Intro: Calling All Apostles

The Apostolic Movement

Key Issues / Policies / Conclusion

Goal: ... that the saints may do the work of the ministry

Having consumed and assimilated a plethora of printed resources on our topic, a unity and homogeneity was discovered amongst the authors, except in three (3) areas:

Not surprisingly, these three items will determine the success of the rising apostolic tide:

The use of the title itself, "apostle"
The authority of the apostle
The gender of the apostle

There is an interrelationship between the three. All represent an area for the enemy to sabotage and undermine restoration in its infancy:

As to Title: the lack of the necessary title, "apostle" when applicable, or the misuse of the title, when dubious, causes confusion, which is of the enemy.

As to Authority: James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Submission to God will kick the devil in the teeth, but the saints need to submit systematically according to God's plan. Who is the leader of God's choice?

As to Gender: the spirit of Jezebel will corrupt the work of God, if given a foothold, ushering in confusion and the usurping of proper authority.

Dealing with these areas in reverse order:

Female Apostles

"I suffer not a woman ... to usurp authority over the man ..." [1 Tim. 2:12]

"As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them ..." [Is. 3:12]

"... The head of the woman is the man ..." [1 Cor. 11:3]

"A bishop [elder/overseer] must be the husband of one wife ..." [1 Tim. 3:2]

"Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife ..." [1 Tim. 3:12]

Why didn't the LORD say visa-versa that the bishop/deacon must be the wife of one husband? Answer: the Spirit is purposely hereby establishing the gender.

From the onset, let us establish the fact that women can minister. They have something valid to say. Sometimes she is the most qualified person to stand behind the pulpit, at a given point in time. Women can move in all the charismata gifts [1 Cor. 12]. Women may have leadership abilities. This does not place them in headship. We are an apostolic people: the woman may operate and minister with apostolic grace; but can she walk in the appointed office of apostle? Not scripturally.

There is not any undisputable scripture supporting the concept of women apostles.

There is not one solid irrefutable text even placing a first-century woman in the office of head pastor, let alone, apostle.

Female Head-pastors

Let's create a hypothetical scenario allowing woman in headship:

Since the head of the woman is the man, as a head-pastor she must be under the covering of an apostle, and she must be single, because if she married, she would be usurping her husband. We cannot return to the error of mandatory clerical celibacy, forbidden in 1 Timothy 4:3; therefore, there cannot be head shepherds of the feminine gender.

This is not dogmatic legalism; we are talking about sound, safe doctrine.

A woman can pastor, but not at the level of head pastor. She does not have the final say in church governmental issues. [1 Cor. 14:35] - "And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church," i.e., she is not to be debative, or controlling.

Phoebe:

Phoebe was a deaconess, or servant. Elders appoint deacons; she was not a head. It is not clear whether she was appointed to an office, or simply an honored maidservant recognized by Paul.

Aquila and Priscilla:

The man Aquila ministered with his wife, Priscilla. They had a church in their home. He was her head. The wife does not inherit a fivefold co-position by virtue of marriage. Remember that in a marriage union, the man and wife are one flesh, but two separate spirits. It is one thing for the wife to share the vision of her husband, but it would be usurpation for her to presume to share the God-given authority of the husband's singularly appointed office. However, all charismatic churches do not adhere to this belief.

???Junia(s)???:

One need only to look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three to see that there were men's names ending in either the suffix, "-a", or "-as". The consensus is inconclusive as to the sex of the person, Junia(s). Certainly we cannot establish a conclusive doctrine in support of female apostles on one indeterminate vague reference. The few 2^nd century historians who are of the opinion that Junia(s) was female were born over 100 years after the resurrection; they did not know Junia(s). It is certain, however, that the Holy Spirit knows and can tell us the sex of Junia(s). He tells us that Junias is a man.

Deborah the judge (Old Testament):

Deborah judged Israel. It is clear she was a judge, not a queenly despot. To make her a type of the modern apostle is to over-allegorize an isolated situation. Furthermore, God wanted to raise up the man, Barak, as leader of the nation, because the LORD knew Deborah's inherent limitations as a woman.

Deborah agreed with the LORD, and supported Barak in his leadership calling.

When Barak balked by asking Deborah to go with him to war, God showed His displeasure by prophesying that the enemy general (Sisera) would be defeated by a woman (Jael).

The LORD's perfect will was that Barak himself, should have killed Sisera.

The LORD is saying that He could have spoken to Barak without the continual mediation of Deborah. She was not to be Barak's pavilion or covering in battle, but the Lord God was to be his shield.

Fathers vs. Nurses

Apostles are fathers in the faith, not mothers. Although Paul said to the Thessalonians, "We were gentle among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children," it must be pointed out that men make excellent male nurses, whereas a women can never be a father.

