Raising the dead (Mt. 10:7)

[Achilles6129]

"7 And as you go,preach, saying, ‘is at hand.’8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." Mt. 10:7 (NASB)

The twelve disciples are a corporate representation of all of Christianity, so should we be raising the dead?

 

[Biblicist]

The problem with the model that you are suggesting is that the Twelve Disciples (prior to them being Apostles) had their authority given to them by the Son for a specific and time limited purpose which does not apply to the Church.

It's difficult to know if they were working within the authority of Jesus or that Jesus was granted the ability to hand an incredible amount of authority (not power) to the Twelve. This is not something that we can replicate within the NT, where the NT Believer is to rely on the Power of the Holy Spirit as per 1 Cor 12:8-11 & 28. We can certainly raise the dead but I am of the opinion that this would be a soverign Act of God, whereas the 9 Manifestations of the Spirit for example in 1 Cor 12:8-11 are activities of the Holy Spirit.

 

[Achilles6129]

Where does Scripture ever say that the 12 apostles were granted their authority for a specific time and that this wasn't for the church as a whole?

 

[prodromos]

Paul wasn't one of the 12 yet he raised someone from the dead.

 

[SeventyOne]

Paul wasn't one of the 12 yet he raised someone from the dead.

He was one of the primary apostles however because he was sent by the Lord personally, same as the other twelve. Those 13 are unique.

You might say, that makes thirteen then. Well, when you name the 12 tribes of Israel, how many names do you come up with? 13 names. Likewise, when you name the apostles, how many names do you end up with. Another 13.

 

[Achilles6129]

He was one of the primary apostles however because he was sent by the Lord personally, same as the other twelve. Those 13 are unique.

You might say, that makes thirteen then. Well, when you name the 12 tribes of Israel, how many names do you come up with? 13 names. Likewise, when you name the apostles, how many names do you end up with. Another 13.

Not in Revelation you don't. And nowhere in Scripture are they mentioned as "13."

 

[Greg J.]

There are instances of people being raised from the dead through faith in Christ. But they believed in Jesus and did not doubt. That sort of faith grows when you face issues like life and death ones that are beyond your control and you choose to rely on Jesus (or die, or whatever). As you go through (many) experiences like this your faith grows. But it is costly. This is the ultimate "take up your cross daily." You will experience a slow (years), painful death of your self. Examining Paul's life is as good an example as any: I will show him how much he must suffer for my name. (Acts 9:16, 1984 NIV)

Of course, God can raise someone from the dead if he wants regardless of any person's faith, but that's not what the original post was about.

 

[Biblicist]

Where does Scripture ever say that the 12 apostles were granted their authority for a specific time and that this wasn't for the church as a whole?

Your question should probably be rephrased by asking, “Do the Scriptures indicate, either within Luke 10 or elsewhere, that the type of ministry that the 70 performed in Luke 10:1, that this was intended to be the norm for all time”.

As the question you have posed is an important one, where it certainly confuses even many Pentecostals and charismatics, where for the cessationist it probably means very little, then I will provide a more detailed post in the next day or so. For now the following lexical information which comes from Luke 10, where it is based on the authority found in verse 1 and the authority that Jesus gave to the Disciples might be of interest to some.

As Christ initially came to Israel where the 70 ministered, we have to decide if this type of authority was given to the New Testament Church. We know from 1Cor 12:28 that the Father himself decided to establish the Offices of healings and powers (aka, miracles) within each local congregation, where these two, along with the entire 8 were to remain until the Lord returns with his Kingdom - has the authourity of the 70 been transferred to the Church and particularly with these two Offices?

Spoiler contains lexical information on Luke 10:1 (appointed) and 10:19 (authourity).

Spoiler

BibleWorks 9 -----------

1. Appoint

TDNT Dictionary
anadeiÃknymi.
1. In Lk. 10:1 the idea is “to appoint,” “to institute,” with some vacillation between the idea of ordaining for a task and legally instituting. The word is taken from the political sphere and suggests an official action.

