As while do not think the Bible states to us any function in thee office of either a OT Prophet or NT Apostle today, could we instead see them as bascially a prophet for today being a Pastor/Teacher gifted in applying biblical prophecy into todays settings, and an Apostle perhaps those such as Missionaries that God has given a region over to evangelize and appoint pastors and eldersas spiritual leadership npw?
Could we redefine the roles of the prophet and Apostle for Modern times then?
- Thread starter YeshuaFan
- Start date
Not in my opinion.
IMHO it is just a lack of correct Bible teaching.
If and when we understand the meaning of the word APOSTLE we see that the word apostle means “one who is sent out.”
From that definition of the word, the closest thing today to an apostle, in the general sense, is a missionary. A missionary is a follower of Christ who is sent out with the specific mission of proclaiming the gospel. A missionary is an ambassador of Christ to people who have not heard the good news. In a sense, all followers of Jesus Christ are called to be apostles. We are all to be His ambassadors. We are all to be “ones who are sent out”. We are all to be preachers of the good news.
But that is not where the problem lies. The problem comes because in the Pentecostal, Oneness and Holiness churches, when confronted with the Scriptures that tongues and prophesy and a word of knowledge ENDED when the Bible was completed, came up a few years ago the idea that APOSTLES still possessed the spiritual gifts of the original 12 which were and are called the "Sign Gifts". You see, they rejected what the Bible said and came up with a plan to alter what it literally says hence.........Apostles have the sign gifts.
NOW....if we refer to the word APOSTLE as pertaining to the original disciples who became the original 12 plus Paul then it has a different meaning.
The 1st defining Bible qualification of an apostle was their status as witnesses of the resurrection as seen in Acts 1:21-22.......
“…one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” NO ONE can qualify today!
Another qualification was that they were with Jesus from the beginning, accompanied Jesus, lived with Him, learning directly from Him as recorded in Lk. 6:13-16....., receiving training, and later being commissioned to spread His teachings personally.
Now, so that I am 100% clear, allow me to say......There is absolutely no biblical evidence to support such an understanding of the role of apostle today.
None have occupied the office of either Prophet nor Apostle since John passed away, but was just seeing if the modern day equivalents could be as I suggested?
NO they can not.
The only reason why this topic comes up, as I stated, is that the Pentecostals want to speak in tongues and say that God has given them a word of knowledge.
Becaause the Bible does not support that, they came up with the false teaching of Apostles and Prophets today so that they could claim those Sign Gifts!
True, as I was over a decade in the AOG as a teaching Elder, so know Pentacostal theology very well
I love preaching to the "choir"!
In fact, to this very day, while I have issues with AOG on their view regarding the "second baptism in the Holy Ghost", and tongues, to their credit, they do not see modern day prophets and Apostles, and my main issues are with WOF and their heretical teachings
Hello YeshuaFan;
No. I don't see this theory as an overall practice in our Churches today according to the basic, original Scriptures.
There is too much confusion on defining the Prophets or Apostleship today and incorporate these in the Spiritual leadership.
We touched on the AOG and Pentecostal theology while at seminary and their theology or doctrine has evolved more in changes of their beliefs, statements of faith and in keeping with the now and here times (social and individual issues.)
Whereas our Baptist doctrine has remained consistent after it's 400+ year history. Sure, there have been changes as well such as the debate of women serving as elders and pastors, though some Baptist Churches have raised women to serve as deaconesses.
Major has extensive knowledge regarding the SBC and their issues of financial accountability, women in ministry, ethics and decline in membership. Did these issues bring resolve or are they still ongoing?
Overall, I feel the original SB doctrine has remained closest to the Scriptures and a guide for our Christian beliefs.
My problem with the history of the Church has been the break away and development of branches from the original denoms. In the New Testament there was only One Church Body.
God bless everyone.
Bob
We are Great Lakes Baptist, part of the North American Baptist, and they are as many different flavors of Baptist as Baskin Robbins ice cream flavors
Reminds me of while still in the AOG, and in 1 elder board meeting, a man recently had moved up from Arkansas to Mi, and was really complaining due to mixed bathing being allowed in youth group at local pool, and I gently reminded him that some up here think his chewing tobacco and smoking a cigar was bad also
Yes sir......"legalism" comes from the root of Liberalism. Both are not Biblical!
Im reading a book titled Counterfeit Kingdom by Holly Pivec and she speaks in detail about the dangers of the New Apostolic Reformation (and offshoot of pentecostal) and how Bethel Church im CA have a school that teaches students to "hear from God", and speak in tongues,ect.
Did Jeremiah need a class to hear from God? Did Moses?
And how does one become an Apostle these days??
My sister is pentecostal (not one of the really crazy ones), but she on occasion will mention one of the prophets or apostles at her church. And I try not to roll my eyes.
The ironic thing is that pretty much ALL of the so called Modern prophets and Apostles hold to either outright heresy, or else very much wrong and in error theology, NOT what the real Bible prophets and apostles did, as they had real divine revelation from God
Good book!
I should point out that those who are regarded as Charismatic Pentecostals, are by in large, believers in the foundational truths of the Christian faith found in the Bible.
They affirm the Trinity, the virgin conception and incarnation of God the Son, the sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and personal return of Jesus Christ to consummate his kingdom. They believe that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. To put it simply, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, with whom we will spend a glorious eternity worshiping our Lord and Savior.
Now, Do such folk sometimes say odd things? Yes.
Do they on occasion engage in practices that lack biblical support? Without question.
Can their ministry style be manipulative and presumptuous? Without question..
But none of that means they are not Christians. I could just as easily ask: Do some Southern Baptists quench the Spirit? Yes.
Do they on occasion fall into legalism and display a religious spirit? Without question.
Are they prone to prideful judgmentalism? Without question.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t identify false teaching when we see it because I will say that I am the 1st to do that because that is what the Bible tells us to do. What I am saying, and I need to be better at this myself, and that is our/my corrections can be addressed with a more loving attitude instead of caustic, self-righteous vitriol.
Think that we must see that there are the charasmatics/Pentacostalists who while holding to unblical doctrines such as "Baptism of the Holy Ghost evidenced by Gift on tongues/second act of grace" still would affirm those truths that you liusted here, but those into Word of Faith, prosperity, Dominion etc are holding many times to another Jesus another Gospel