- Jul 22, 2014
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Hi highlighter. Thanks for your kind and thoughtful post. I would say that if there isn't an apostle present, then there won't be apostolic gifts present. However God is still sovereign and supernatural, therefore I don't think the supernatural can be written off completely.
The problem is that Paul calls himself the last apostle (1 Corinthians 4:9).
Also the criteria for being an apostle was in having seen the risen Lord.
Paul appears to suggest this in 1 Corinthians 9:1, and we learn that Matthias was an apostle chosen to replace Judas who also had seen the risen Lord (Acts of the Apostles 1:21-26).
Ephesians 2:19-20 says,
"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;"
Who was built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets? The Ephesian (Gentile) church or believers in whom Paul was writing to. These believers were BUILT upon the foundation of the apostles and they were not apostles themselves. This shows us the temporary nature of certain gifts given to the early church. For apostleship gift has clearly ceased. Even some Continuationists will at least admit to this fact. But they will not allow for themselves to see how other certain gifts have ended, though (Like with Paul no longer being able to heal by sending out clothes that are able to heal people).
You said:James 5:14-15 for example talks of a prayer of faith by elders bringing healing to the sick. We still have elders today do we not? Indeed in my church (I'm in a Baptist Church) several people have been healed when the elders prayer for and anointed the person with oil.
Again, this is not the same thing. They prayed and hope that God would heal them. This is not a gift but elders praying with the anointing of oil in the HOPE that they will be healed. There is no gift being given to a person to heal 100% of the time like it was for certain men of God in the early church. Everyone was healed when folks fell into the shadow of Peter. This was an act of God to confirm that they were apostles from GOD and that they would be authoritative to write Holy Scripture.
Regarding the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I agree with you that Christians receive the Holy Spirit the moment they believe. However in Acts 2, Acts 19 believers received a second experience of the Holy Spirit. They already believed, they had already received the Holy Spirit, there was a second experience. Now this teaching can be poisoned by false teachers and extremists making exaggerated claims, but there it is.
Acts 2, and Acts 19 was not a second experience with the Holy Spirit but it was their first experience. The devout Jews from different regions had experienced the working of the Spirit for the first time in Acts 2. Peter said that these men were not drunk to those who doubted. Peter and the other disciples first received the Holy Spirit before this event when Jesus breathed the Spirit on to them. In Acts 19, they did not even know of any Holy Ghost yet.
You said:As for prophecy, I think a large part of prophecy is a word in season. A verse or passage in the bible which God leads you to speak or share at that moment for a particular purpose. Indeed did the Lord Jesus not share from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue 'The Spirit of the Lord is now upon me', (Luke 4:16-19) this is prophecy. God Bless
The problem with this line of thinking is that if prophecy is still to be continued then we need to add these words to the Bible in some way because they are equally authoritative in being the Word of God. There are many who add to the Bible today and this is when they are in contradiction with Scripture. There is no added new holy words or books or church traditions that can be added to the Bible.
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