2. In Acts 1:24 the idea is different, for while an appointment is at issue, what is asked is that God will “disclose” or “show” whom he has chosen.

Friberg Lexicon
1547 ἀναδείκνυμι 1aor. ἀνέδειξα; strictly lift up and show, show forth; (1) as setting apart by some outward expression appoint, commission, give a task to (LU 10.1); (2) as making public what is hidden disclose, reveal, show clearly (AC 1.24)

Louw-Nida Lexicon
28.54 ἀναδείκνυμι ; ἀνάδειξις εως f: to make known that which has presumably been hidden or unknown previously - 'to make known, to show, to reveal, to make clear, revelation.' ἀναδείκνυμι: ἀνάδειξον ὃν ἐξελέξω ἐκ τούτων τῶν δύο ἕνα 'show us which one of these two you have chosen' Ac 1.24. ἀνάδειξις: ἦν ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις ἕως ἡμέρας ἀναδείξεως αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραήλ 'he lived in the desert until the day he made himself known to the people of Israel' Lk 1.80.

LSJ Lexicon (Abridged)
2813 ἀναδείκνυμι
ἀνα-δείκνυ¯μι and -ύω, f. -δείξω, Ion. -δέξω:-to lift up and shew, πύλας ἀναδεικνύναι to display by opening the gates, i.e. throw wide the gates, Soph.; (so in Pass., μυστοδόκος δόμος ἀναδείκνυται Ar.); ἀναδέξαι ἀσπίδα to hold up a shield as signal, Hdt.; ἀνέδεξε σημήϊον τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀνάγεσθαι made signal for them to put to sea, Id.
II. to consecrate, Anth. Hence ἀνάδειξις

LEH Lexicon
553 ἀναδείκνυμι
ἀναδείκνυμι+ - V 0-0-1-2-16-19
Hab 3,2; DnLXX 1,11.20; 1 Ezr 1,32.35
A: to show, to reveal [τι] 2 Mc 2,8; to proclaim, to appoint [τινα] 1 Ezr 8,23
P: to be manifested Hab 3,2; to be dedicated, to be consecrated 3 Mc 2,14
ἀνέδειξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου βασιλέα Ιωακιμ βασιλέα τῆς Ιουδαίας καὶ Ιερουσαλημ the king of Egypt made king Joachim king of Judaea and Jerusalem 1 Ezr 1,35

Cf. HELBING 1928, 60; SPICQ 1982, 38-39; ïTWN

BDAG Lexicon
464 ἀναδείκνυμι
• ἀναδείκνυμι fut. ἀναδείξω LXX; 1 aor. ἀνέδειξα; pf. ἀναδέδειχα LXX. Pass.: fut. ἀναδειχθήσομαι; 1 aor. ἀνεδείχθην; perf. ptc. ἀναδεδειγμένος (all these pass. LXX) (Soph., Hdt. et al.; ins, LXX; TestJos 2:7; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 35; Joseph., Tat.) ‘show forth’.

1. to make someth. known by clear indication, show clearly, reveal someth. hidden (cp. IAndrosIsis, Ios 19 Peek p. 123; 2 Macc 2:8; SibOr 3, 15) τινά Ac 1:24; πῶς Ox 1081, 31f (SJCh 90, 70f). W. ἐν exhibit, display someth. in someth. ἱνα δικαιοσύνης ναὸν ἐν τῷ τοίῳ σώματι ἀναδείξῃ so as to display the temple of uprightness in that selfsame body AcPlCor 2:17.

