We live in times where many want to be called an apostle. But what does the Bible say about apostles. Are you one of them? You may, if this lifestyle is the motivation of your heart.
John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
The apostle’s work originates in God. It is so done with the full authority of God and in signs and wonders of the rhema word.
Utter dependency on the rhema word of God bounds the apostle to learn and limit his or her life strictly to the ways of God. Both of these things bring the apostle into oneness with the Lord and equip him or her for ambassadorship with the full credentials of the Lord power.
His ministry is not one of exaltation but one of being continually humbled either by seasons of material lack, or by the stringent limits placed upon their lives by the boundaries of the rhema word of God. .
The greatness of the apostle and the prophet is found in how faithfully he or she restrict and limit their lives to the narrowness of the voice of the Spirit. The more strictly contracted the path of exact obedience to God’s voice the more ample and wide the ministry.
No time for cheap grace here, to do as on pleases because God forgives. Such a lie of the enemy. God help us!
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
He that has seen me with discernment has seen the Father.
Mat 10:40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
To welcome with open arms i.e. receive with hospitality.
The reception that the apostle receives is in fact the reception given to the Lord Himself. This is because the apostle always lives and acts in accordance to the voice of the Spirit through the rhema word of God. A hospitable welcome given to the apostle is a hospitable welcome given to the Lord whose rhema word the apostle is executing.
Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
He that is making light of, or is despising you, despises me. He that is paying attention to what you are saying pays attention to me.
Ministry
Rom 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.
Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the nations, I do my ministry honor, or I lay much stress and care in magnifying my office, or I continuously glorify my ministry. The apostle does his ministry honor.
If I may provoke to jealousy
Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God(The will of God as found in the gospel and in His Son) in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, (even the hidden will of God) which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Mysteries for one are doctrines of God that are brought to life through revelation knowledge and bring out the scriptural patterns of God’s kingdom.
Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Ephesians 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
To turn on the light as to what is the koinonia of the fellowship.
Which was hidden in a perfect tense in God. One mystery here is the doctrine of allowing the Gentiles into the NT fellowship. Christ however is the main mystery of God.
Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: {in: or, among}
28 Whom we preach, (The apostle preaches the revealed Person of Christ, and not a thing) warning every man (exhorting, admonishing and warning), and teaching every man in all wisdom (teaching every person the will of God found in the sound doctrine of scriptures); that we may present every man perfect (to the level of Christ’s maturity and character) in Christ Jesus:
Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ).
The apostle not only reveals the mystery of Christ, its dispositions and arrangements but also teaches others how to take part according to their calling into this mystery.
It comes to say that the apostle is used within church to bring the church into the comprehensive participation of what that it has been called into.
Bring forth the dispositions of God according to His grace.
Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Ephesians chapter three verses eight and nine guides us a bit deeper into the supremely significant importance of the apostolic and prophetic revelation of Christ our mystery. As we have discussed before, the Person of Christ contains within Himself all the treasures and riches of who God is, and of what He possesses. These treasures, are undetectable, un- searchable, and unreachable through all of our fleshly efforts. Only through a spirit of revelation into the mystery of the Person of Christ can these treasures be manifested out to the body through the preaching of the gospel.
Verse nine tells just this. Part of Paul’s apostolic/ prophetic ministry as described in verse eight and nine, is to not only reveal theses undetectable riches.
In verse nine he goes on to tell us that the purpose of this revelation is to make everyone else within the local body aware as to what is their part, participation, share, and calling into the riches of Christ is.
Through this, the apostle stimulates and promotes the faith of God towards His chosen ones. The stimulation of this faith is to make others thirsty for the Son of God and not just simply for the blessings, prosperity and other things that come from God.
True promotion of faith by the apostle is to reveal the Son of God, and give the saints the knowledge of what is their participation, ministries, and callings into the riches found in the Son of God whom the apostle has just revealed to them.
This called the fellowship of the mystery.
Secondly, the apostle reveals to the church an accurate witness of the Word of God found both in the logos and rhema word. This allows the saints of God to participate in the truth of the Word, which will produce godliness in their lives.
The apostles thus must live themselves in that accurate recognition and participation of the truth so that they may be able to testify to it and bring others into its participation or fellowship.
Furthermore, I believe that the seal of apostleship is defined in these two ways. The believer as mentored by the apostle, is first brought to a place of adequate spiritual freedom as he or she grasps the liberty brought to him or her by the revelation of the mystery of the gospel, as the apostle teaches it.
As the disciple begins to grasp whom he or she is IN CHRIST, the apostle introduces the fellowship of the mystery; assisting the disciple to discover his or her office, callings, and spiritual gifts so that the disciples in turn can do the work of the ministry.
Through this, the apostle stimulates and promotes the faith of God towards His chosen ones. The stimulation of this faith is to make others thirsty for the Son of God and not just simply for the blessings, prosperity and other things that come from God.
True promotion of faith by the apostle is to reveal the Son of God, and give the saints the knowledge of what is their participation, ministries, and callings into the riches found in the Son of God whom the apostle has just revealed to them.
Secondly, the apostle reveals to the church an accurate witness of the Word of God found both in the logos and rhema word. This allows the saints of God to participate in the truth of the Word, which will produce godliness in their lives.
In accordance with the faith of God’s chosen out ones as a precise and full knowledge of the truth, which is in accordance with piety towards God.
Leads them into the accurate discernment, recognition and participation of the truth, which belongs to and harmonizes with what tends to godliness. He must live in that accurate recognition and participation of the truth.
With the promise of life goes the provision for its proclamation. Hence the apostle in proclaiming you shall live through Christ, is an apostle according through the very proclamation of this life.
Jose and Mary Alvarez 