Jezebel

From the old testament we know that Jezebel manipulates her husband the King; she controls over 450 false prophets, and hates the true prophets. She usurps authority over men, and hates Elijah, the prophet of the LORD, who would not tolerate her false gods.

[Rev. 2:20] " ...Thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death ..."

In this scripture she is self-appointed ("she calleth herself ...") and is unfaithful (fornicator) and she encourages idolatry (misdirected vain abominable worship). Her tool is seduction. She teaches the "deep things of Satan" [verse 24]

Let us assume for a moment, that there are no female apostles in God's eyes.

If such is the case, then we are clearly inviting Jezebel into our midst by allowing the concept of lady apostles.

This disparity regarding women apostles, and the absence of clear biblical evidence concerning the subject, speaks prophetically that there will always be a lack of unity in the body of Christ, as long as we embrace the notion of female headship, thereby negating the promised effect of fivefold ministry---unity. THEREFORE,

The theme of fivefold ministry and the theory of the existence of women apostles are diametrically opposed.

Apostolic Authority:

Are the five-fold ministers equal and complementary, or are the prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher supplemental to the apostle?

The Issue of "first" in command under Jesus:

In the 1980's a wind of doctrine blew through a rebellious sector of the church, saying that there were no five-fold ministers at all. A premature house-church movement was ignited by this spurious whim of "no pastors", not considering the simple fact that the arbitrator of the home meeting (usually the homeowner) becomes by default the pastor. The international coordinators of the house-church movement stood in the stead of the apostle while denying the office, and often opposing the true apostle. So the house movement, contrary to its own axioms, was not directionless or guideless; it proved that the emergence of leaders is a logical outgrowth in the progressive sequence of church-planting.

Leadership is necessary and unavoidable.

Somebody has to act first. Somebody has to make the ultimate decision. Anything less is confusion.

Leadership in a crisis becomes spontaneous.

70% of people call themselves followers. In an emergency the leader takes his role automatically, often in spite of his own private interests.

God is organized:

The N.T. Church under the authority of Jesus:

Jesus chose and trained the 12 and sent them out.
Then He sent out the 70 after He sent out the 12.
Jesus fed the multitudes in groups of 50's and 100's.
Jesus set some in the Church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers

The O.T. "Church in the Wilderness" under the authority of Moses:

MOSES was directly under the headship of God.
The LORD said to Moses, regarding Aaron, "... thou [Moses] shalt be to him [Aaron] instead of God." [Ex. 4:16]
Then there were 70 elders who prophesied, partakers of the anointing that was upon Moses. [Num. 11:16, 17, 24-30]
There was the high priest, Aaron (perhaps equivalent to the "pastor")
Next the other priests who taught the people the law (may pertain to the N.T. office of "teacher" [Ez. 7:6])
And then the Levites, porters or assistants to the priests (analogous to "deacons"). (The Levites were also teachers. [2 Chron. 35:3])
There was a "military" leader over each tribe totaling 12. [Num. 10:13-28]
The LORD told Moses to appoint "civil" leaders over 10's, 50's, 100's, and 1000's. [Ex. 18:19-26; Deut. 1:13-15; Deut. 16:18] to judge disputes. The unresolvable disputes reached the top level, Moses, who sought God's face on the matter.

Within the structure of the "Church in the Wilderness" all the levels of authority are not clear; there are not only different ranks, but there are various horizontal operations and administrations--civil, military, and spiritual.

It is interesting that--while the priests had physical oil placed on them (only representing the Spirit), on the other hand, the 70 elders had the actual prophetic anointing, the Spirit of God, that was upon Moses. These 70 elders are significant, in view of the 70 "sent ones" in Lk. 10:1-3, &9.

Within certain categories there is a distinct token of a vertical ascending authority structure as evidenced by the appointment of leaders over 10's, 50's, 100's, and 1,000's. A leader over 1,000 certainly has more authority than a leader over 10. ---Not more importance, but more authority. ---Not more worth, but more responsibility.

One thing is clear---Moses and God had the final say, and everybody knew it. In the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, God has a chain of command amongst His people who serve as warriors in His Kingdom. Theocratic government is never "one man = one vote". Since we see through a glass, darkly, we may not perceive this power structure as God does, but it surely exists.