2. to assign to a task or position, appoint, commission (freq. as administrative term [s. next entry]; Polyb. 4, 48, 3; 4, 51, 3; Diod. S. 1, 66, 1; 13, 98, 1; Plut., Caes. 725 [37, 2]; OGI 625, 7; PErl 18, 19; Da 1:11, 20; 1 Esdr 8:23; 2 Macc 9:23, 25 al.; Jos., Ant. 14, 280; 20, 227; Tat. 7, 2 θεόν as God) ἀνέδειξεν (ἐνέδ. P75) ὁ κύριος ἑτέρους ἑβδομήκοντα Lk 10:1.—EPeterson, Deissmann Festschr. 1927, 320-26.—M-M. TW.

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2. Authority

UBS Lexicon
2301 ἐξουσία , ας f authority, right, liberty; ability, capability; supernatural power; ruling power, government, official; jurisdiction (Lk 23.7); disposal (Ac 5.4); ἐ. ἐχειν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς have a covering on her head (perhaps as a symbol of subjection to her husband's authority 1 Cor 11.10)

Louw-Nida Lexicon
37.35 ἐξουσία, ας f: the right to control or govern over - 'authority to rule, right to control.' ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων 'go with the authority to rule over ten cities' Lk 19.17.

LSJ Lexicon (Abridged)
15582 ἐξουσία
ἐξουσία, ἡ, (ἔξεστι) power or authority to do a thing, c. inf., Thuc., Xen.; c. gen. power over, licence in a thing, Thuc., Plat.
II. absol. power, authority, might, as opp. to right, Thuc.: also licence, Dem.
2. an office, magistracy, Lat. potestas, Plat.
3. as concrete, also like Lat. potestas, the body of the magistrates, in pl., the authorities, N.T.
III. abundance of means, resources, Thuc.
IV. pomp, Plut.

LEH Lexicon
3376 ἐξουσία
ἐξουσία,-ας+ - N1F 0-1-0-39-39-79
2 Kgs 20,13; Ps 113(114),2; 135 (136),8.9; Prv 17,14
power, authority 1 Ezr 4,28; control over [τινος] Ps 135(136),8; permission [+inf.] 1 Mc 11,58; office, magistracy Dn 3,2; <aiJ> ἐξουσίαι (the) authorities (personification of invisible, angelic powers) DnLXX 7,27 see ἀρχή
Cf. CARAGOUNIS 1986, 68-70 (DnLXX 7,27); HORSLEY 1982, 83-84; SCHOLTISSEK 1993, 85-88; ïNIDNTT; TWNT

TDNT - Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
exousiÃa.
A. Ordinary Greek Usage.
1. This word denotes first the “ability” to perform an action.

2. It then means the “right,” “authority,” “permission” conferred by a higher court: a. the possibility granted by government; b. the right in various social relationships, e.g., that of parents, masters, or owners.

3. Since the authority under 2. is illusory without real power, the term approximates at times to dyÃnamis, but with the distinction that dyÃnamis denotes external power but exousiÃa has a more inward reference.

4. The term may then denote self-asserted freedom of caprice in antithesis to law (with hyÃbris as a parallel). Yet legal order is usually the context.

5. Derived meanings are “authoritative position,” “officebearers” (plural), “laudatory address,” “crowd,” and “pomp.”

B. The Jewish and NT Usage.

1. Jewish usage is parallel to the Greek; the senses are “permission,” “authority,” or “right.” Philo has the term for the absolute power of the king or people, or that of God as seen in his creative activity and his judgments.

2. The LXX uses the term for right, authority, etc. in the legal sense and also as it is given by God, e.g., in the law. In Daniel and Maccabees it may be the power of the king or of God. By using exousiÃa for God's power the LXX introduces a term that excellently expresses the concept of God's unrestricted sovereignty, of the God whose very word is power (cf. Dan. 4:14).

3. Formally, NT usage is closest to that of the LXX. exousiÃa is God's power, the power given to Jesus, or the power given by Jesus to his disciples. It is also the power of government (cf. Lk. 19:17; Acts 9:14: the Sanhedrin; Lk. 20:20: Pilate), the power of self-determination (Acts 5:4), the power of kings (Rev. 17:12), and “the powers that be” (plural) (Lk. 12:11; Rom. 13:1). It may also denote a sphere of dominion, e.g., the state (Lk. 23:7), the domain of spirits (Eph. 2:2), or the spiritual powers (1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21; Col. 1:16; 1 Pet. 3:22).

