Results 1 - 2 of 2
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Prerequisite-infallibility? | 1 Cor 12:27 | Makarios | 12543 | ||
Dear charis, in an earlier post written 04/01/01 (which was exactly 11 days before I found and joined the Study Bible Forum), you have stated as "definitions" of an apostle, and a prophet... "The major problem, as I see it, is that many are adamant that an Apostle must be like Peter or Paul, and a Prophet must be like Isaiah or Jeremiah. APOSTLE (Gk. (apostolos,) a "delegate"). One sent with a special message or commission. In this sense the word is used in the LXX (1KI 14:6; ISA 18:2), and in the NT: JOH 13:16, "Neither is one (who is sent) [apostle] greater than the one who sent him"; 2CO 8:23; PHI 2:25, where persons sent out by churches on special errands are called their (apostles,) or messengers. In HEB 3:1 Jesus is called "the (Apostle) and High Priest of our confession." (New Ungers Bible Dictionary) The Bible describes 3 'types' of apostles; 1) Jesus. 2) The 'Apostles to the Lamb,' also called the 12. Matthai replaced Judas Iscariot, the only 'replacement' apostle in the Bible. 3)The 'post-ascension apostles.' Paul and Barnabas, among others, continued the ministry of 'special commissions' between churches. Sometimes these are referred to as the 'lower sense' of the apostolic ministry. I believe this continues today, although often misinterpreted and abused. I do not think that the present-day apostle equals the missionary, as I know too many missionaries that do not fit the Bible's description. However, some missionaries may well be working in an apostolic calling. Prophet-"But one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation." 1 Corinthians 14:3 NASB. Though many definitions demand that a prophet be a soothsayer, I believe that a New Testament prophet will probably speak God's word for the above purposes more than for telling the future. (Though soothsaying is also still possible, this gift must be used carefully, and must be tested before placing spiritual 'weight' upon it) This encouragement should be for the church, not for the 'pumping up' of the people, nor for the edification of the prophet." Deut. 18:21-22 explains to us that whatever a prophet prophecies must come to pass! And in this way, they must be "infallible".. Acts 21:10 states that Agabus, a prophet, came down from Judea to meet Paul. It is interesting to note the presence of this prophet (and he was considered as one) after the Resurrection of Christ! So there is evidence for Biblical support for prophets. So in this light, let us look at a quote of Hank's post written on 04/04/01.. "Luke in Acts extends the title apostle beyond the Twelve. And Paul calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ in the greeting of virtually every letter he wrote that we have in the New Testament canon. In light of the scriptural record, therefore, it is difficult to see how anyone living today could be called an apostle -- not, at any rate, in the Biblical sense.Prophets. Do they exist today? Yes, they do and Scripture supports this view, particularly the existence of false prophets. Jesus issued a stern warning to beware of false prophets and false Christs (Matt. 7:15; Mark 13:22) Paul referred to genuine prophecy as a gift in 1 Cor. 13:2. Prophecy simply means "spokesman for God" and does not always entail the foretelling of future events." I agree with Hank, prophets do exist today. However, I am at a loss as to how apostles could exist based on the Biblical example or sense of the word.. Are we all apostles since we are all ministers of the Gospel? (2 Cor. 6:4) Have we all been given that kind of authority over other believers? As far as 'new revelation' goes, God's Holy Word is the ultimate revelation, and any "NEW" revelation must coincide or be based upon (or found) in God's Holy Word, which is the ultimate message from God to man. John 10:35 states that the Scripture cannot be broken, and Revelation 22:18-19 are definitive commands that we should not add to this 'ultimate' revelation that God has given us. Every gift that is given should be for the building up of the church or for the spreading of this ultimate message that God has given us. I will write more later! I hope this helps.. Your Brother in Christ, Nolan |
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2 | Prerequisite-infallibility? | 1 Cor 12:27 | RCSCROLL | 12570 | ||
Hi Charis well here goe's It is sometimes claimed (for example, by the Mormon church, and by the Christian organization known as Gospel Outreach) that God intends for the church to have the office of apostle operative today. The Scriptures, however, indicate that the apostleship was strictly a first-century office. Jesus trained the Twelve to be preachers, teachers, and evangelists for Him after His death and resurrection (John 14:17; Matthew 16:18-19; 18:17-18; etc.). The apostles would speak with authority, not only because they had the Holy Spirit teaching them, but also because they were eyewitnesses of the saving events of Christ's death and resurrection (John 14:26; 15:26-27). The apostles, therefore, were trained by Jesus to play a vital and unrepeatable role in the history of the church. While the Holy Spirit still dwells in the church, there are no more apostles, since an apostle was required to have been an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ (Acts 1:21-26; 5:32; Luke 1:1-4; Ephesians 3:4-5; I Corinthians 9:1). Given the fact that no one living during the past eighteen centuries has seen the risen Jesus (despite the claims of persons such as Joseph Smith), it is impossible that during this period we should have "apostles." The New Testament indicates rather clearly that the apostleship did end in the first century. In Paul's recounting of the resurrection appearances, he ends with his own, saying, "and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me" (I Corinthians 15:8). Elsewhere, Paul speaks of the church as "having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20). Just as we do not lay new cornerstones from time to time to replace the old one, so too, we do not lay a new foundation of apostles and prophets over and over. The foundation of the apostolic witness to Christ and the prophetic revelations which pointed to and interpreted the saving acts of Christ has been laid; it does not need to be laid again. Whenever teachers come along with "new revelations from God," they are attempting to lay a foundation which has already been laid (see I Corinthians 3:11). It is sometimes argued that Paul clearly implies the perpetuity of apostles and prophets in Ephesians 4:11-13. On a superficial reading of the passage, it might seem to be saying that Christ gave apostles and prophets to the church "until we all attain to the unity of the faith," thus implying that these offices continue until the church is perfected. This interpretation is incorrect, though, for the following reasons: (1) Paul has already set apostles and prophets in a class by themselves in Ephesians 2:20. (2) If apostles and prophets were intended by Christ to continue until the church was perfected, how is it that a second generation of apostles was never chosen? |
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