RHEMA Bible Training Center STUDY: THE MINISTRY GIFTS

Lesson VI THE APOSTLE

I 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.

EPHESIANS4:11

II And he gave some, APOSTLES....

A.    The ministry gift which heads the list is the apostle. However, that does not mean it is the most important ministry gift in the local body today, nor does it mean that apostles are to dominate over other ministry gifts in the Body of Christ. In other words, Paul was not establishing a hierarchy for local church government by the way he listed the ministry gifts here.

1.    Actually, Paul was probably listing these offices in the order he did because of the way God "set" or developed ministry gifts in the Early Church .

2.    You see, in the establishing of the universal Church following the resurrection of Jesus, the apostles and prophets were obviously the most important min­istry offices because they were the first ministry gifts to be developed or "set" in the Body of Christ.

a.    Also, they were foundational apostles and prophets — they laid the foun­dation for the New Testament.

b.    In other words, they were initially the most important offices when the Early Church was just beginning because they brought forth the revelation of the New Testament, which is the foundation upon which the Church in all generations is to be established.

3.    However, in terms of the operation of the local church today, First Corinthians 12:28 is not a list of the offices of apostles and prophets in their order of impor­tance. Neither is it a list indicating that apostles and prophets are the govern­ing offices within the local church.

a.    Apostles and prophets do not make up the office of "governments" found in First Corinthians 12:28. For one thing, Paul listed "governments" as an entirely separate office. It probably refers to the pastoral office.

b.    For another thing, some offices are listed in a certain order in the ministry list in Ephesians 4:11, and in another order in the ministry list of First Corinthians 12:28.

c.    Therefore, this list in First Corinthians 12:28 does not indicate that the offices of the apostle and prophet are the most important or the governing offices in the local church today.

B.    The most significant statement of fact in the Bible regarding this office is that it was filled by Christ Himself.

HEBREWS 3:1

1    Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the

Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.

C.    The Greek word APOSTOLOS translated apostle means one sent forth, a sent one. D.    Jesus Christ is the greatest example of a sent one.

JOHN 20:21

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: AS MY FATHER HATH

SENT ME, even so send I you.

E.    A true apostle is always one with a commission — not one who merely goes, but one who is sent by the Holy Spirit.

1.    Acts 13 gives a picture of the sending forth of Barnabas and Paul to be apostles to the Gentiles.

F.     The signs of an apostle. The Bible speaks of the signs of an apostle:

2 CORINTHIANS 12:12

12 Truly THE SIGNS of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in

SIGNS, and WONDERS, and MIGHTY DEEDS.

What are these signs?

Signs, wonders, and mighty deeds.

G.    The fruit of an apostle. The Bible also talks about the works or fruit of the apostolic ministry:

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.    In defending his apostleship, Paul could rightly say, ". . . are not ye my work in the Lord?" The fruit of Paul's apostolic ministry were people who were solidly established in the Word.

1 CORINTHIANS 9:2

2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

2.    Paul could also point to solidly established churches and say that they were the seal or the fruit of his apostolic ministry. In his epistle, Paul addresses many of his letters to those churches he had established. And in First Corinthi­ans 4:15, we see the true nature of the apostolic call.

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.

    Paul was really a spiritual father to those whom he had established in the faith. Although Paul founded and established many churches, he didn't rule over those people, any more than a father dictatorially rules over his children whom he loves.

a.    Paul's apostolic office didn't give him the authority to tell people and churches what to do in every area of life. Yet some of the so-called "apos­tles" today try to run every aspect of the local church, including people's personal lives.

b.    Notice Paul's statements to every church he wrote in the epistles. He didn't command them. He wasn't a dictator over them. He addressed them in fatherly tones of genuine care and concern: "Not I Paul myself BESEECH you by the MEEKNESS and GENTLENESS of Christ 12 Cor. 10:1).

1 THESSALONIANS 2:6-12

6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, AS THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST.

