459 – The Commission and Ministry of the Twelve Apostles

SEMESTER 4

459 – The Commission and Ministry of the Twelve Apostles

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: BIBLE SURVEY IV LESSON # 59
THE COMMISSION AND MINISTRY OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES

Read Mat. 10:1-15, Mk. 3:8-21, Lk. 6:13-16, 9:1-9 and Eph. 4:9-16.

INTRODUCTION:

1. No Bible issue is accompanied by more fuzzy thinking than that of apostolic gifts.

i. People refer to themselves as apostles.
ii. They claim apostolic powers and gifts.
iii. They even claim these results in their lives.

2. Even a surface understanding of Bible teaching on this issue would preclude such foolishness.
3. In this lesson and the lesson which is to follow, we shall seek to find the Bible teaching concerning the exclusiveness of apostolic gifts.

I. A LIST OF THESE MEN

1. Some of the apostles are given different names in different parts of the Scripture, but here is a list coordinating their names.
2. This list can be accurately compiled by comparing all the gospels to see which ones are repeated or omitted.

i. Peter, who was also called (Simon and Cephas) and
ii. Andrew, his brother, were fishermen, and apparently the sons of Jona. (Mat. 16:17, Jn. 1:42)
iii. James, the son of Zebedee and his brother
iv. John, were also professional fishermen.
v. Philip, of Bethsaida in Galilee and
vi. Bartholomew (Nathanael), thought by some to be broth­ers, but Scripture does not say so.
vii. Matthew (Levi the publican) and
viii. Thomas (who doubted).
ix. James (known as James the less, and called the Lord's brother in Galatians 1:19) was the son of Alphaeus (who probably also was Cleophas.) Note Matthew 27:55, Mark 15:40 and John 19:25-27. He was the brother of
x. Judas (not Iscariot) also called Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus, and was also the writer of the book of Jude. (Jude 1)
xi. Simon called Zelotes, or the zealot, also referred to as the Canaanite. This is not a reference to his nationality, but his political interest. He was also possibly the brother of James the less and Judas (Jude) and, like them, the cousin of the Lord. (Mat. 14:55, Mark 6:3)
xii. Judas Iscariot, the traitor who betrayed the Lord. He was the son of perdition, and never a believer. (Jn. 6:44, 17:12)

3. There is much to be learned from a careful Bible search for all available information on these men.

II. THE APOSTLE’S TITLE AND GIFTS

1. The twelve were sovereignly chosen from among other disciples. (Lk. 6:13)
2. He called them apostles. No one volunteered to this position, or took the title to himself. (Lk. 6:13, Mark 3:13-14)
3. He ordained twelve, and set them aside from others, to do this work. (Lk. 9:1-2, Mark 3:14)
4. This clearly shows that it is not a common endowment to all Christians. (Mark 3:13-15)
5. He sovereignly gave them the apostolic powers to heal, to cast out devils, to raise the dead, etc. (Mark 3:15). They did not merely pray for the sick.
6. The false idea that this power is given to all believers through faith is a terrible misunderstanding, based on a wrong interpre­tation of such passages as Mark 16:17-20.
7. These men were to be with Him in a very special way, to function in a very special way, in a special time, for a special purpose.
8. To perceive their gifts and powers as being indiscriminately distributed among all believers is the source of all manner of heresy.

III. THE APOSTLES’ POSITION IN THE CHURCH

1. Let it be understood that my singular meaning of the word church is institutional not universal.
2. Huge amounts of error are built around the error that the church began on the Day of Pentecost.
3. The glory of God came publicly upon the church, which already existed, via the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
4. Christ in His earthly lifetime established His church and left it in tact at His ascension. It is still being built. (Mat. 16:18, Eph. 4:7-13)

i. Christ, not Peter, was the corner stone. (Eph. 2:20)
ii. The apostles and prophets completed the foundation.
iii. Christ gave them their position in the church. (Eph. 4:7-13)

5. Their position was unique and officially superior. (Mark 16:14-20, Acts 2:43, Acts 5:12, I Cor. 9:1-2)

In the next lesson, we will see the Bible extension of this office and the powers given to men other than these twelve and just what the dimensions of it were.