GRACE ANSWERS 21

• QUESTION: There is a teaching making its rounds in charismatic circles that God is restoring the fullness of the Apostle's ministry to His body, even as it is recorded in the book of Acts. That goes for the office of Prophets - that the church is to come under the same divine authority of the early church.

  I have been taught that the offices of apostles and prophets in the sense of the twelve ceased after the first century. Are you aware of a study refuting this error of the restoration of the apostles and prophets or do you see it is an error and why?

• ANSWER: Jesus named twelve of His disciples to be Apostles.

  "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. He appointed twelve--designating them apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons."

  Mark 3:13-15

  These Twelve Apostles were to lead Israel into acceptance of their Messiah Who would set up His Earthly Kingdom. Peter and the other Apostles made that offer on the Day of Pentecost and days following, but Israel rejected Jesus Christ.

  Christ called the Apostle Paul to reveal a Mystery to Israel and the rest of the world. The Mystery was that God was going to establish a Body for His Son that would include Gentiles and Jews, but mostly Gentiles. That Body, The Church, would preach and teach God's Love and Grace between Christ's first and second offers of the Kingdom to Israel. Israel will not reject Christ the second time.

  I believe God will restore the Kingdom gifts and offices in the future, but not today. We read about the restoration of the Kingdom in the Book of Revelation and the writings of the Old Testament Prophets. The event leading to that (the Rapture of the Body of Christ) could take place at any time. What we have today is what Jesus Christ told the Apostle Paul to establish for The Body. Paul established the offices and spiritual gifts for today's Church in his letters to early churches, like Corinthians, Romans and Ephesians.

  "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts."

  1 Corinthians 12:27-31

  "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

  Romans 12:6-8

  "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

  Ephesians 4:11-13

  Do we still have apostles today like Peter, John and Paul? Christ revealed Himself to individual men at a particular time for the purpose of establishing specific dispensational ministries. He used Peter, James, John and the rest of the twelve to establish the Kingdom Gospel and offer the Kingdom Dispensation to Israel. He used Paul to establish the Grace Gospel and offer the Grace Dispensation to the world. God's next move will be when He judges Israel and the world and sets up the Messianic Kingdom of His Son. He will send out 144,000 "servants of our God" and "my two witnesses" (Revelation 7:4 & 11:3) who will work miracles and preach the Word of Almighty God. Thousands of people will be saved during that time. Millions will die.

  Paul wrote the Corinithians that he was "not in the least inferior to the 'super-apostles,' even though I am nothing." Paul wrote that the things that marked an apostle were "signs, wonders and miracles." (2 Corinthians 12:11-12)

  Paul does write about "apostles" who did not have the kind of face-to-face relationship with Jesus Christ that he or Peter did. These were believers who worked with Paul to preach the Gospel. Two of them were Andronicus and Junias, relatives of Paul. He wrote that they were "outstanding among the apostles." (Romans 16:7) This means they exhibited "signs, wonders and miracles."

  The word "apostle" comes from the Greek word apostolos. It means "one sent forth." Many Bible teachers say that present-day apostles are missionaries because churches "send them out" to preach the Gospel. The Bible doesn't use the word "missionary," but many of the missionaries I've known are gifted evangelists, pastors, teachers, administrators and servants. The missionaries I've met have not exhibited "signs, wonders and miracles," so I don't believe they are apostles in the way Paul wrote. God established the office of "apostle" to begin the new way He would work with a household of faith (oikonomia ). Do we have Christians today who God is using to start a new dispensation? Do we have Christians who work true wonders and miracles? Do they have all the signs of a New Testament apostle? I have not met nor heard of a real one.

  I am cautious of anyone who claims to be an "apostle" of Christ. Apostles had a very special place in the beginning of the Kingdom Dispensation and Grace Dispensations. Paul warned Christians about false apostles. So did Jesus.

  "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve."

  2 Corinthians 11:13-15

  "I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles, but are not, and have found them false."