7 But WE WERE GENTLE AMONG YOU, even as a NURSE CHER-ISHETH HER CHILDREN:

8 So being AFFECTIONATELY DESIROUS of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because YE WERE DEAR UNTO US.

9 For ye remember, brethren, OUR LABOUR and TRAVAIL: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, WE PREACHED UNTO YOU THE GOSPEL OF GOD.

10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how HOLILY and JUSTLY and UNBLAMEABLY WE BEHAVED OURSELVES AMONG YOU that believe:

11 As ye know how we EXHORTED and COMFORTED and CHARGED every one of you, AS A FATHER DOTH HIS CHILDREN,

12 THAT YE WOULD WALK WORTHY OF GOD, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

c.    Paul demonstrated his attitude in these passages of Scripture. It is not an attitude of trying to lord it over people and rule them. What did Paul exhort, comfort, and charge believers?

d.    Did Paul demand his right to dominate them? Assuredly not! Did he com­mand all churches under his "authority" to tithe to him as some so-called "apostles" today are doing? A thousand times, no! He exhorted and charged believers to walk worthy of God.

e.    Paul's apostolic care and concern for the churches is made even more clear in The Amplified Bible.

1 THESSALONIANS 2:7,11 (Amplified)

7 But we behaved gently when we were among you, LIKE A DEVOTED MOTHER NURSING AND CHERISHING HER OWN CHIL­DREN. ...

n ... like a FATHER [DEALING WITH HIS CHILDREN], we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you.

their is a vast difference between Pauls attitude demonstrated in his letters to the churches, and the attitude of some so-called "apos­tles" today who are dominating people and trying to rule over them harshly in pride and superiority.

g.    Some of these so-called "apostles" today, command people by saying, "You have to listen to me and do what I say because I'm an apostle." That's not scriptural. A statement like that can't be proved by the Bible.

H.   Characteristics of an apostle. An apostle is first and foremost a preacher or a teacher, or a preacher and a teacher of the Word.

I TIMOTHY 2:7

7    Whereunto I am ordained a PREACHER, and an APOSTLE, (I speak the

truth in Christ, and lie not;) a TEACHER of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

2 TIMOTHY 1:11

II  Whereunto I am appointed a PREACHER, and an APOSTLE, and a TEACHER of the Gentiles.

1.   Notice Paul didn't say, "I am first ordained an apostle." No, Paul said he was first ordained a preacher because he was first and foremost a preacher and a teacher of the Word of God.

I.     To stand in this office, one must have a deep personal encounter with the Lord and an ongoing spiritually strong relationship with Him and His Word — something beyond the ordinary.

1.    Paul. Notice something Paul said in defending his apostleship: "Am I not an apostle? am I not free? HAVE I NOT SEEN JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD? ..." (1 Cor. 9:1). Paul did not see Jesus in the flesh as the twelve did. But he saw Jesus in a spiritual vision (Acts 9:3-6). Paul had a deep spiritual experience with the Lord. Even his conversion was beyond the ordinary.

Paul had such a deep spiritual experience with the Lord that he could say con­cerning what he knew about the Lord's Supper, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you ..." (1 Cor. 11:23). Paul didn't learn what he knew about this subject from the other apostles. He got it by revelation. Jesus gave it to him.

2.    Paul wasn't taught the gospel he preached by man. The Spirit of God taught it to him. "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11,12). We have heard others teach these Bible truths, but Paul had not. Look at the rest of this passage in Galatians concerning Paul's revelation — proof of his deep experience with the Lord.

GALATIANS 1:13-17

13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' reli­gion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.

15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,

16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; IMMEDIATELY I CONFERRED NOT WITH FLESH AND BLOOD:

17 NEITHER WENT I UP TO JERUSALEM TO THEM WHICH WERE APOSTLES BEFORE ME; BUT I WENT INTO ARABIA, AND RETURNED AGAIN UNTO DAMASCUS.

