God Is Calling The Church To Order

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13.

APOSTLES

Appointed Representatives of Jesus Exercise His Authority

Although the Gospels call the same people "disciples' and "apostles" (Mark3:7,14,20), the terms are not synonymous. Disciple means a pupil or learner and an apostle means an emissary or representative, as one sent with full authority of the teacher /sender. The "twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev.21:14), the apostles (representatives) of the churches (2 Cor.8:23) and the rest of Jesus' disciples, were chosen and sent by Jesus (Mark 3:14) just as Jesus himself, "the apostle whom we confess" (Heb.3:1), was chosen and sent by the Father (1 Peter 1:20). Just as rejecting Jesus is rejecting the Father, so rejecting the apostles is rejecting Jesus (Luke 10:16). The apostles functioned as evangelists, church planters and pastors, just as Jesus himself had functioned in these three roles during His earthly ministry. As Jesus claimed the Father's divine authority for his words (John 12:49-50; 14;24), so the apostles claimed Christ's divine authority for theirs (1 Thes.2:13; 2Thes.3:6; 1 Cor.2:12-13; 14:37). Paul, the apostle to the gentiles (Romans 11:13; Gal.2:8) announces himself as an apostle in every opening words of most of his letters. James, Peter and John accepted Paul into apostolic partnership (Gal.2:9), and God confirmed his status by the signs of an apostle (miracles and manifestations, 2 Cor.12:12, Heb. 2:3-4) and by the fruitfulness of his ministry. (1 Cor. 9:2).

Apostles are agents of God's revelation of the truths that become the Christian rule of faith and life. Through Christ's appointment of them as His authorized representatives (2 Cor.10:8; 13;10), apostles exercise a unique and functional authority in the church today. An apostle is one sent forth with all the power and authority of the one whom called and set forth. A sending forth within this authority, a mission established by Christ Jesus Himself, through His power, signifies an apostleship.

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". Matthew 28:18-20

Christ Jesus is the commander in chief of the Great Commission and has so stated that He will be with all those that He commissions, ALWAYS, and WITH ALL AUTHORITY. Those He has commissioned are sent forth to MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations. They are to baptize and teach. They are to baptize as an OUTWARD SIGN and teach an INWARD FAITH. For all those who have repented and sought for the forgiveness of their sins, they are to  lay hands upon for the receiving of the Holy Spirit and all his power. They are to teach the gospel, that forgiveness is through faith in Christ and not the act of water baptism. They are to teach that everyone is to OBSERVE ALL that the WORD OF GOD COMMANDS.

As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in ALL ASPECTS into HIM, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Eph. 4:14-16.

Being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies. And what is it that each joint supplies ? 

POWER, DIVINE SPIRITUAL POWER.

"I do not ask in behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me". John 17: 20-23.

Indeed, Apostles are for today and to deny their presence is to deny the authority of Christ. Are there false apostles in the world today? Yes, there are false apostles in the world today, just like there are false disciples, false prophets, false pastors and leaders. Gods word says that we shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16.

" For through Him we both have access in one spirit to the father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:18-22.

We are to live and dwell in the unity of the spirit, allowing each of our gifts to be revealed unto each of us, that we may know our part and purpose in Him, that He may use each of us for his honor and glory, that we remain pleasing in His sight. Glory to God.

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God is Calling His Church To Order

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