Comments on: Putting Apostles to the Test

By: johnny

johnny — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 02:20:44 +0000

I have read alot of these comments and I,m a little confused is it simply because you really don,t know or are you just kidding or what . did not the word say that the five fold ministry is for the perfecting of the saints .well then quit discarding some and keeping the ones you are comfortable with and then maybe you will grow up an become mature an quit sounding like a bunch of babies

By: Richar Taylor

Richar Taylor — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:45:22 +0000

I am a Pastor, and not of the charismatic persuasion….but I beg to differ with most the above mentioned responses (concerning their being NO MORE Apostles)…Paul himself was called after the day of pentecost and sent to be “a light unto the gentiles” Apostolos (One who is sent) Timothy was sent, Epahroditis was sent and the people were encouraged to entreat them as they entreated Paul…IT WAS NOT ABOUT THE TITLE IT WAS ABOUT THE FUNCTION…The charismatic age has distorted many things….But there is as much need for the Governing Function of Apostle and Prophet in the Church as their ever was…Trying the Apostles indicates that there will be some who PASS THE TEST…Otherwise JESUS would have said SHUN, or AVOID, or REJECT…I Know a few today that truely bare the marks of an Apostle, and they only need you to call them brothers, because they are first servants…I could could support this much more from a scriptural standpoint but time does not allow…Love you all

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:05:29 +0000

Deuteronomy 18: 22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. Jeremiah 28: 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace , when the word of the prophet comes to pass , then that prophet will be known as one whom the LORD sent. So if there are any real prophets out there today then everything the prophecy had better come true or else they do not speak from God .

By: deepsquatter

deepsquatter — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:10:41 +0000

If you look at the scriptural examples of apostles and prophets: Jesus himself warned of false ones and explicitly said “He knew them not!”, and this was before His seat of Judgement. ”All things(authority) have been given unto Me”, so first a true apostle or prophet ( if there is such a thing at this present time) is under authority.

Now let us examine this fact. The first apostles including Paul were under the direct mentorship of Jesus for years sometimes alonre and seperated and eventually did suffer and died for Christ.

This was the hallmark of the Early Church.

They were not afraid to die for Him, they knew the cost. Today in the Western Church that would be a tall order. OT prophets also died for their obediance. What “modern day” prophet is ready to die for his LORD. Answer =none.

Secondly the biblical example of a prophet or apostle is first revelation then discipline. I don’t find this in the so called prophecies or visions/dreams of these self -professed apostles/prophets. All the scriptural afore mentioned apostles and prophets were filled with the Fear of the Lord when they had their first encounters!
Even the disciples were at times overwhelmed and afraid ie.Jesus calming the storm,walking on the water and at the mount of transfiguration.

Isaiah,Jeremiah,Ezekiel etc were all in awe of the spiritually encounters they had. Some were vexxed, others were humbled, another was pulled by his hair. Not really fun. Daniel was told to keep quiet and go his way. They were scared of God for good reason!! They knew that if they didn’t do their jobs, that a more severe plight may await them, more than the hearers. Jonah knew this too well and ran!! I don’t see this today, there is no humility….

It takes hundreds, if not thousands of years for true prophecies to be fufilled, and this is some in part and some in whole. Some prophecies may be for several events or a combination of charachters yet untold. To use human understanding for understanding Revelations or the Book of Isaiah is purely vain. One must have spiritual ears disciplined by the Holy Spirit and under the authority of Christ to hear, see and understand.

Today we have made the entrance into Christianity too easy. Just say a sinner’s prayer and BINGO Jesus loves and forgives you and you go into heaven, its that easy!! North America’s quick fix for a life of endless idolatry, materialism and ignorance of the Holiness of God. Now we are are told by preachers that we can be materialistic and fat, we all arepromised to get raptured before things get too tough and its whoosh into the Kingdom of God.
Jesus akaYeshua did not teach that. There was a cross, a sign of torture used for hundereds of years. It was a burden.
There was also promised death, suffering and conflict.
”I have come not to send peace but a sword”!
Christianity is not a sunday religion. No mega-churches on tv, no lear jets limos and suits.

Its a celebration of dealth, life and Resurrection of Him that died for us and sits at the right hand of the Father. It’s about intimacy with a Saviour who expects all, chastens us, even scourges us that we may bear fruit. And if we are found worthy, and are dressed in white linen ,we may enter into His Joy. Now that is the spirit of prophecy.

