Jesus Gives Ministers To Help The NT Church
Eph. 4 ... When HE ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9(Now that HE ascended, what is it but that HE also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10 HE that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that HE might fill all things.)
11 And 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: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
It is difficult, if not impossible, to speak of the NT church without understanding the 5 ministry offices appointed by Jesus after the crucifixion and the resurrection … ministry offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher.
So much of the NT church hinges on these offices and their working together for the good of the church. If you remove one part, it is like removing an arm or a leg from the natural body. It might function to a degree but not in the fullness intended by God.
Many times God has had me speak and compare scripture with scripture to give "ruling" on issues in the church.
Paul warned the church as follows: Acts 20 ... 28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
At the end time, before Jesus returns, Paul said there would be a falling away ... II Thess. 2 ... This falling away is not people leaving church but rather the falling away is churches leaving doctrine and setting up new doctrine, twisting scripture along the way to justify their new doctrine.
One of the most damaging twisting of doctrine in the churches today is the following word from Jesus ...
Mt. 5:32 ... Jesus said ... But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
What Jesus is saying here is:
- If a man divorces a faithful wife and that faithful wife remarries, her husband who divorced her will be the cause of her adultery which she would commit when she remarried after the divorce.
- The divorced woman would commit adultery upon remarriage
- The man who marries this divorced woman will commit adultery
Many churches twist these scripture into a doctrine which says it is OK for divorced woman to remarry if her husband was committing fornication. This is not what Jesus said but this is what many churches teach today.
Paul sets this straight in I Cor. 7 when he says ...
10And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
This is the type of work God uses apostles for in NT church. To work through doctrine, rightly dividing the word of God in the doctrine and setting forth doctrine that is true to the faith and the scriptures, comparing scripture with scripture, by the Holy Spirit
There are many things that have become doctrine by the flesh of man which were not authored by the Spirit of God for the church. (Just as Paul said would happen in Acts 20:28-31
NT apostles have an authority (anointing) given by God to search through doctrines, comparing spiritual things with spiritual by the Holy Spirit and therefore setting truth in the church, removing false doctrines which are taught by fleshly men.
One example: There is a church group in USA which forbids the use of instrumental music in the gathering of the church. They base this doctrine on the following scripture: Eph. 5:19 ... Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; They say only unaccompanied singing can take place in the church service ... no instrumental music. They use above scripture to set this doctrine. But if this were the case, they would not utter any sound from their mouth because it says speaking to yourselves and make melody "in your heart". Their doctrine is false and was set up by men who saw things by their own minds and not by the Spirit of God. It is not against scripture for churches to have instrumental music in the service if they so desire.
Another example: Churches all over the USA pass around crackers and grape juice teaching their followers that this is the Lord's supper. There is no power in crackers and grape juice. So what is the Lord's supper? The Lord's supper is the word of God from the Spirit of God. As we partake of the scriptures properly, applying instruction to our own lives by the Spirit, we see great power. But if we take a scripture and "eat" it incorrectly by our own eyes and not by the Spirit, we do harm to ourselves and to others.
Another example: Today many ministers call themselves "Reverend". But there is no example in the Bible of a man calling himself "Reverend". The basis for the acts of the church today must be grounded in the scriptures. In the Bible, for the NT church, we see Jesus giving apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to the NT church. (Eph. 4) These are the ministers who are given to the NT church by Jesus the head of the NT church. It is proper to identify yourself as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher ... but not as "Reverend".
Apostles will deal with matters such as this in the NT church.
After Jesus arose, HE gave to the church ... apostles, prophets evangelists pastors and teachers. (Eph. 4)
Apostles exist today and so do prophets, though many church groups try to eliminate these offices.
Prophets in the NT church carry the word of God by the will of God. Often prophets are used by God to bring correction to individuals in the church. Sometimes prophets are used by God to warn the church.
In the Bible, Agabus is an example of the NT prophet in the church.
Acts 11 ... And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 21 ... And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
To show me the work of a NT prophet, God took me to
Hosea 12:13 ... And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.
Prophets are used to help churches and people in churches see various traps. And to help them to get free from traps. Sometimes God will give a prophet a single word concerning a problem and when that word is done, the problem begins to unravel and the church is set free.
While today all who belong to God have the Spirit of God in them to lead them and guide them, prophets are still used by God today to help the church just as Agabus was used in the NT church as an example of a prophet working in the church after the crucifixion and resurrection.
And even as great a man of God as the apostle Paul, still Agabus was used by God to show Paul what would happen to him. (Acts 20)
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