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p.1 Straightening out church history on apostles The book of Acts mentions the apostles 30 different times. We continually read Acts 5:12 “ through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.” Paul writes to the Corinthian church 2 Cor. 12:12 “ Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you.” The early church depended on the apostles for doing the miracles. The only exception was 7 men who were apostolic legates, these men were specifically chosen by the apostles to represent them.“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.’ (Acts 6:4-6) It then is written that Stephen,“did great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8-9) We find Stephen upset certain Jews greatly with his words, they accused him of blasphemy since they rejected Christ and they stoned him and he then became the first martyr in the church. In Acts 8:13 we read ofa man namedSimon who believed under Philip (one of the apostolic legates); “he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.” Acts 8:14-17 we find the Samaritans who were half Jews and gentile believed.And “The church summoned Peter and John to them, who“prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.”V:18 “ Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles 'hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money” Simon who believed under Philip coveted spiritual power that he saw the apostles exhibit and was willing to pay for it. Peter was quick to condemn him. Acts 15:2 when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. Jerusalem was the headquarters of the newly formed church. The New Testament speaks of pastors, elders, deacons not apostles appointed to oversee the local churches that was established. The apostles were sent ones to start churches where there were none. Here in 1 Peter 5:1 Peter who is an apostle states “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder”V.2 serving as overseers ” In addition 1 Peter 5:5 has Peter instruct the church to “ submit yourselves to your elders Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for " God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." To call oneself a prophet or apostle is prideful, because there are none, we are under the leadership of the local church, not new apostles over all the churches. Paul says to Titus (1:5) to “set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you.” He did not say to Titus appoint apostles. James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church , and let them pray over him.”Notice he does not say go find an apostle who has signs and wonders. We are warned in the latter days 2 Thess. 2:9-10 “ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” The devil can reproduce what seems to be genuine, if there are no new apostles what kind of signs are they producing? 2 Thess 2:1-2 Paul writes about our gathering together to Him, ( the inference is the rapture he previously wrote of in 1 Thess. 4:17 where we both the living and the dead are caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air) Mark 13:22 “ For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” The elect are both terms assigned to the church and Israel. However, we do find Jesus addressing the believers on this matter as does Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2. Asking them “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means ; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first .” (2 Thess. 2:2-3) The falling away is taking place today; it is produced by those who do signs and wonders that are counterfeit, done under a different Jesus by another spirit. They do this with counterfeit doctrine, certainly teaching a different view of the last days. It is directly connected to the prophetic movement the apostolic movement that is now taking place. The very same things Jesus warned of in the end “false prophets” Mt.24:11, 24 who will show signs and wonders. selah p.2 |
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