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The Challenge with Discussing the Gift of Apostle Is That the New Testament Does Not Specifically Define This Gift

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The Challenge with Discussing the Gift of Apostle Is That the New Testament Does Not Specifically Define This Gift THE GIFT OF APOSTLE The challenge with discussing the gift of apostle is that the New Testament does not specifically define this gift. We need to pull together a definition based on what we read in the Bible. A point of contention when considering contemporary use of apostle language and gifting is the question of whether the biblical canon is still “open”. Even though apostolic and prophetic gifts continue after the first century it does not mean that anyone is still writing Scripture. 1 Paul was clear in his letter to the Ephesians that, And he [Jesus] gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12) The gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd and teacher are given to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Apostolic gifting is typically tied to a person in Scripture as opposed to other gifts that are described independent of an individual. Biblically we see that apostles extend the gospel. The word “apostle” means “sent one,” or “messenger.” This gift ensures that the Kingdom of God is transmitted from one context to another and from one generation to the next. People with apostolic gifting are always thinking about the future, bridging barriers, establishing the church in new contexts, developing leaders, and networking trans-locally. Apostles often have a deep sense of faith and of God’s supernatural work among us today. Modern-day apostles do not serve with authority of the first apostles who laid the foundation of the church. They build on the foundation that was given through the first apostles leading the church in the ministry of expanding God’s kingdom work. THE GIFT OF PROPHECY “The gift of prophecy is exercised when someone, usually in the congregation or large gathering, has the capacity to deliver truth of a predictive nature or a situational word from God.”2 “Prophecy involves God speaking to or through a servant who listens to his voice… The biblical terminology is for prophecy is broad enough to include any message that a prophet received from the Lord and made clear was from God.”3 1 Keener, Gift and Giver, 128. 2 Thompson, Convergence, 159. 3 Keener, 119. 1 “In teaching, God’s authority rested in the text or other prior message and was appropriated by the teacher to the extent that the teacher accurately expounded it. In prophecy, God’s message was in the prophecy itself to the extent that the prophecy accurately reflected what the Spirit was saying.”4 OLD TESTAMENT RULES FOR PROPHECY 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or[f] who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil[a] from your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5) NEW TESTAMENT RULES FOR PROPHECY 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:29-33) 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20) 4 Keener, 121. 2 “Prophecy needs testing with Scripture and other gifts to see what is of God.” A CASE STUDY: AGABUS 27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30) 7 When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, and we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for one day. 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” 12 When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:7-14) THE GIFT OF TEACHING In some ways, the gift of teaching aids in the discerning of prophecy. God will never speak in a way that contradicts earlier revelation. Therefore, getting to know what God says in the Bible is essential for any church who wants to hear God through the Holy Spirit and prophecy. This is where the gift of teaching comes in. Speaking of teachers Keener writes, “Their focus was to expound the word that God had already provided in the Old Testament and the traditions about Jesus (now recorded in the New Testament).”5 “A person who has the gift of teaching is one who has the ability to instruct, explain, or expose a biblical truth in such a way as to cause believers to understand the biblical truth.”6 5 Keener, 132. 6 Clinton 3 With this gift, it is important to recognize that it is also a gift given supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. There are people who certainly have the natural ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple way, but that does not necessarily mean they have the spiritual gift of teaching In a similar way, the gift of teaching is not the same as the desire to learn. You can be a passionate life- long learner without necessarily having the gift of teaching. “Seminary training and advances degrees do not insure that you have the spiritual gift of teaching, though scholarship broadens the content you can use if you have the gift.”7 Jesus was often called a teacher and the gospels give us sample of the things he taught (e.g. Matthew 5- 7; 10; 13; 18; 24; Mark 1:21-22; Mark 4:1-2; 6:2; 6:34; 8:31; 11:17) 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42) The apostle Paul is another great example of the gift of teaching (Acts 13:1, 12; 15:35; 17:19; 18:11; 20:20; 21:28; 28:31) THE GIFT OF EVANGELISM This gift is an important one to remind ourselves that even if we do not possess every gift, we still have the commission to spread the gospel and to share our faith with others. As with most aspects of Christian ministry, some people will have a greater desire and ability to carry out the work of evangelism in the church. “We must not use the teaching of spiritual gifts as a cop-out to avoid our responsibility to share Christ with others.”8 “The gift of evangelism in general refers to the capacity to challenge people through various communicative methods (persuasion) to receive the Gospel of Salvation in Christ so as to see them respond by taking initial steps in Christian Discipleship.”9 C.T.
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