Apostles

A while back, I noticed that one of the churches across town had a message on their sign welcoming “Apostle” Somebody. Did they really have an apostle among them?

The word “apostle” (Greek apostolos) means “one sent” — a delegate or messenger sent on behalf of another. The New Testament usually applies the word to the handful of men personally commissioned by Jesus to spread His gospel to the world. “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you,” He told them (John 20:21). He gave them His own authority in speaking God’s word (Matthew 18:18; John 20:23) and sent them the Holy Spirit to guide them into all the truth (John 16:12-15).

The apostles were eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus. When Matthias was chosen to fill the place of Judas, he was chosen from among “the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us” to “become a witness with us of His resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22). Jesus’ appearance to Saul on the road to Damascus provided him with this qualification (Acts 9:1-9; 1 Corinthians 15:8-9). No one living today has seen our risen Lord; so there are no apostles now.

The apostles were given miraculous abilities. Peter and the others were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). They spoke in tongues, healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed other “signs and wonders” which confirmed the message they preached (Mark 16:20). Paul spoke of “the signs of a true apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12), indicating that God operated through these men in an unmistakable way. He gave them the unique ability to impart miraculous gifts to others by laying on hands (Acts 8:18-19). But these abilities, like all miraculous gifts, were temporary. They would cease when the complete revelation of God’s will came (1 Corinthians 13:8-13). Our New Testament is that completed revelation. No man today can perform “the signs of a true apostle.”

The New Testament does use “apostle” a couple of times in a broader sense. In 2 Corinthians 8:23 Paul referred to some brethren as messengers (literally, “apostles”) of churches. Epaphroditus is called a messenger (apostolos) of the church at Philippi (Philippians 2:25). And it may be in this sense that Barnabas is called an apostle in Acts 14:14. These “apostles” were not personally commissioned by Jesus, but were sent by churches on specific missions. I can’t think of any scriptural objection to modern folks using the term “apostle” this way. But it’s clear that men today who claim to be apostles are claiming to be more than just messengers sent by churches.

The Bible also warns of false apostles. The saints at Corinth had trouble with such fellows (2 Corinthians 11:13). The disciples at Ephesus did, too; they tested these men and proved them to be frauds (Revelation 2:2). Like them, we should challenge the claims of modern men who profess to be apostles of Christ. Have they seen the risen Lord? Can they perform apostolic signs? Can they impart miraculous gifts? The answer is “no” on all counts. The only modern apostles are of the false variety.

We may not have apostles with us any more, but we do have the inspired record of their works and their message to guide us. Let’s give attention to it.

"If You Build It, They Will Come"

If you build it, they will come. So the voice kept telling Kevin Costner’s character in the movie Field of Dreams. And so he built it — a baseball diamond in the middle of a corn field behind his Iowa home. His family and friends thought he was crazy. But when he had built it, sure enough, “they” came: the ghosts of baseball legends of yesteryear gathered to play on his field.

If you build it, they will come. So read a plaque in the “fellowship hall” of a church where I attended a funeral some time ago. On the plaque were names, dates, and honorable mentions celebrating the hall’s construction. It was a comfortable, spacious building, decked out with a full kitchen, plush carpet, big screen TV, and even a basketball court out back. All this, the plaque affirmed, was built “to the glory of God.”

If you build it, they will come. Many churches have made this their motto. To attract people, they build fellowship halls, youth centers, and gymnasiums. They sponsor lock-ins, concerts, movie nights, and pot lucks. Many fear that if they don’t, they will lose people to the church down the road that does. One preacher said, “If you hamburger them in, some­body else may hot dog them out.”

If you build it, they will come. But come for what? A hall built for food, recreation, and entertainment is going to appeal to people looking for precisely those things. When did the New Testament disciples ever use such things to draw people to Jesus? And just how would these things draw people to Jesus, anyway? When pressed, even churches that build fellowship halls and sponsor social events still insist that it’s the gospel that brings people to Christ (see John 12:32; Romans 1:16). So what’s all the other stuff for?

If you build it, they will come. But does that make it necessary? What does a fellowship hall/gymnasium/whatever provide that loving, hospitable Christians cannot provide on their own? Even if it were scripturally authorized, a “church fellowship hall” would not relieve Christians of their personal duty to “pursue hospitality” (Romans 12:13). I’m afraid many have been duped into expecting “the church” to relieve them of their individual responsibilities to God.

If you build it, they will come. But is that reason enough to build it? Is a local church justified in doing anything that will attract a crowd? What New Testament passage says so? Paul said that eating common meals is a function of the home (i.e., the individual), not the church collectively (1 Corinthians 11:22,34). And where is the Scripture that says or implies that it’s the church’s job to provide recreation or entertainment? Supporters of church-sponsored food and fun are going to have to come up with something more substantive than “it doesn’t say not to.”

Every congregation of disciples must examine their true aim. Are we trying to bring people to Christ by proclaiming the gospel, or are we simply trying to bring them in the door by any means we choose?

Even some in Jesus’ own day sought Him out, not to hear His teaching, but in search of a free lunch. He rebuked them (John 6:26-27). Then He spoke about real food — the spiritual life that comes from partaking of Him. When He finished, “many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore” (verse 66). Jesus did not use the promise of physical goodies to attract people nor to keep them. Why should we?