A couple of weeks ago I thought I could leave this subject and move on to what I really wanted to talk about. After several emails and messages I feel I need to clear up my thoughts some more. There are many who may think I do not believe in the five ministries mentioned in Ephesians chapter four. I was just stating that I disagree with most of today’s modern teachings on the subject. So, if I may this week try to clear up my thoughts on this.
A large part of today’s teaching on this subject leads to people believing in a restoration of Apostles like in Acts. This often leads to abuse and men taking leadership, claiming special callings from God. In story after story we find where this happens there is abuse and false leadership. People seem to follow such men blindly and fall into spiritual bondage. If one would just pay attention to the teachings of these men and their lives, you would find many errors in what they say and do.
We have just in recent history, right here in America Missouri
Each story was much the same. I was told of strong arm leadership and demands for the faithful to take their word for what was being taught. If they disagreed with leadership they were told they were going to hell, missing God, or just too carnal to see and know what they were teaching. These people were hurt and dejected, many telling me they had their fill of church, never wanting to be apart of any church again. Their faith in God is questioned and some even begin to doubt their salvation and God’s love.
Like I said before I grew up in church and in my late teen years and early adult life was under strong leadership. They too taught what was called the five fold ministry and the offices of the Apostles and Prophets. This kind of teaching only ended up in what I call spiritual abuse. I only survived such teaching because I refused to check my brain out at the door so to speak. I was willing to confront and ask questions, of those who tried to control our lives by their teachings. In the end I had to leave and ended up attacked by those who could not control me.
Before we go any further I started out this series about the manifestations and will get back to that. I just want to make very clear that the manifestations and leadership gifts are not the same and should be addressed separately. I do believe in both and that they should be in operation in today’s church body. I just disagree with how they are both being taught and used in many churches today. Don’t get me wrong, I do not feel I am anyone special that has some kind of revelation on this matter. I am however amazed how divided the body of Christ is on this matter. Then again I am so amazed how the body of Christ could be so divided on many subjects that I feel are pretty clear in the scriptures.
I started this blog page to speak my mind and to spark your thinking as well. I wanted to open dialogue on many subjects and see what we learn. It is time for the body of Christ to come into maturity, each believer to step up and stop following blindly and let God work through them. Too much has happened in the church that should not have, just because so called believers just refuse to step up and pursue truth. It seems that the average believer is willing to let somebody else do their thinking and remain a spiritual baby all their life. I will even be blunt here and say I seriously doubt they are a real believer. Faith without works or action is dead.
(James 2:26 NIV) As the body without the spirit (breath) is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (emphases mine)
After saying what I said, let me get to today’s point. (Eph 4:11-12 NIV) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, {12} to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. If you would read the whole chapter, I feel you may understand Paul was not talking about any special calling or office of leadership. He was not elevating one gift over another. He was however teaching unity, peace and maturity in the body of Christ. Upon my study I find there will only be that special calling that was given to the first apostles and prophets in the Bible. Paul does however teach about God’s gifts to the church in Romans, I Cor., and Eph. Each time he states it a little different and helps us understand he is not setting up a high calling of leadership. Has God set up leadership? Absolutely! That is clearly seen and should be honored and respected. Do I think there is a restoration of Apostles and Prophets? Absolutely no! Let me explain what I mean.
Let’s start with some scripture and then I hope to expound on the verses I share.
(Eph 2:19-22 NIV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, {20} built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. {21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. {22} And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
(1 Cor 3:10 -14 NIV) By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. {11} For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. {12} If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, {13} his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. {14} If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
(2 Tim 2:19 NIV) Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
(Heb 6:1-3 NIV) Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, {2} instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. {3} And God permitting, we will do so.
(Rev 21:14 NKJV) Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
I am going to draw from my many years of construction and home building to expound on the above verses. One thing I learned early on in building any kind of home or building was the importance of the foundation. Without a good foundation, not matter what you build and how good it looks it will not last. Jesus used this analogy in Luke 6.48&49 concerning obeying the teachings of Jesus. Another thing I learned was no matter what you would build on the foundation, it had to remain true to the foundation that was laid. When we built homes we could change the look of the walls or even move a few in the floor plan, but we could not build outside the perimeters of the foundation.
How does that apply to the above scriptures and the apostles and prophets? Let me explain. In Eph. 2, Paul tells us that the church then and still today is built upon a foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus being the main cornerstone. If you look in Revelations 21, there is only twelve who are considered foundation Apostles. So what was Paul saying? There were only those men God called to lay the foundation of His church, and the foundation is already laid. There will be no other foundation, but the one where Jesus is the main cornerstone.
I can only hope to make this plain or understandable as I see it. The special prophets Paul is referring to is all those that have already spoken about God’s plan for man through Jesus. We call that the Old Testament, and there will be no other prophets to add to what has already been spoken and written concerning Jesus, God’s plan for man, then and for the future. If anyone claims to be a prophet today he can not add to what is already spoken or take away. The calling of those kinds of prophets are over and the foundation is already laid. If anyone today stands up and says they have a special revelation that does not match the foundation already laid is a false prophet. Another meaning for prophet which I believe applies to today, is a spokesman for God.
God still uses people to speak His will concerning others today. That is where the manifestations come in. God may and often does use someone to forewarn someone, advise or admonish another believer. God has people he has gifted to help the body of Christ come into maturity, but we have to understand that all those kind of prophecies are conditional. The foundation that is laid can not be changed but the walls built on top can. God has laid the foundation of all His plans concerning mankind, the church, the work of Jesus and the coming kingdom, which will not be changed. God is done with those kinds of prophets, but prophets in building up one another should still be in use today.
The same pretty much goes for the Apostles. God chose special men through Jesus to be the foundation of the church and all that God intended for the church. These men all have died by the end of the first century. God has and will not call any others to this special calling. Paul made claim to be one of these men and said he laid a foundation for others to build upon. He warned us how we should build and what we did build would be tested. He spoke about those who have tried to appose what he had taught (II Tim. 2) and said the foundation of God stood firm. The writer of Heb. 6 tells us that the teachings of the Apostles are a part of that foundation. The teachings of the faith, salvation, baptism, resurrection, judgment is already laid. We need to follow what they have taught, and you can find that by rightly dividing the Word of truth, not following mans ideal of what it says. That foundation is already laid and there will be no other.
Another meaning for apostle is one sent by God. That does and should apply today. God still calls men to go forth and build upon the foundation, reestablishing truth and drawing people back to the foundation that is laid by the Apostles of Acts. One today could feel the call of God to go and establish a work or teach a truth that is in line with the foundation already laid for the church. Anyone who goes around calling themselves apostles trying to lay their own foundation built upon their own revelations is a false apostle. Anyone that goes around demanding to be recognized as an apostle, claiming special anointing over other ministries should be rejected.
I feel that Paul was not elevating one gift over another. They should operate in the church as one then as needed. He was not giving them a special office or position. The work of ministry is to be done by the whole body of Christ not a selected few. When we start seeing the church go back to the foundations already laid and the teachings of the Apostles we will start to see true maturity in the body of Christ. A church operating as God intended it to be working in love and the power of God. God did give apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelist, and teachers, to build upon the foundation of the original teachings of the Apostles, Jesus being the main cornerstone of all that is built upon it. How are you building and on what foundation is it being built upon?
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