Apostles??

Part 6 of 11

The original apostles had specific roles in the church: roles that, according to Cessationism, cannot be duplicated or performed by anyone except one of the original apostles of Christ . Of these many abilities and duties, one was regarding the impartation of spiritual gifts. Purportedly, only original apostles had the supernatural ability to impart the Holy Ghost and His giftings, and thus at the last apostle’s death, there could be no more impartation, and the gifts would cease. This idea is based primarily on the fact that apostles and prophets make up the foundation of Christendom. This “foundation”, if it be a true foundation, cannot be removed and given to another: “because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone” (Eph 2:20). As one author suggests, “In Revelation 21:14, the names of the twelve apostles are inscribed on the foundation stones of the wall of the New Jerusalem, suggesting at least that the apostles have a unique role in the church, as well as in history”. In other words, apostolic ministry was a one-time event with a distinct purpose and goal.

According to Cessationism, apostles were to be used to pen the Scriptures, to impart the necessary, yet momentary spiritual gifts, and to impressively confirm the words and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Apostles allegedly had to meet certain criteria as well, in order for these duties to be properly accomplished. Let’s look at these apostolic requirements and duties and see for ourselves if the Cessationist viewpoint is legitimate:

First of all, Cessationism argues that an apostle is only an apostle if he has personally witnessed the resurrected Christ, and has been personally commissioned by Him as an apostle. This idea is reasoned from Scripture, when Peter defends his authenticity: “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:32). When the apostles and others gathered to select a replacement for Judas, the requirements for the candidates were simply to have accompanied the other apostles from the time of the baptism of John until Jesus' ascension. The purpose of replacing Judas was in order that one may become a witness of Jesus' resurrection along with the other apostles (Acts 1:21-26). This personal commission would have been accompanied by signs and wonders to prove their authenticity: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds” (2 Cor 12:12). According to Cessationism, any man who claims to be an apostle without this said personal eyewitness and commission is a liar: “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars” (Rev 2:2).

However, the Bible reveals an entirely different description of an apostle. The Greek word “apostolos” simply means, “sent one; messenger; delegate”. In fact, there were multiple people in Scripture who were called apostles that never had a recorded face to face experience with Jesus, nor were personally commissioned by Him. These people (both men and women) include Junia (Rom 16:7), Barnabus (Acts 13:2; 14:14), Silvanus and Timotheus (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1). How then can Cessationism make such radical and prejudiced conclusions?

Quite frankly, when Scripture refers to “the signs of an apostle”, it is contrasting true apostles from false apostles, not apostles from other believers. The “signs of an apostle” are not personal commissioning or an eyewitness accounts, nor are they mere signs and wonders. While signs, wonders and miracles may be part of the “signs of an apostle”, in Paul's view they are not the principal ones. This phrase, “the signs of an apostle”, is probably a slogan borrowed by Paul from his adversaries, or from the Corinthians themselves. With several different people coming to the Corinthians claiming to be apostles, the proof of apostleship was an often recurring concept. Most likely the Corinthians sought some special signs from Paul, as they had seen in the “other” apostles (2 Cor 13:3, 5), something on the order of a display of miraculous power. Paul provides such “evidence” in Second Corinthians 12:1-10. But he insists in 12:12 that such signs are not to be the key decisive factors in deciding whether one is a true apostle or not. Instead, he is suggesting that the true signs of apostleship are his life and ministry. These seem to be the “signs” that matter most. The following evidence depicts what Paul most likely meant when he referred to “the signs of an apostle”:

-The changed lives that resulted from Paul's teaching and preaching: 1 Cor 9:1-2; 2 Cor 3:1-3

- The transformed Christ-like life of the one who preaches the apostolic message: 2 Cor 1:12; 2:17; 3:4-6; 4:2; 5:11; 6:3-13; 7:2; 10:13-18; 11:6; 23-28

- Paul’s sufferings, hardship, and continual persecution: 2 Cor 4:7-15; 5:4-10; 11:21-33; 13:4

- Spiritual power in conflict with continual evil: 2 Cor 10:3-4, 8-11; 13:2-4, 10; Col 4:3

- Jealous care for the welfare of the churches; responsibility for the churches: 2 Cor 11:1-6; Gal 4:19

- A true and thorough knowledge of Jesus and His plans; a revelation of God’s mysteries: 2 Cor 11:4-6; Eph 3:4-5; 2 Cor 11:6

- Self Support: 2 Cor 11:7-11; 1 Thess 2:9; 2 Thess 3:8

- The establishment of many churches: 1 Thess 2:19-20; Rom 15:16-19

- Not taking material advantage of churches: 2 Cor 11:20-21

- Being caught up to heaven: 2 Cor 12:1-6

Thus we see the Scriptural description of the apostolic role. Therefore, if a Biblical apostle is not limited to one who was personally commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ, or who had an eye-witness account of His death, burial and ascension, we can conclude that the modern day apostolic ministry is accurate and necessary. It seems that such unscriptural “apostolic limitations” are enforced merely to ensure the supposed consistency of the Cessationist doctrine.
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Secondly, Cessationism suggests that apostles were given such great authority so that they could accurately write the New Testament. Once the New Testament was penned, this apostolic authority would fade out. The chief verses that are used to promote this conclusion are Ephesians 3:3-5 “How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit”, and 2 Peter 3:2 “I want you to recall both the predictions foretold by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.”

Wayne Grudem, in his book, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament, goes so far as to argue that “the revelation of Gentile inclusion and equality in the church was only revealed to the original apostles”. But in one of his references, Luke 24:46-47, the audience is much wider than the apostles. It includes the two disciples who were on the road to Emmaus (Lk 24:35) and others who were merely accompanying the apostles (Lk 24:33). Therefore, the revelation of Gentile inclusion was not restricted to the apostles.

Even a casual glance at Scripture will prove such apostolic exaltation to be error. There were at least five (if James is not to be considered an apostle) authors of the New Testament who are never identified as apostles! These include: Mark, Luke, the writer to the Hebrews, Jude, and James. Therefore, such apostolically-limited duties are simply imagined. The evidence is clear.
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Thirdly, Cessationism teaches that spiritual gifts were given only by the laying on of hands by the original apostles of Christ, and once these apostles died off, the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit were no longer available to the masses of converts. The primary example of this resides in Acts 8: “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost” (8:12-15). This Scripture evidently reveals that only the original apostles had the ability for impartation. But is this true? No, it cannot be. Elsewhere in Scripture we find others (who were not apostles) performing the very same acts: “And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 9:17). Ananias was not an apostle, and therefore the Cessationist conclusion is incorrect. The counsel of God stands sure: “… ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39).
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Fourthly, Cessationism argues that signs and wonders performed by the apostles were simply a means to give authority to their verbal claims, and that once their words were proven by their power, such miraculous events were no longer necessary: “…how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Heb 2:3-4). Cessationism will argue that the Greek aorist tense here indicates a past completed act or a “once for all” act, thus explaining the argument that such “sign gifts” were given strictly for divine confirmation, at one time in history. While it is correct that Hebrews 2:1-4 speaks of the validation of the apostles message, it does not necessarily confine the signs, wonders, and spiritual gifts to the apostles themselves. As one author has noted, “The use of the aorist tense cannot be used to argue that this “confirmation” is restricted absolutely to the past”. First, the aorist tense is probably constative, which views the action as a whole. Consequently, as another author elaborates, the aorist tense “does not focus on the beginning or the end of the action. It merely states that the action happened without any comment on its completion”. Finally, if you press the cessationist perspective to its logical conclusion then the aorist tense must imply that either the apostles have died off by this time, or that they have stopped preaching the gospel. While most of the apostles may have died off by the time Hebrews was written, John was still alive and still preaching the gospel. Therefore both conclusions are invalid and Cessationism has failed its dispute.

Where is this “confirmation dispute” derived from? Certainly the miraculous confirmation of the Old Testament Law was not restricted to within a generation of its arrival (Isa 59:21). Truthfully, Scripture reveals the lengthiness of such a miraculous confirmation: “Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day” (Jer 32:20). How can we conclude, therefore, that such New Testament miracles and spiritual gifts were restricted to the first generation of Christians? We simply cannot. To say that God bore witness to the gospel with miracles in the past is not to say that He could not continue to do so.

As opposed to temporary (or lasting) Gospel confirmation, the Bible seems to teach a different, more substantial use and purpose for spiritual gifts and ministries: “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal” (1 Cor 12:4-7). One primary role and function of spiritual gifts is for the edifying of the body of Christ: “I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying” (1 Cor 14:5). And again Scripture tells us, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). Clearly we see there are many benefits of God’s power. While such miraculous manifestations did indeed prove the legitimacy of the apostle’s words and doctrine, it would be error to conclude this as invented evidence of the Holy Spirit’s current absence. We cannot confuse the purpose of such signs and wonders with the effect of signs and wonders.

So when do they end? I readily admit that the Bible teaches the complete fulfillment and expiration of spiritual gifts and ministries. There will only be need for the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit until a set time, that is, “until 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). The mistake is made when we casually conclude this verse to only apply to the early church, and once they were temporarily unified (Acts 2:44), the gifts and ministries ceased. This verse and concept is not referring to a mere provisional unity among believers. Rather, it is referring to a perfection that will one day be attained to (Phil 3:12). Not only a perfection of unity or bodily adhesiveness, but of moral and spiritual character too; it is referencing spiritual completion. Jesus said, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt 5:48). Thus, we are not reaching for unity only, but the very mind of Christ, corporately; the very perfection of our Father in heaven! This has quite clearly not yet occurred. God’s ministries, as described in Ephesians 4:11, are some of His tools in bringing us to this glorious destination. But how can we ever arrive if we first do not recognize the modern validity of God’s devices?

Interestingly enough, Cessationism readily accepts the ministerial roles of pastor, teacher and evangelist. But oddly, it dispensationally splits Ephesians 4:11 right down the middle: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets…” is chronologically divided from “…and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…” As is clear, this is a gross hermeneutical error. How can one half of a verse be applicable to the modern church, while the other half is a mere distant memory? Cessationism seems to perform this same interpretive mistake regarding other spiritual gifts as well: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Cor 12:7-11). Cessationism will enthusiastically accept gifts such as wisdom and faith (vs. 8-9a), all the while rejecting the gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy and tongues that immediately follow! If this interpretive method were applied to any other passage of Scripture, there would indeed be uproar! However, because this exegetical fallacy preserves Cessationist doctrine, it is causally swept under the rug. Why must we dissect the Bible so that it fits into our denominational suitcases? Friends, we should never handle the Word of God deceitfully (2 Cor 4:2; Eph 4:14): “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).

To be continued...