  Revelation 2:2

  I recommend highly that Christians test those who claim to be apostles of Christ today. I recommend they look carefully at their words and works to determine who they serve. I have no doubt that God has the power to restore the office of "apostle" as we see it in the Book of Acts. He can do anything He wants. The question is whether that's His plan for now. I don't think so. God will do some amazing things during the Tribulation, but that is in the future.

  To be fair to other sides of this question, let me say that some Christians do not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Many believe in a mid-tribulation rapture. Some believe in a post-tribulation rapture. Some don't believe in a rapture at all. I've heard from all sides through the years. Those who don't believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of Christians believe that the "tribulation" and "restoration" we see in Revelation will happen to the Church. I can see that belif from their point of view. However, I believe strongly that Paul teaches a pre-tribulation rapture of the Church, so I don't believe we'll see the restoration of the authority of the Twelve Apostles during the Age of Grace. The world will see it as Christ sets up His Kingdom on earth.

  Now, about prophets. A prophet was someone God placed His Word in their mouths and they spoke it. The Hebrew word for "prophet" is nabiy . It means "to announce, to show." The Greek word for prophet is prophetes . It means "one who speaks forth or openly." Prophets like Moses, Elijah, Isaiah and others spoke exactly what God told them to speak. They told the Truth and foretold the Future. If someone claimed to be a prophet of God and what they foretold didn't come true, the people of Israel were to kill the prophet. If they taught God's people to follow after "other gods," the people of Israel were to kill the prophet. That would have continued to be true during the Kingdom Dispensation since following the Law was an intregal part of their doctrine and practice.

  The prophets in the Body of Christ were men who spoke forthy and openly about God's Word and Will. They received special revelations and words of knowledge. This happened during the time when God was still inspiring His Word to be written through the Apostle Paul. The Bible does not contain the writings of any Church prophets other than Paul. Prophets in each church prophesied for the building up of individual Christians and the Body of Christ. Prophets also said things that laid bare the secrets of unsaved people's hearts and convinced them that they were sinners. (1 Corinthians 14:24-25)

  I believe the spiritual gift of prophecy still exists in the Church, but it has some major differences from the prophets of the Old Testament and of the early Church. God spoke directly to prophets through visions, dreams and sometimes an audible voice. God used prophets to judge nations, raise the dead, heal the sick, part the sea, bring plagues upon enemies and work great miracles. God inspired prophets to proclaim the Word of God and to write Holy Scripture for all people to read and obey. I don't see anyone with that kind of authority or ability today. I don't see any Biblical reason why God would use the office of Prophet as He did centuries ago until He judges Israel and the world during the Tribulation and introduces the Kingdom of His Son. Paul and the Apostle John finished writing God's Word before the end of the First Century A.D. The Bible is a complete Book and has been since about A.D. 95. The prophetic future is complete in written form. God has nothing else to reveal to us. It's all there for us in His Word. God is so serious about that truth that he told John to seal Revelation with a warning about anyone adding anything to it.

  "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

  Revelation 22:18-19

  Another side to Christians' views of this issue is that the gift of prophecy no longer exists. Many Christians believe 1 Corinthians 13:8-12 teaches that the gift of prophecy "ceased" when the Word of God was completed several years after Paul wrote his letter to the Corinthians. Many good Bible teachers have taught that. However, Paul does not say that clearly and I question whether he would have presented such a major doctrine in vague wording like "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Did Paul mean that he thought and reasoned as a child even though God had revealed the "Gospel of Grace" to him long before he wrote to the Corinthians? Paul wrote the Corinthians that he wished he could give them the meat of the word, but they could only accept the milk of the Word. ("Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as wordly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready." 1 Corinthians 3:1-2) How could he give them meat if he was a spiritual child? Did Paul mean that what he was preaching to the churches were "childish ways" he needed to put behind him? Did Paul mean that what he believed and taught were a "poor reflection" and that he would see as "face to face" when God finished revealing His Word to him? If that was true, why did Paul bother to teach anything until his understanding was correct and complete? Did Paul mean that he knew the truth only "in part," but would "know fully" later? I don't think so. Paul taught His Gospel of Grace as one who had received a complete revelation directly from Jesus Christ. He told the Galatians not to believe any gospel other than the one he had preached to them. Paul had preached to the Galatians and written to them early in his ministry, long before the Spirit revealed everything we now know as God's Word.

