Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
In Acts 6, we read about the 7 chosen to "wait tables", to help serve the needs of the widows so the apostles could give themselves completely to the ministry of the word of God. In setting the requirements for these 7, Peter said: Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Stephen was one of the 7 chosen for this purpose. And we read the following concerning Stephen: 8And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. So not only did Stephen serve in administrative ways but he also did these great wonders and miracles. It says Stephen was full of faith and power. What about the other 6? Nothing is mentioned about them. Even in the 11 apostles, some seemed to have "greater" gifts than others. For example we have two brothers among the 11. There is Andrew and Peter. We know quite a lot about Peter. But nothing much about Andrew though Andrew found Jesus and then told Peter he had found the Messiah and took Peter to Jesus. (Jn. 1:40-41)
There is no indication at all that Andrew was lacking as an apostle. Nor is there any indication the 6 who were with Stephen were lacking.
What we really need to see is that God does as HE wills in the church and God uses us as HE wills. It has nothing at all to do with us! Therefore if we don't do great miracles in the church we shouldn't feel guilty. When God wants us to operate in the church through a gift of the Holy Spirit, God equips us to do that work. And there is a significant variation among us concerning the work God would have us do in the church. Romans 12 ... 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
So then if you have a gift of prophecy, prophesy.
If you have a gift of serving (ministry), then serve.
If you have a gift of exhortation, exhort ... a gift of teaching, teach ...
Stay in the gift given you by God. We must not feel badly when others do something we cannot do. We just work where we are set by God.
No one should expect to do the works Paul did. Paul was selected by God for a significant work.
Acts 9 ... 10And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
God used Paul in the church as HE willed.
There may be others in the church that you look at and feel you should be doing what they are doing. But if God wanted you to do the work another person is doing, God would make that clear and equip you for that work. Most likely you are not supposed to do that work. Yet you are the body of Christ if you have been given the Spirit of God. You are set in the body of Christ by God HIMSELF as HE gave you HIS Spirit.
There is a difference in the way each of us are used in the church and it has nothing at all to do with us or our efforts but it is by the will of God.
After I was born again (August 1975), in the night, I was transported into heaven. It is similar to the example given in II Cor. 12. At that time, I was merged into the body of Jesus, God and Holy Spirit as witnesses.
A few nights after this, the exact same thing happened to me again a second time. In the night as I slept, I was transported into heaven and merged into the body of Jesus as God and Holy Spirit witnessed.
I thought this happened to all Christians. It was weeks after this when I found this did not happen to all who were born again. So why did this happen? I wondered. Certainly it had nothing at all to do with my "goodness" nor with any thing I achieved. I was a new Christian when this happened and knew almost nothing at all about spiritual things. Looking back now, I suspect this all had to do with equipping me for the work God wanted me to do on this earth. At the time of the events, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God. And the work I have done for the past 30+ years has to do with the Word of God, proper handling to the Word of God, uprooting doctrines that are not of God and setting up doctrines by the Word of God by the Spirit of God. Certainly this does not make me "special" in myself but rather this was just that which God willed for me to do on this earth. You can't copy this any more than we can copy Paul and do the physical miracles Paul did. God did special miracles by the hands of Paul. It wasn't of Paul himself but it was what God wanted to do through Paul. Acts 19 ... And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. This has nothing at all to do with Paul's faith being greater than our faith. It was just the will of God that these things be done through Paul. Paul was merely a chosen vessel.
Each of us who are born again have been given the Holy Spirit. And to each of us the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, reminds us of that spoken by Jesus, teaches us all things, and shows us things to come. Jn. 14:26 & Jn. 16:13.
In addition to this, there are spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit by the will of God. These gifts vary. While I might be given the spiritual gift of exhortation which enables me to write such things are you are reading here, another is given a gift of healing, or a gift of administration, or a gift of helps.
We do not have the same gifts.
Paul explains this in the following scripture.
I Cor. 12 ... Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 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: 11But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as HE will.
12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
The eye does not do the same thing as the foot in the body. For the eye to try to do what the foot does would be foolish and not work. Therefore we cannot do other than our own assignment which is from God. And our assignment is by God and not by our own will. We simply do that which is assigned us by God. I have an assignment to exhort the church in the word of God. I must be faithful to do that and continue to do that as long as I am on this earth. God has given me the equipment that I need to be able to do the assignment HE has given me. It is as simply as staying in your assignment.
Romans 12 ... 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Eph 4 ... Then there are ministry offices given to the church after Jesus arose ... Some are put in the church to care for the church ... as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. (Some are to do this, not all.)
Apostles in NT church have anointing by God to deal with scripture and especially to set things in order when scripture has been misused and doctrine is incorrect. Prophets have gifts of Holy Spirit which often show exactly what the problem is and sometimes how to fix the problem. And prophets are often used by God to bring correction. Evangelists work primarily with the unsaved as Philip is an example in Acts. 8. Pastors and teachers instruct the body of Christ. Paul was both apostle and teacher. So we see a person could have more than one ministry office.
Paul is an example of a NT apostle. Paul is not the last apostle. Rather Paul is the first of the NT apostles for Paul did not walk with Jesus before the crucifixion and resurrection. Paul was turned by God into an apostle while he was attempting to put Christians in bondage on the road to Damascus. Acts. 9
After Jesus arose, "he gave gifts to the church ... 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Eph. 4
So the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to all who have the Holy Spirit as God wills ... but some are put in the church to care for the church as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher.
God gave me the following dream many years ago ... In this dream, I was traveling with a small group and we landed on an island. It was very disagreeable to me. It was hot. It was dirty. There were children running about, out of order. It was like a pineapple field. All of a sudden it became clear to me they were going to leave me there to care for those children. I said: "I won't stay ... I won't stay here ... unless you want me to stay." (The leader did want me to stay there and work.) There was a pastor and his wife on the island but they wouldn't come out of their house."
I know God set me in the church to care for the church. And HE put me into the offices of apostle and prophet and gave me gift of exhortation and other gifts to enable me to do the work.
Each of us must work in the calling of God to which God set us. We must operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us. It is helpful if we know which gifts we have been given.
To some, God gives many talents. These are to be used. To others God gives a few talents. The important thing is to use that which God has given you and to be faithful to use it.
Jesus presented the following example:
Mt. 25 ... For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.