By: Carolyn

Carolyn — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:43:50 +0000

But where are the prophets and apostles that point you to Jesus Christ and him crucified? Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom of God in Christ Jesus!!! Where are these false apostles taking us? Into the mystical depths of their occult teachings and away from the divinity of Christ. If it’s the Holy Spirit, he will lead us to Christ, not away from Him. And even if their prophecies come to pass, and they aren’t preaching the right message, that Christ has come incarnate, then they are still 100 % wrong. Deut. 13:1-4 And we should flee from them. ”Come out and be separate, Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.” We should pay attention to what they are saying because it could mean the difference between being received by God and being rejected in the end. Jeremiah’s prophecy from the Lord about these false prophets “The prophets prophecy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; and my people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” Jer 5:31

By: cozy

cozy — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:05:31 +0000

You just judget “apostles” and “prophets” the way the Bible does. If they aren’t 100% acurate 100% of the time, they are false. The Bible says if they are false, they are to be stoned – as in killed. If they want to operate by O.T. principles (ie. there are modern prophets), then they should be held to O.T. law and principles. Seem simple to me.

By: Ray Walker

Ray Walker — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:00:46 +0000

So, if I may ask, since you have been putting the ax to all of the false prophets, who are the real prophets? Who actually decides who the real prophets are and what or whose doctrine is the base line for deciding who is in error? According to Ephesians 4:11, Jesus gave us the Apostles, Prophets, as well as the Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher for the perfecting of the saints. If we only utilize three of the five ministry gifts that Jesus provided for us, we can only expect to operate at 60% of the best that the Lord needs us to operate at. The creation is groaning in pain, waiting for us to be the best we can possibly be. The world needs more than 60% of our best, they need to see us love one another. Doesn’t the word say that love COVERS a multitude of sin. It cannot when we are canibilistic christians. I get it, the Apostles and Prophets were done away with. If that were true, Jesus would have told us so. Hay, let’s read the Word for ourselves and the be a doer and not a hearer only.

By: lillyann

lillyann — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:03:10 +0000

Thanks, Adam and Holly! Apostles with a big A are no longer needed, because the Canon of Scripture is closed. Yes, there are still “sent ones”, which is the definition of apostle, but they are being sent to people groups that have never heard the gospel, and they would define themselves as missionaries. But as you all say, the hucksters have been around before the prosperity gospel, positive confession doctrine, and apostolic and prophetic movements. Regarding the Matthew verse, sometimes I wonder if the contemplative movement, i.e., mysticism, won’t present itself with a mass proclamation by folks who have reached “enlightenment”, stating “I AM”. Hindus know there is no such thing as Christian yoga. It’s not a stretching exercise. And occultists use the very same techniques as contemplatives do to practice their crafts. Come quickly, Lord.

By: friendofMuslims

friendofMuslims — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:21:09 +0000

Actually our Lord’s commendation “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false” would tend to indicate that it was still possible that there were real apostles around; if it was simply a question of the original “Twelve” and no others then there would have been little need for any testing. Actually there are at least 22 individuals, perhaps 24 in NT called apostles. But as “Deepsquatter” suggests, if there are such apostles today they would certainly not be going around saying they were; the NT reveals apostles as servants “at the bottom” not “at the top”. Perhaps the view that apostles are groundbreakers, planting churches where there are none before is a valid one (”missionaries”, “sent ones” in the Greek) but this would not be to put such brothers in the category of those receiving new revelation. Rather they would be “apostles” because they have soaked and saturated themselves in “the doctrine of the apostles” (Acts 2.42) which is what we most thankfully possess in the New Testament itself. To those apostles of our Lord from whom we have received “the deposit of truth” (1Tim.6.20, 2 Tim.1.12, 14) we should attach a very large letter “A”.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:20:07 +0000

Thanks for putting the spotlight on this. When an ” Apostle “, or ” Prophet “, says that to question what they teach is a ” sin “, what they really mean is ” don’t use your God given brains to think about what I say and do, or you might realize that I’m a fraud “.

My personal favorite is ” Touch not the Lords anointed “, which is not only taken completely out of it’s biblical context, but also gives the impression that a self appointed ” Prophet ” hears directly from God. It is tool that is used to silence criticism, and to separate the believers from their cash.

This they do in the name of Jesus. A terrible fate awaits them all.