Apostolic Authority: Part 4 (Church Growth 101) (Mark 16:15, 17-18, 20; Acts 2:42; 2 Peter 3:2; Jude 17; Ephesians 2:20; 3:3,5; 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 1 Peter 1:10-12)

MARK 16:15, 17-18, 20 (Paraphrased):

In a very general sense, the scriptures say, Jesus said, "Go into every part of the world, all together, and announce the good news to all, to everybody in creation ...these signs shall follow those who believe; their faith will produce these attesting miracles: In my name they shall drive out; cast out; and expel demons; they shall speak with new tongues, that are strange to them; foreign languages that they never learned; they shall take up; pick up serpents; snakes; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; it shall positively not harm them whatsoever; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover; they shall make them well...so they went everywhere, announcing the good news, and the Lord continued working with them, confirming the words they were speaking by the signs and miracles that accompanied the announcing of the good news."

LEGALLY OBLIGATED

The lord or king that sent out the (apostolos) [652, Strong's], was legally obligated to fulfill the message or decrees of their apostle, and was legally bound by the words and actions, of their apostle. In relation to the good news, the Lord Jesus Christ, and God the Father, have committed themselves to fulfilling the words and actions of their apostles! In fact, not only the actions and spoken words of the apostle were enforced by their lord or king, that had sent them out, but the sender was legally obligated to any written words or decrees the apostles made.

OT (prophets) - NT (apostles)

It is no coincidence, that what we term the OT, was written by prophets, and the NT, was written by the apostles.

APOSTLES TEACHING

The early church "...were giving constant attention; and continuing in, the apostles teaching..." (Acts 2:42). We are exhorted to "...recall; remember the words; predictions, spoken beforehand, by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior given by; through, YOUR apostles..." (2 Pet.3:2).

Notice that the literal translation of the passage in 2 Peter 3:2, speaks of YOUR apostles [i.e., the individual apostles of YOUR local church]. Secondly, the text clearly states that they are authorized to announce teaching; or doctrine, to the church, as directly from the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Again, we are exhorted to "...remember the words; sayings; teaching,.. of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ..." (Jude 17). [There is no indication that this is a reference to the original 12 apostles, but rather to the teaching that YOUR apostles have conveyed, including the 12].

DIVINE REVELATION

At the time of the writing of the NT, the word "apostle" had come to be associated, by many of the mystery religions, as 'those who were conveyors of divine revelation from the gods', and Paul readily used this word to describe himself, and all apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, he took the title, with all its historical significance, and, with the prevalent use, as those who could receive divine revelation, not from the gods, but from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

FOUNDATION

Every local church is compared to "...a building which is BEING BUILT up upon, the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets..." (Eph.2:20).

APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY

Notice that the church is literally, "...BEING BUILT up upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets..." (Eph.2:20). This is not a past event, but according to the Greek text, a present continuous tense [verb] reality. If your local church is not growing, one of the reasons could very well be that there is no apostolic and prophetic authority, constantly and continuously speaking into the life of the church, to give prophetic revelation, and apostolic direction, and guidance, to carry out that revelation. If we are not following God's plan for church growth, we cannot expect God's results.

Paul said, by the Spirit of God, "...it was by direct revelation that the hidden purpose of God was made known to me [i.e., as an apostle]...and it has now been revealed, by the Spirit of God, to His holy apostles and prophets..." (Eph.3:3,5).

APOSTLES & PROPHETS

The first two offices of service that the Lord Jesus Christ set in the church, were the apostles and prophets (1 Cor.12:28; Eph.4:11).

CHURCH GROWTH

God has a plan for church growth, and it is for the prophets to receive divine revelation concerning future events; happenings; direction, in the church, and for apostolic authority to give guidance; understanding; revelation; and doctrine to the church. We see this specifically in the fact, that prophets wrote the OT, and apostles gave understanding and interpretation, in writing the NT, to the prophetic revelation, that even the prophets themselves didn't understand. (1 Pet.1:10-12). [To extend this further, in over simplification, the teachers illuminate and expound on apostolic teaching; the evangelists exhort and encourage believers to walkout that teaching; and the pastors care for; provide; and ensure that all of the above provision is available to the body].

GOD GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY

To summarize: If you are an apostle of God, you have a God given responsibility to found and establish churches, in sound doctrine, working closely with the prophetic, because it is upon those two ministries that local churches grow and are established. You also have a "legal right", from a biblical perspective, to write books and disseminate the revelation that God has given to you, for the body of Christ, so that all may be enriched. It is crucial that the apostolic and prophetic offices come to the forefront of the church, not just in some form of title, for recognition, but in the vital function and administration of the giftings and callings, to establish and promote strong and vibrant church growth.

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours