Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
- 2 Corinthians 12:12
And now, let's clear up some things about the Bible and church...
The first thing to understand about the Church of the New Testament, the Body of Christ, was that it was what it was entirely because of the Apostles. I don't mean merely that it came into existence through them. I mean that it was the Apostles themselves who maintained it as such.
From the beginning there were forces working to distort the Church, to make it into something other than Christ intended. Spirits of heresy, of factionalism and of sin - both subtle and gross. The Body of Christ needed an immune system. The Apostles were the immune system.
It was the Apostles who marginalized the Docetists (Gnostics) and others - all without violent persecution. No one else could have accomplished this. We know this because no one else ever did. Those who later claimed their authority were forced to resort to the auto-da-fé, and even that didn't always do the trick. Had Peter gone up against the Albigensians, he would have had no need of the sword.
It was Paul who called out the church in Corinth for its gross immorality. Doubtless he wasn't the only one, but it was his condemnation that mattered, because he had authority.
Paul also called the Corinthians for factionalism - which would have blossomed into countless denominations if he hasn't nipped it in the bud. Some centuries later, countless denominations is exactly what we have. It did not happen on the Apostles' watch. It could have, but it didn't.
It was John "of Patmos" who delivered Christ's judgments of the Seven Churches in Asia. This John was either the Apostle John or an elder upon whom an Apostle had laid hands. Not just anyone could have spoken thus and been taken seriously.
The Apostles had authority. Let me precise. I don't mean simply that they were in charge. I mean they had credibility, what the Greeks called ethos. They could preach outrageously implausible things, even politically incorrect things, such as Christ raised from the dead. And perfectly sane, respectable people would believe them. Believe to the point of being willing to die for these beliefs. Anyone can say wild things. But not just anyone can get people to give up their lives for such things.
How did they do it? Whence came this extraordinary credibility? Only supernatural signs can sway this effectively. The book of Acts tells us that the Apostles had powers of healing. They could even raise the dead on occasion: Dorcas, Eutychus. They had other powers as well - escaping from prison via an earthquake.
They could punish. Not just pass sentence. They had power to make an example of Ananias and Sapphira. By the Spirit, Peter pronounced the verdict, and then supernatural force executed sentence. (Jesus bequeathed Peter the "keys to heaven and earth." If you want to know what that means, read Acts.)
Simon Magus - a believer - tried to buy these powers. They weren't for sale, nor were they available to all believers even then.
Such demonstrations get people's attention. I would hazard a guess that they made all the difference. Let the Charismatics talk of their relatively minor signs, but they can't claim anything on this level.
The book of Acts makes it clear: it was the Apostles who mediated the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ. They did this first through personal activity, and later they delegated some of that Spirit by the laying on of hands. As long as those upon whom they had laid hands were alive, these signs and wonders persisted. And because of these signs, men believed to the point of enduring intense persecution.
I've heard it said that The book of Acts is about the early Church. I say: the early Church was about the acts of the Apostles.
biblestudying.net/topic_churchhistory
Miracles of Jesus' Apostles
2 Corinthians
Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira for lying?
What two apostles raised the dead
- 2 Corinthians 12:12
And now, let's clear up some things about the Bible and church...
The first thing to understand about the Church of the New Testament, the Body of Christ, was that it was what it was entirely because of the Apostles. I don't mean merely that it came into existence through them. I mean that it was the Apostles themselves who maintained it as such.
From the beginning there were forces working to distort the Church, to make it into something other than Christ intended. Spirits of heresy, of factionalism and of sin - both subtle and gross. The Body of Christ needed an immune system. The Apostles were the immune system.
It was the Apostles who marginalized the Docetists (Gnostics) and others - all without violent persecution. No one else could have accomplished this. We know this because no one else ever did. Those who later claimed their authority were forced to resort to the auto-da-fé, and even that didn't always do the trick. Had Peter gone up against the Albigensians, he would have had no need of the sword.
It was Paul who called out the church in Corinth for its gross immorality. Doubtless he wasn't the only one, but it was his condemnation that mattered, because he had authority.
Paul also called the Corinthians for factionalism - which would have blossomed into countless denominations if he hasn't nipped it in the bud. Some centuries later, countless denominations is exactly what we have. It did not happen on the Apostles' watch. It could have, but it didn't.
It was John "of Patmos" who delivered Christ's judgments of the Seven Churches in Asia. This John was either the Apostle John or an elder upon whom an Apostle had laid hands. Not just anyone could have spoken thus and been taken seriously.
The Apostles had authority. Let me precise. I don't mean simply that they were in charge. I mean they had credibility, what the Greeks called ethos. They could preach outrageously implausible things, even politically incorrect things, such as Christ raised from the dead. And perfectly sane, respectable people would believe them. Believe to the point of being willing to die for these beliefs. Anyone can say wild things. But not just anyone can get people to give up their lives for such things.
How did they do it? Whence came this extraordinary credibility? Only supernatural signs can sway this effectively. The book of Acts tells us that the Apostles had powers of healing. They could even raise the dead on occasion: Dorcas, Eutychus. They had other powers as well - escaping from prison via an earthquake.
They could punish. Not just pass sentence. They had power to make an example of Ananias and Sapphira. By the Spirit, Peter pronounced the verdict, and then supernatural force executed sentence. (Jesus bequeathed Peter the "keys to heaven and earth." If you want to know what that means, read Acts.)
Simon Magus - a believer - tried to buy these powers. They weren't for sale, nor were they available to all believers even then.
Such demonstrations get people's attention. I would hazard a guess that they made all the difference. Let the Charismatics talk of their relatively minor signs, but they can't claim anything on this level.
The book of Acts makes it clear: it was the Apostles who mediated the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ. They did this first through personal activity, and later they delegated some of that Spirit by the laying on of hands. As long as those upon whom they had laid hands were alive, these signs and wonders persisted. And because of these signs, men believed to the point of enduring intense persecution.
I've heard it said that The book of Acts is about the early Church. I say: the early Church was about the acts of the Apostles.
biblestudying.net/topic_churchhistory
Miracles of Jesus' Apostles
2 Corinthians
Why did God kill Ananias and Sapphira for lying?
What two apostles raised the dead
- Next entry in the series 'Restorationism and Beyond': Restorationism And Beyond Part 3 - That Was Then, This Is Now
- Previous entry in the series 'Restorationism and Beyond': Restorationism And Beyond Part 1: Intro
