The Gift of Apostles and Prophets
IN THE STUDY:
There are over twenty specific gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the various New Testament lists. On the basis of New Testament meaning and practice not all of those gifts are available today. There is New Testament evidence that the gifts of Apostles and Prophets are not for today.
The word APOSTLE is mentioned 79 times in the New Testament in three senses.
(a) In the general sense that every Christian is sent of the mission of Christ (John 17:18; 20:21) but as that applies to every Christian it cannot be used in the sense of a special gift of the Holy Spirit given only to some.(b) It was used in the sense of messengers of the Church sent out on missionary service (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25) but again this is not the sense of “Apostle” in the list of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit as in each case the Apostle leads the list as the primary office given in the Church (1 Cor. 12:28-29; Eph. 4:11).
(c) In the sense that the Gift of the Apostle referred to the specially chosen people by our Lord – the Eleven, Matthias (Acts 1:15-26), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), James (Gal. 1:1), Andromicus and Junia (who was a woman!) (Rom. 16:7), and Paul (Gal. 1:1). The latest person to become an Apostle was Paul. Each of these people had the qualifications of being an eye witness to the historic Jesus, having met the risen Lord, having been personally appointed by Christ, and specially inspired by the Holy Spirit. This New Testament sense of Apostle ceased at the end of the Apostolic Age.
The office of PROPHET likewise is not an office given today. In the Old Testament sense the Prophet was one who spoke the very words of God (Exo 4:12, 7:1, Jer 1:4-9). God’s self revelation was complete with the coming of – “forth-telling”. But social comment or political interpretation is not the use of the New Testament gift of the Holy Spirit no matter how important to our age. Phillip’s four daughters (Acts 21:9) prophesied.
Apostles and Prophets are claimed by their teachings to belong to the foundation upon which the Church has been built (Eph. 2:20, 3:5). The foundations were completed. They are never re-laid on top of the building!
Paul makes these two gifts the highest of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:20, 3:5 4:11). Their office is not continued today in giving of fresh revelation but their teaching is to be expounded.
By the 2nd Century the use of the term Apostle was limited to the ones mentioned above. To clarify the doctrines of the faith “The Apostles Creed” was circulated and a Canon of New Testament books either by the Apostles or their immediate Disciples was drawn up and finalised.
AMONG THE PEOPLE:
While there is not apostolic succession by the laying on of hands or by the giving of special gifts in this century for the office of Apostle or Prophets, there are great Church leaders who have fulfilled some of the functions of Apostles and Prophets in our generation. They have been so endowed with other gifts of the Holy Spirit that they have given the outstanding leadership to Christians of our generation.
We should each draw up a list of those outstanding Christian leaders we have met with whom we have spoken. The world level Christian leaders that I have met who have given some of the leadership expected of Apostles and Prophets are as follows:
Rev. John R. Stott, evangelical Anglican whose Biblical exposition and leadership mark him out.
Dr Martin Niemoller, whose personal courage and open witness to the Lordship of Christ to the very face of Adolph Hitler led to years of concentration camp torture as Hitler’s private prisoner.
Dr Hans Kung, the reformer theologian within the Roman Catholic Church whose very insights to scripture and desire to reform within the Church breathe the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Dr. Billy Graham, world evangelist and servant of Christ.
Dr. E. Stanley Jones, Missionary Statesman who inspired a generation of Christian Missionaries and Ministers, and whose gracious charm bridged the east and the west.
Dr. Robert Schuller, whose Possibility Thinking has encouraged a new generation of young Christians.
Dr Philip Potter, ecumenical leader whose prophetic statements on social and racial issues bear the courage and insights of Jesus.
We each can draw our own lesson of those whom to us have been continuing in the tradition of the Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament Age.