How long was Paul in Arabia? No one knows. But it was while he was in Ara­bia that Paul received the revelation of the gospel of which he writes in every epistle.

GALATIANS 1:18,19,21-24

18 THEN AFTER THREE YEARS I WENT UP TO JERUSALEM TO SEE PETER, AND ABODE WITH HIM FIFTEEN DAYS.

19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. . . .

21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;

22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:

23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.

24 And they glorified God in me.

Three years after Paul returned from Damascus, he went to Jerusalem and spent two weeks with Peter.

GALATIANS 2:1,2

1 THEN FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER I WENT UP AGAIN TO JERUSALEM with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

2 AND I WENT UP BY REVELATION, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Paul had been preaching for 17 years by then. He didn't know what the apos­tles preached. He hadn't heard them. He'd been with Peter only a brief two-week period. After which he preached 14 more years before the Spirit of God revealed to him that he should go up to Jerusalem and communicate with these brethren.

Paul did indeed have a deep religious experience with the Lord Jesus Christ!

J.    An apostle's ministry seems to embrace all other ministry gifts. The distinguishing result is the ability to establish churches.

1.    The apostle has some workings of all five offices, which would include the pas­toral equipment of governments. (Weymouth translates the word "govern­ments" as powers of organization.)

2.    After churches are established, apostles may exercise oversight over those churches they have established themselves (1 Cor. 9:1,2) until those churches are adequately established with spiritual authority of their own.

Comments: There are many who call themselves apostles who want to dominate and rule people. They say, "I'm an apostle. I have authority. You have to do what I say." In New Testament days the apostles only exercised

oversight over the churches they established themselves. Paul never exer­cised any authority over the church at Jerusalem, nor any of the churches that other apostles had established.

Remember, these offices are in power and not in name only. If the power is not there to establish churches, then a person is not an apostle in the full sphere of the office.

3.    A missionary who is really called of God and sent by the Holy Ghost is an apostle.

a.    Acts 13:2,4. The Holy Spirit said, ". . . Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them." Then verse 4 says, "So they, being SENT FORTH by the Holy Ghost, departed. ..."

Barnabas and Saul were "sent ones." They left on their first missionary journey to the Gentiles.

b.    The New Testament never mentions missionaries, yet it is an important office. It is here in the office of an apostle.

c.    The missionary will have the ability of all the ministry gifts.

1.    He will do the work of the evangelist. He will get people saved.

2.    He will do the work of the teacher. He will teach and establish people.

3.    He will do the work of the pastor.

He will pastor and shepherd people for a while.

a.    In studying closely the life of the Apostle Paul, we note that he said he never built on a foundation someone else had laid. He endeavored to preach the gospel where Christ was not named (Rom. 15:20).

He always stayed in a place from six months to three years.

b.    His real calling was not to be a pastor, but he stayed long enough to get believers established in the truth, and then moved on.

K.    Are there apostles today? 1.    Four classes of apostles.

The Lord said to me in a visitation which took place in July 1987 that there were four classes of apostles and that each class of apostle had a different anointing. After I studied it out in the Word of God, I could see this truth for myself.

a.    Jesus the Chief Apostle: Jesus Himself is the Chief Apostle and stands in a class by Himself. We find in Hebrews 3:1 that Jesus is called the Apostle

And high priest of  our profession . He  was a “Sent one” From the Father to make atonement for the sins of the world. No other apostle (or sent one) will ever have that calling.

b.    Apostles of the Lamb: These were the twelve apostles who were eyewit­nesses of Jesus' life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 1:21,22). This was their purpose — to witness Jesus' earthly ministry and to give testimony of His ministry to the world. No one, not even Paul, could be an apostle in the sense the original twelve were. There are only twelve Apostles of the Lamb (Rev. 21:14).

The Bible gives the qualifications for the original twelve Apostles of the Lamb when they were to select one to take Judas' place.