  I believe Paul was talking about the great experience each of us will have when we stand in the Presence of Almighty God in Heaven and everything becomes crystal clear because we will see "face to face" and "know fully, even as I am fully known."

  A prophet of the Body of Christ today and since the first century A.D. has been someone who preaches the Word of God faithfully and openly, someone who trusts completely in the authenticity of the finished work of Jesus Christ and the finished Word of God. Paul said it is something Christians should desire.

  "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy."

  1 Corinthians 14:1

  That followed Paul's listing spiritual gifts in Chapter 12 and telling the Corinthians they should "eagerly desire the greater gifts." The gift of prophecy is one of the greater gifts.

  The prophet "encourages" and "comforts" the Body of Christ. Edification is the result of love.

  "But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified."

  1 Corinthians 14:3-5

  Paul told Christians "try to excel in gifts that build up the church." That's what a prophet does. That's the deepest desire of his heart. A prophet wants to see Christians grow up in their faith. He wants to see Christians glorify God through their lives and their voices.

  Paul told the Corinthians to be concerned about unbelievers "understanding" what they said. Presenting God's Word in an understandable way is what a prophet does.

  "Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, 'God is really among you!'"

  1 Corinthians 14:22-25

  How can we know if someone is a prophet? By acknowledging that what Paul wrote is true.

  "If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

  1 Corinthians 14:39-40

  Order is an important part of the gift of prophecy. It's one of the ways we can tell if someone is a true prophet of God. A prophet cares deeply about doing things exactly as God designed them to be done.

  "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace."

  1 Corinthians 14:29-33

  Notice that two or three prophets should speak in the church while the members of the local assembly "weigh carefully what is said." If a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop and let the other prophet stand up to speak. God is the One Who gives the "revelations" and He wants everything done in an orderly way. He gives "revelations" to prophets "so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged." He's not going to give prophets revelations in ways that cause disruption. Disruption and disorder come from another spiritual source.

  What are "revelations?" The word is apokalupsthe . It means "to uncover, unveil." Paul spoke about his insight into the Gospel of the Grace of God as "revelations."

  "Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him--to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen."

  Romans 16:25-27

  Paul told the Ephesians the same thing (Ephesians 3:2-3). God gave Paul a special "revelation" of the mystery that was the Dispensation of the Grace of God.

  Paul told the Corinthians he wouldn't do them much good unless he brought them some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction. (1 Corinthians 14:6) Revelations and prophecies from God's Word are what build up the Body of Christ.

  The experience of the modern prophet "uncovering" or "unveiling" truth is nothing mysterious. It's open for all to see. It is a wonderful experience. The prophet is first and foremost a gifted student of the Word of God. The Lord gives prophets the ability to see things in His Word that others do not see. I have seen people marvel at what a prophet found in his study of God's Word. The prophet of God is the first to marvel at what he finds and to give God thanks for revealing it. The "revelations" prophets have today are those special "insights" to God's Word that excite them to tell other members of the Body of Christ so Christians will "be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" Maturity of the Body is the goal of the modern prophet. He wants to see Chritians grow straight and strong and be able to face life in the Power of Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God who lives in each believer. "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:12-16)

  I hope this answer will help you as you consider the teachings you are hearing. Check out "everything" through God's Word Rightly Divided. Remember what marks an apostle. Remember what a prophet does and how he does it. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Test the spirits. God will show you what's His and what's not.

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"Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers."

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