When viewed in connection with other scriptures of similar nature, its not hard to see how Matthew 10:8 does indeed apply to those who are called.
John 14:12 is perhaps the most compelling of those.
John 14:12 ESV
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
The authority was first spoken to the Apostles, but it is intended for all who believe. The question is, do you believe you can? If not, then of course it won't apply to you. Such power belongs only to those who forsake all for Christ.
As far as I can tell, I seem to be the only person on this particular forum who talks about the 8 Congregational Offices which include the vitally important Offices of
Powers and
Healings and also where I desire to see these two Offices to be regularly encountered within our local congregations.
1 Cor 12:28 “And in the church God has appointed…”
• Apostle
• Prophet
• Teacher
• Powers
• Healings
• Administrations
• Helps
• Tongues
As for Matt 10, what a wonderful chapter and I would love to see the exploits of the Twelve being seen on a daily basis in our congregations, though I would hope that they would not be limited to the Jews or maybe the provisions of God are meant for the Jews and not the Gentiles. Maybe we can start a new denomination that says that God’s healing power is intended for the Jews only as Matt 10 strictly forbids the Twelve (and maybe us) from showing Gods love and power to the Gentiles.
We could also go down to the various fishing spots and command all the boat owners to throw their nets over the side and pull up a full load of fish; are we to say that any Christian fisherman who goes out for a days fishing and who comes back with nothing or maybe only a fish or two that they are lacking in faith – where will it stop.
What many (probably most) people often miss is that the Twelve in Matt 10 were given specific
authority and not
power to perform a task which was to reveal (or maybe announce) the Kingdom of God to the people of Israel. As far as I can tell, unlike healing in the New Covenant, I’m not even sure if they were doing this under the power of the Holy Spirit as the authority that these individuals were given may have been empowered through the Father or maybe the authority of Jesus’s words themselves. Unlike the Twelve, we operate not within any specific
authority but in
Power through the
Manifestations of the Holy Spirit which was something that the Twelve were still to obtain.
It’s one thing to speak of individuals such as the renowned Smith Wigglesworth but when I was reading an account by Alexander Body who was the leader of the British Pentecostal/charismatic movement in the twenties, he made mention that during a week’s crusade that he jointly held with Wigglesworth that Smith was unable to display any of the power of the Spirit’; so even Smith himself had those dry times. When I find the book (it’s somewhere in my library) I will be able to provide some more details.
Wigglesworth did raise people from the dead so the facts on the topic say Matthew 10:8 can and does apply to more than just the 12.