ACTS 1:15-22

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.

To be one of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, one had to have accompanied them — the apostles and Jesus — all the time Jesus went in and out among them for the three and a half years of His ministry. Paul was not with them.

The original twelve were sent ones to be eye witnesses of the ministry, the works, the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. They stood in a place no other apostles or ministries can ever stand.

c.    New Testament Apostles: This includes Paul, Barnabas, and the other apostles of the New Testament. In addition to calling Jesus Christ an Apostle, and the twelve Apostles of the Lamb, the New Testament calls several others apostles:

1.    Barnabas and Paul (Acts 14:14).

2.   James the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19).

3.   Andronicus and Junta (Rom. 16:7).

4.   Silvanus and Timotheus (1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6).

5.     Apollos (1 Cor. 4:4-9).

6.   Two unnamed brethren (2 Cor. 8:23).*

7.   Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25).*

*The word translated "messenger" in these verses is the same Greek word translated "apostle" elsewhere. It can also mean a representative or a dele­gate.

The New Testament apostles were not apostles in the same sense that the twelve Apostles of the Lamb were. For one reason, they were not eyewit­nesses of Jesus' life and ministry. Second, they seemed to have more lim­ited callings. Paul, for example, was an apostle (a sent one) to the Gentiles only (see 2 Tim. 1:11).

There is much talk today about the need for modern-day apostles to lay the foundation for the Church. But the foundation of the Church Universal has already been laid! This work was done by the Apostles of the Lamb and the other apostles of the New Testament.

Paul explains this in First Corinthians 3:10:

1 CORINTHIANS 3:10

10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth there­upon.

EPHESIANS 2:20

20 And are built upon THE FOUNDATION OF THE APOSTLES and

prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.

The Apostles of the Lamb and the other New Testament apostles laid the foundation of the Church by giving testimony of Jesus' earthly mission, by being the earliest pioneers and preachers of the gospel, and by receiving the Word of God and recording it in written form in what we now know as the New Testament. Modern-day apostles are not called to lay the founda­tion of the Church. They have an entirely different calling and mission.

Apostles of Today: There are no apostles today in the three classes listed above. There are no foundation-laying apostles today. If the foundation was not laid by the apostles of the New Testament and we need modern-day apostles to do it, then we need a new cornerstone as well. Of course, that is foolish. The work of the apostle today is to found and establish individual local churches throughout the world; to go into new territory and pioneer churches where there are no churches just as I've mentioned previously

2. Many Questions whetheror not the office of the Apostle  even exists today. But  thank God, it does. Let's go back to Ephesians 4.

EPHESIANS 4:8,11-13

8    Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity

captive, and gave gifts unto men....

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the ful­ness of Christ.

a.    If God has taken any of these ministries out of the list, the Bible should have told us that He gave them for just a little while.

b.    ALL of these ministry gifts were given for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ. This includes apostles.

c.    For how long did He give them? All of them were given "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).

L.    What marks do we look for in an apostle today?

1.    First and foremost a preacher or a teacher of the Word.

2.    Outstanding spiritual gifts.

3.    Deep personal experience.

4.    Power and ability to establish churches.

5.    Able to provide adequate spiritual leadership.

Comments: If God did call you to be an apostle, I wouldn't bother about it. Acts 13:1 reads, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon . . . and Lucius . . . and Manaen . . . and Saul." Each of these men was either a prophet, or a teacher, and or a prophet and a teacher (one can stand in more than one office). So we know from study of the Scriptures that Paul was both a prophet and a teacher. Acts 14:14 calls him an apostle. He became an apostle when God set him in that office.

Remember this: Don't get taken up with names and titles. If I didn't know what God called me to, I wouldn't bother a minute about it.

If I sensed the call on the inside of me, I would just prepare myself in the Word and preach and teach, and then let God eventually set me in the office He has for me.

Barnabas and Paul were not set in the office of apostle to begin with, but God even­tually did set them there.