Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Throughout the book of Acts we see many examples of the apostles having to leave one city and go to another city because of persecution. This persecution drove them out to another city. Thus by persecution the word of God spread.
One example of many in the book of Acts ...
Acts 14 ... 5 And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, 6They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about: 7And there they preached the gospel.
It was so different in the times of the early church ... no communication other than face to face communication ... no mail, no telephone, no computers, no internet, no TV, no radio ... The word of God was spoken face to face as they traveled city to city.
One amazing thing to me is that they were allowed at that time to speak in the synagogues. Here Paul comes saying they no longer have to be circumcised in the flesh. What a shocking message. Paul was beaten and stoned many times. Basically Paul is telling the Jews they no longer go by the law of Moses when he speaks about circumcision. We see Paul's message on the subject of circumcision in the book of Galatians ...
Gal. 1 ... 10For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Gal. 3 ... 22But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Gal. 4 ... 1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Gal. 5 ... 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 5For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Jesus comes with the very hard message telling them they must eat his flesh and drink HIS blood ... and many were offended by the message Jesus carried ... Jn. 6 ... 35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life ... 51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world... Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever...60Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?... 66From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Paul comes with another "hard" message and that is the message that salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ and not by circumcision of the flesh and they no longer have to be circumcised in the flesh to belong to God.
Gal. 6 ... 12 As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh. 14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 15For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 16And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
The cross of Christ changed everything. Now man was going to come to God through that which Jesus did, by faith in Jesus.
Basically salvation is going to depend on that which God does ... not by that which we do ... Salvation is going to be based on God's works, not our works.
Yet we are changed greatly when we are given HIS Spirit so that we no longer want to live as we once lived in the flesh. Now we want to serve God instead of our flesh. But we are changed to a new creation by that which God did through Jesus and by giving us the Holy Spirit to live in us.
But salvation is of God and not of ourselves. HE changes us by HIS own will and through the works of Jesus done for us and by HIS Spirit given to live in us.
Salvation is not of man nor by the will of man. Salvation is by the works done in man by God and the change made in man by God. No man can make this change by his own will power. It is a gift of God. We are changed when God reveals HIMSELF to us by HIS Spirit. We are then born again as a new creation! We are sealed by HIS Spirit and now HIS word burns through us by HIS Spirit. It is a mystery but those of us who are of God and have HIS Spirit understand. The others fight us just as they fought the real people of God in the early church although now they usually do not kill our bodies. Now they just fight the message we carry and they try to stop us from speaking. I Thess. 2 ... 16Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost. Now they keep us from speaking in the church groups, in the churches. The churches only allow men approved by themselves to speak to the congregation. While thinking to keep out things contrary to the Word of God, these church groups keep out the Word of God. But God still speaks to individuals directly, by HIS Spirit. And today we have Internet where we can speak all over the world. God is never stopped though through the ages religious men have tried to stop God from speaking!