Day 157: What Questions Do the Apostles and Prophets Raise?
Today, we conclude our discussion of the Apostles and Prophets by thinking about the questions that these people raise for the Church as a whole.
As we said a little earlier, the Five “gifts” listed in Ephesians 4 that Christ has given to His Body are people. They are not just abilities or ministries, they are key people. Paul does not say that Christ has given us Apostleship; he says Christ has given us the apostles. We have not just been given the gift of prophecy, we have been given the prophets.
Also, yesterday we briefly discussed the controversial nature of this passage and the debate over whether or not the Apostles and Prophets still function in the Church today. Whatever conclusion we come to on that, it is our opinion that the ministry of the Apostles and Prophets must exist in some way because their service to us is part of the foundational equipping we need to grow in Christlikeness.
We Who Are Many, are One
Jesus chose The 12 as the first Apostles, not one or two. At one point, He also choose 72 others to send out to preach and teach and when He sent them out, he sent them out in pairs of twos (see Luke 10:1-20). In 1 Corinthians 14:29, Paul gives these instructions to the church, “Two or three prophets should speak and the others should evaluate what is said.” A single person could not just get up and say something and say it was from God and then everyone had to respond; the others with the prophetic gift were to evaluate what was said and confirm.
The main point in all of this is to see that we are all part of one “team”—The Body of Christ. We have all have an important and vital role to play in this Body and we cannot do it alone; we need one another. The Lord has chosen each of us and gifted us all to serve one another as we move forward in the Vision and Mission that He has given us with passion for His holiness, directed by His truth.
So, we are thinking about these gifts and ministries on both a personal, individual level and a “my people” level. As an individual, you will meet people who the Lord is opening an opportunity for you to share His goodness and grace. But you are also called into fellowship with other believers (your local church/assembly – “your people” that you share life with) who encourage and support one another.
So as we close out this week, let’s just talk very generally about impact the Apostolic and Prophetic ministries should have on us all. By shaping the purpose of these ministries into questions, I think we can see their impact a little more clearly.
Lord, To Whom Are You Sending Us?
In our times, the Apostolic Vision and Mission is kept alive by our Missionaries and Missions efforts. These are the men and women who devote their lives to taking The Gospel to those who have not yet heard. They have a heart for the nations. They have a heart to see the name of Christ uplifted by all. You may not be called to be a missionary on this level, but the Lord is sending you and your church/assembly/fellowship to someone. As you think about this, consider how this Apostolic Vision can be cultivated in your own life:
To whom is the Lord sending you to give a taste of the goodness of His Kingdom, especially someone who has not experienced it before?
With whom is the Lord sending you (who is your team, “your people”)?
Lord, What Do We Do Now?
In Acts 2, Peter quotes from the prophet Joel, explaining what is going on with the giving of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost:
Acts 2:17–18
‘And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, … 2:18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
Moses, in his time had yearned for this day to come (see Numbers 11:29). Now, In Christ, we have been given the Spirit of the Living God to dwell within us. The Spirit has been given to us to guide us to and instruct us in The Truth. We know the Testimony of/from Christ which is the very spirit of prophecy. Paul says that now, through the work of the Spirit, we have the “mind of Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 2:16). When we speak and act, it should be prophetic—shaped by the Grace and Truth of the One True God. Consider what Peter says:
1 Peter 4:10–11
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 4:11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God…
We will return to this passage when we deal with the issues of our individual spiritual gifts. For now, take note that Peter says if our gift has to do with speaking, we should speak “as one who speaks the oracles of God.” The “oracles of God” mean that we should speak the words, the message that Father God has given to us for others (See Acts 7:38; Romans 3:2; Hebrews 5:12). We don’t just make up what we want to say. We speak the truth; we speak what Father God has given to us. This Word/Message is rooted and the Written Word, consistent with The Scriptures that have been given to us. This is the very essence of the prophetic ministry of the Church.
The children of God are motivated by their zeal for His holiness: His love, His mercy, His compassion, His justice, His glory. We seek to follow the Holy Spirit as He works in and through us, leading us to Oneness and Christlikeness so that the glory/beauty of Father God is displayed in Christ. This means that we must gracefully challenge all that stands opposed to the reality of the One True God. Remember this: Idolatry > Ignorance > Injustice. These stand opposed to the Kingdom of Christ and have always been the focus of prophetic challenge.
In our times, the prophetic service is kept alive primarily in faithful preachers and teachers. Anyone who speaks or teaches in the Church should be concerned with speaking the Truth—the will and counsel of the One True God. You may not be called to fill one of these roles. The Lord does desire for you to have a prophetic facet of your life. Consider these questions:
In what ways are your passion for justice/goodness roused:
where do you see a need to challenge the “status quo”
(idolatry > ignorance > injustice) with the Truth?
How can you get involved with your church/assembly/fellowship to challenge the status quo with the glory/beauty/splendor of Christ, in Grace and Truth?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
