21st Century Apostles”.

Did you know that the ministry of the apostle is alive and active today?

Let me explain

Today there is much talk of the apostolic ministry, it is a topic that arises from time to time causing confusion in the body of Christ; today there are many pastors, who first became prophets and then apostles, as if this were a ministerial hierarchical order.

While on a mission in Chile in 2001, I met the husband of a sister who told me that there was an apostolic network in Santiago to which he belonged and wanted me to belong, I tried to show him with the Word that this was not something biblical, but we could not get anywhere.

The issue is: Has the ministry of the apostle been lost? No, not at all, the problem is that many people have not taken the time to study the subject and have been carried away by the current trend.

They have forgotten the advice that Paul gave to Timothy “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”; or as it says in the King James version: “Study diligently. . . .”

Another current problem is that there are many deceivers who have arisen and who take advantage of pastors’ lack of knowledge to come and appropriate congregations’ money and if possible the congregation itself.

In Hosea 4:6 it says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” These are called “card apostles”, who are they? card apostles; those who present themselves in churches and fraternities with their business cards on which it says they are apostles, the problem is that they only have the card as apostles.

On the other side, cessationist churches teach that the ministry of the apostle ceased with the twelve apostles and Paul, whom they consider Judas’ replacement.

But the ministry of the apostle has not been lost, but continues alive and active today, which we will see throughout this study. In order to understand the ministry of the apostle we must understand Christ’s provision for his church, which are the gifts of ministry.

We find these in Ephesians 4:8-12 where it says: “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men… And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

In verse 8, Paul uses an illustration from Psalm 68 where the leader returns from battle with the spoils obtained in his victory, and being exalted before his people, generously distributes his spoils among his followers. Through his death and resurrection Jesus defeated Satan, rescuing captives and giving them gifts for building up his church.

In Psalm 68:18 it says: “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that JAH God might dwell among them.”

God gave gifts to men; this word gifts comes from doma in Greek which according to Vine: "emphasizes the concrete character of the gift more than its benevolent nature. We can see this word in these verses:

In Matthew 7:11 where it says: “If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

In Luke 11:13: “If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

In Philippians 4:17 it says: “Not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”

In these passages where doma is used we see that in Matthew they are good things that an earthly father gives to his children; in Luke it is the Holy Spirit that God will give to those who ask, and in Philippians the offerings that the members of the church in Philippi were giving for Paul’s ministry.

These gifts are concrete things that Jesus was giving to men; they are people sent with specific functions to bless people.

In the next class we will continue to see the current ministry of the apostle.

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