Day 156: How Do The Apostles and Prophets Equip Us?
Ephesians 2:19–22
…you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 2:20 because you have been built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.
In Ephesians, Paul presents The Church, the household of God, as a building that is being built up with “living stones” of people (see 1 Peter 2:4-5 for a similar image). As he says in the passage above, this building is built on the “foundation of the Apostles and Prophets with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.” Without a doubt, the Apostles and Prophets lay the “foundation” of the whole ministry of the Church.
Of the five gifted people mentioned in Ephesians 4, the Apostles and the Prophets are the most controversial. The main question that is often asked is, “Are Apostles and Prophets still functioning in the Church today?” This issue is complex and sometimes misguided. Some people deny the presence of these people in the Church today based on the way these titles have been misused and abused historically. However, we cannot let those abuses guide the way we interpret this passage or any other passage of Scripture. After we have discussed how these people equip us, we will return to this issue.
We are equipped by Apostolic Vision and Mission.
The term “apostle” is used to describe someone who is sent by someone else. An apostle is an emissary or representative for someone. The Apostles of Jesus are emissaries, representatives of Jesus. The first Apostles were witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection sent by Jesus to take The Gospel to the Nations by the power of the Holy Spirit:
Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”
We are using the phrase “Apostolic Vision and Mission” to describe this foundational ministry of the Church. The Apostolic Vision is one that is focused on Jesus Christ as Creator, Savior and Soon Returning King. The message of the Gospel is one that proclaims the reality of Jesus’ Kingship and the coming of His Kingdom. Apostolic Mission is concerned with taking the Good News to the Nations, particularly those who have never heard. Paul speaks of this in Romans:
Romans 15:20–21
…I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, 15:21 but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
It is out of this Apostolic Vision and Mission that all the other works and ministries and services of the Church are born and catalyzed. We are following and serving the One True God who has sent His Son to us and who is now sending us in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the foundational elements of the reality of The Church.
We are equipped by Prophetic Passion and Direction.
1 Corinthians 12:28
And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then …
In Ephesians 4 and in 1 Corinthians above, the Apostles and Prophets are listed first in the lists of gifts that Christ has given to His Body, the Church. Notice in this passage that Paul seems to be giving some priority of significance to these gifts: First Apostles, Second Prophets… In the Old Testament era, the Prophets were the “mouthpieces” of God; they communicated God’s message directly to the people of Israel. After the life and work of Jesus on Earth, the Apostles apparently become the key “mouthpieces” for God as witnesses of Jesus’ death and resurrection—the defining realities of the New Era of Grace.
However, the Prophets still held a significant role in the early church. The Prophets, along with the Apostles received revelation that defined and clarified the New Era of Grace in the “Church Age”:
Ephesians 3:5
Now this mystery/secret (the full reality of Christ’s saving work) was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to his holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit…
We are using the phrase “Prophetic Passion and Direction” to sum up this other foundational ministry of the Church. Prophetic Passion speaks to deep desire to see Father God’s holiness and justice established in reality on planet Earth. In the OT, the Prophets spent a great majority of their time calling people back to a sincere, holy worship of the One True God and to pursue the things that are just and right. Prophetic Direction speaks to the reality that we want to be led by Father God in the things that are pleasing to Him—we don’t make up our own plans; we wait on the Lord to guide us and direct us in grace and truth.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:20 Paul says, “…do not despise prophetic utterances.” As we have already seen, in the early church, the prophetic ministry was present to guide the people of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 14:3 Paul says “…one who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation. When we hear the “Word of God” for us, we are built up, encouraged, equipped to do what the Lord has called us to do.
A Few Thoughts on the Apostles and Prophets
As we said, the Apostles and Prophets are a controversial topic. Now that we have defined how their ministry should equip us, we return to the question, “Are these people present in the Church today?”
First, we highlight the fact that Paul says these people were given to us to equip the saints for service with the goal of Christlike maturity. This would seem to indicate that the equipping service of these people is necessary for the larger Vision and Mission of the Church. Secondly, Paul is writing Ephesians in the later part of his ministry after he had spent time thinking about the nature and future of the Church for many years. It seems that Paul sees this work as a key part of the Church. Finally, why would the Holy Spirit inspire Paul to write this passage if it was not meant to speak to all the Church for all time?
With those things in mind, to me it clarifies the issues if we ask some very common sense questions. At the very basic level, the Apostles are those sent to the world, particularly those who have never heard the Gospel, to proclaim Christ. So, does Jesus still need this ministry and this type of person in His Body? I think the clear answer is YES. We now call these people missionaries but they are engaged in apostolic work.
The next question is, “Do we still need people to proclaim the Truth of the One True God?” I think it is clear that the answer is YES. I would make the case that Preachers, Pastors and Teachers are called to engage in this prophetic work. Think of this: If you went to a church and the pastor got up to preach and said, “I am now going to share my own thoughts and ideas about….” would you treat his message as authoritative? Probably not. We expect those who teach us to do so rooted in the Lord’s Word to us and for us; we expect them to be prophetic. We will discuss this more tomorrow.
What caught your attention in today’s reading?
Do you have a basic picture of how the Apostles and Prophets equip us?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
