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NASB | Romans 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] in Christ before me. |
Bible Question: Has the gift of prophecy and tongues and knowledge passed away? What are we to make of I Corinthians 13:8-13, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. Does this verse mean that Christ came and the partial was done away with, and that somehow after the Holy Spirit which was after Christ that the gift was only in operation in the founding of the church? Does this verse mean that when the church was finished the perfect was come and that the gift was only in operation in the founding of the church? Does this verse mean that when Christ returns the perfect state of man will come and that then all the gifts except faith, hope and love will abide because the other gifts will no longer be necessary fir the church to function, because we will be just like Jesus? We know that the gift of being apostle has passed becaue they finished founding the church. In your answer do not confuse the concept of propecy as it functioned in the OT as a precursor to Christ and to lead Israel with Paul's description of the gift in I Corinthians 14:3,4 as being applicable to the functioning of the church membership. |
Bible Answer: I enjoyed your question, to the extent that my answer exceeded a reasonable one, so I put it elsewhere. Thank you for the provocation! Here I would simply ask what leads you to assume there are no apostolic gifts to the church in this day? Clearly there is no demarcation in time or space historically, or in scripture, as to the growth of the church, or its completion, apart from the end of ages. And we have precedent in Paul himself and others (Rom 16:7 for example) who were apostles beyond the twelve. What would lead you to view that ministry of God as complete? If it is just the twelve, yes, they are unique, but the gift went beyond them. If it were just the first century, or the lifetime of those named in the scripture, what signified the end of God providing for the church in that way? If Paul claims those of the church in a locality as proof of his apostleship, the fruit of him being a gift to the church from God, what prevents the use of that term to describe one in this day who is sent out, moves in the gifts, and brings forth the establishment of a body and the raising up of that congregation? Though I don't promote the arbitrary application of labels, simply the recognition of the life and work of Christ in a man dedicated to the church in this day who performs the office. Peace and grace to you, thanks for the interesting question visa vis prophesy. That sent me to the Spirit and I found something there. |