4. The rabbinic parallel r¤sëuÖtÑ contributes to the range of meaning that exousiÃa displays in the NT, since it embraces such meanings as power of disposal, possession, commission, right, freedom, and government (singular), as well as the monarchical power of God.

— p. 239 —
5. As regards construction, the classical use is with the genitive; in the NT we also find the prepositions en, periÃ, epiÃ, and kataà (for details see TDNT, II, 566).

C. The NT Concept of exousiÃa. The NT concept rests on three foundations. First, the power indicated is the power to decide. Second, this decision takes place in ordered relationships, all of which reflect God's lordship. Third, as a divinely given authority to act, exousiÃa implies freedom for the community.

1. Primarily exousiÃa denotes the absolute possibility of action that is proper to God alone as the source of all power and legality (cf. Lk. 12:5; Acts 1:7; Jude 25; ; Rom. 9:21).

2. God's exousiÃa may be seen in the sphere of nature (Rev. 14:18). Natural forces derive their power from God (Rev. 6:8; 9:3, 10, 19; 16:9; 18:1).

3. God's will also encompasses Satan's sphere of dominion (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13). The final mystery of evil is not its power but the fact that this hostile power may still be encompassed by God's overruling (Lk. 4:6; Rev. 13:5, 7; Lk. 22:53).

4. In relation to Christ's person and work exousiÃa denotes the divinely given right and power to act along with the related freedom (Mt. 28:18; Rev. 12:10). This is a cosmic power but with a special human reference (Jn. 17:2; Mt. 11:27; Jn. 1:12; 5:27: at the judgment). The historical Jesus claims exousiÃa within the limits of his commission, e.g., to forgive sins (Mk. 2:10), to expel demons (Mk. 3:15), and to teach (Mt. 7:29; Mk. 11:28; Mt. 9:8; Lk. 4:36). This power is inseparable from the imminence of the kingdom; with the presence of him who exercises it, the kingdom itself draws near.

5. As regards the church, this derives its authority (or enablement) from Christ. Believers receive their right as such from him (Jn. 1:12; Rev. 22:14). The Lord gives the apostles their authority (2 Cor. 10:8); hence they must use it responsibly (cf. Mk. 13:34; 1 Cor. 9:4ff.). But exousiÃa also means freedom for the community (1 Cor. 6:12; 8:9; 10:23). exousiÃa was perhaps a slogan at Corinth, possibly on the basis of Paul's own teaching about freedom from the law (cf. Rom. 14:14). Some Christians found it hard to apply this in spheres where they might be implicated in paganism, whereas others were perhaps led into startling demonstrations of it (1 Cor. 5:1ff. [?]). Paul radically upholds exousiÃa, but relates it to the two principles of what is fitting and what is edifying, exousiÃa, then, is not intrinsic autonomy, as, e.g., in Epictetus, but freedom in God's kingdom by faith, so that regard must be had for the perils that lurk in freedom and for the needs of neighbors. In Christian Gnosticism we finds hints of a development of freedom along the lines of the extremists at Corinth, while in apocryphal Acts exousiÃa is not God's gift to be used in service but a magically wrested power deployed for one's own ends.

6. A special NT use, usually with archaià etc., is for supernatural powers. We do not find this in Hellenism of Gnosticism, but cf. Asc. Is. 1:4; 2:2, etc. and Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, as well as Christian Gnostics and the apocryphal Acts. The concept developed on Jewish soil. exousiÃai are cosmic powers, distinct from daiÃmones but not clearly different from archaiÃ. Paul combines the Jewish idea of the forces that rule nature with the Hellenistic notion of the nexus of destiny embracing the whole cosmos. There are thus various powers that govern human life and stand between God and us. They share the carnal nature of creation but also the fact that it is created in and for Christ (Col. 1:15-16). There is thus tension but no dualism, and the powers can never separate us from Christ.

7. The meaning of 1 Cor. 11:10 is much contested. In context the verse is part of

— p. 240 —

the discussion of veiling (cf. the pleÒÄn of v. 11). The verb opheiÃlei implies obligation rather than compulsion and thus suggests a moral duty. It seems, then, that the veil is a sign of subordination and the angels are guardian angels or watchers over the natural order, exousiÃa is thus used materially for the veil in a bold image suggesting male dominion. Alternatively it might be due to a confusion or intentional equation of the Aramaic stems for “to conceal” on the one hand and “to rule” on the other.

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[Job8]

The twelve disciples are a corporate representation of all of Christianity, so should we be raising the dead?

Not exactly. However each time Christians share the Gospel and bring a soul to Christ, they do raise the dead -- those dead in trespasses and sins receive eternal life.

 

[Job8]

Paul wasn't one of the 12 yet he raised someone from the dead.

And thus became one the 12.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

"7 And as you go,preach, saying, ‘is at hand.’8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give." Mt. 10:7 (NASB)

The twelve disciples are a corporate representation of all of Christianity, so should we be raising the dead?

Give it a shot, and let us know how you make out.

The Apostles were a select group called for a specific purpose, for a limited time. The last Apostle was John.

We must not read ourselves into the texts of scripture.

 

[Biblicist]

And thus became one the 12.

No, Paul never became one of the Twelve as the final member of this group was Matthias. Paul's commissioning by Christ was for a different purpose which was one that no member of the Twelve was able to undertake.

 

[Achilles6129]

Give it a shot, and let us know how you make out.

The Apostles were a select group called for a specific purpose, for a limited time. The last Apostle was John.

We must not read ourselves into the texts of scripture.

So when Christ says "then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted," he's referring specifically to the twelve disciples? It sounds like he's referring to the entire body of believers, and taking the twelve as a corporate representation of that entire body.

 

[Achilles6129]

Your question should probably be rephrased by asking, “Do the Scriptures indicate, either within Luke 10 or elsewhere, that the type of ministry that the 70 performed in Luke 10:1, that this was intended to be the norm for all time”.

As the question you have posed is an important one, where it certainly confuses even many Pentecostals and charismatics, where for the cessationist it probably means very little, then I will provide a more detailed post in the next day or so. For now the following lexical information which comes from Luke 10, where it is based on the authority found in verse 1 and the authority that Jesus gave to the Disciples might be of interest to some.

As Christ initially came to Israel where the 70 ministered, we have to decide if this type of authority was given to the New Testament Church. We know from 1Cor 12:28 that the Father himself decided to establish the Offices of healings and powers (aka, miracles) within each local congregation, where these two, along with the entire 8 were to remain until the Lord returns with his Kingdom - has the authourity of the 70 been transferred to the Church and particularly with these two Offices?

I think this question hinges upon whether the twelve were corporate representations of Christianity or not. I believe that they were, based upon numerous Biblical texts where "you" is clearly meant for Christianity in general instead of the twelve apostles. If they were a corporate representation of Christianity then it would stand to reason that Christians should be able to raise the dead. There's also a further question: where is it indicated in Scripture that "raising the dead" was to be only a function of the twelve apostles?

 

[Greg J.]

This issue doesn't hinge on the 12 apostles. It hinges on the fact that Christ is in us and we in him.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. ... I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-23a, John 26, 1984 NIV)

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14, 1984 NIV)

 

[ChristsSoldier115]

Sharing the gospel with them is practically raising them from the dead.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. (John 14:12-14, 1984 NIV)

If this means what you think it does, then go an raise someone from the dead. Not just 3-4 days dead, like Jesus did, but 3-4 years dead, as you are supposed to do "greater" than even He did.