Apostles are First

Eph. 4:11 - "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
1 Cor. 12:28 - "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."
Above, the apostle is mentioned at the beginning of two lists. Although his placement first on a list does not of itself make him first in rank, yet that very fact shows that the apostle was foremost in the author's mind when the verses were recorded. The double occurrence is prophetic in that God Himself is establishing the apostle as first. The prophetic meaning of duplicate events is illustrated in Genesis 41:32 - "... The dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God."
In the gospels the 12 apostles were chosen before the other fivefold offices even existed.
The apostles were the first ones sent out to preach the Kingdom of God.
The 12 apostles names are on the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem; no names of other fivefold officers are mentioned there.
James, the resident apostle at Jerusalem, decided the controversy in Acts 15, and set the doctrine required to alleviate the problem.
Under persecution, Paul said that the apostles ironically had been exhibited as last, as spectacles, and as fools; thereby implying that the apostles should have been honored as first.
1 Cor. 4:15 - "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers [i.e., they had one apostle]: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. [i.e., "Continue to let me be your head leader."]
The enemy's first priority is to attack the apostle. The adversary, through deception, removed the apostle from the Church first.
The mystery of the Church was first revealed to an apostle, not to a prophet or other officer.
The fivefold structure of the Church was first revealed to an apostle. The Lord did not first give the plan to a subordinate; He gave the plan first to the head officer, the one who would be first to implement it.
God revealed His final agenda for the Church to an apostle, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John the apostle.
Jesus the apostle = the high priest [Hebrews 3:1]

The word, "priest", is qualified by the word, "high", because there are levels of priesthood.

The word, "apostle", is not preceded by a qualifying adjective, because it is to be understood by the nature of the office that the apostle is number one. The idea of, "first", is incorporated in the title, "apostle".

The Foundation of the Church

Living Stones

It has been purported by some, on the basis of Ephesians 2:19, 20 and 3:4, 5, that the apostle and prophet are of equivalent authority in the Church.

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens 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;" [Eph 2:19,20]

"... The mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;" [Eph 3:4,5]

The mystery of Christ will ultimately be revealed to all the saints [Col. 1:26,27], and is not exclusive to apostles and prophets, but yes, the apostles and prophets are the major conduits to pioneer new revelations or restored truths that will alter the course of the universal Church.

Whereas it is the duty of pastors, teachers, and evangelists to preach proven truths, the apostolic and prophetic ministries, in addition to sound apostolic doctrine, bring fresh direction to the Body, but it is the APOSTLES who will determine if the fresh word of the prophet will be incorporated as universal Church doctrine.

The prophets judge one another, and the apostles are accountable to other apostles, but we don't have a New Testament example of a prophet correcting an apostle; not that it can't happen, but it is not the norm.

So in spite of the fact that the Scriptures imply that apostles and prophets together form a categorical level that receives a "special" degree of revelation, yet it is not the prophet, but the APOSTLE by the unction of the Spirit who will decide if such revelation shall endure as the custom of the Churches.

Therefore, Ephesians 3:4, 5 is a statement that denotes the high revelatory nature of the two offices of apostle and prophet, but is not an indicator of an alleged "equal" rank of the two ministries. For example, in nature, many organisms may share a trait or a plurality of traits, but that does not mean they have the same genetic composition. Neither do they have the same status in the biologic kingdom.

In the Old Testament, the prophet was not above the king, but divine revelation came to both occupations in the fashion necessary to fulfill their unique commissions. The prophet could rebuke a wayward king, but a king, good or evil, had the authority to kill a false prophet or even a godly prophet. The prophet had to let God deal with an ungodly king, but the king himself could deal with an ungodly prophet, which illustrates that the king has preeminence over the prophet. There is a parallel between the Old Testament king and the New Testament apostle:

In Paul's second letter to the Corinthian's Chapter Four, verse 8, he says,

"Ye have reigned as kings without us."

He, an apostle, was speaking to a church that was out of order that had inverted priorities. The implication is that if the Corinthians reigned as kings "without us [the apostles]", then conversely, in a church IN order WITH the apostles, the apostles would be in the rightful role of kings second to Jesus, supreme King, Number One Apostle, and Captain of the Hosts.

Paul said that he was an "ambassador in bonds" in Eph. 6:20, and also in 2 Cor. 5:20, "We are ambassadors for Christ."

If the reader feels that the correlation between Old Testament kings and apostles has inherent short-comings, such is to be expected in allegories and metaphors. There is not a direct one-to-one correspondence between a king and an apostle in all cases. However, looking at the apostle from another political slant, the apostle is more specifically referred to in the New Testament as an ambassador. In Strong's Concordance, ambassador means, "senior", or "representative," derived from the base of the word used for "elder." Webster's Dictionary describes an ambassador as:

"the HIGHEST RANKING diplomatic representative of one country to another." Not by coincidence, the secondary definition of the word, "agent" (not found in the Bible), is "one that acts as the representative of another which is almost the same definition as ambassador with the omission of the phrase, "highest ranking." More importantly, the primary connotation of agent is: one that acts or has the power to act; a person or entity empowered to act for another; a representative of a government agency. It follows that if an ambassador is highest ranking, then synonymous to an agent, he has power from the one who sends him, therefore it is not surprising that Paul wrote, "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." [2 Cor. 12:12] On the other hand, John the Baptist, perhaps the greatest of the prophets, was a spokesman for God, but did no miracles, although he was not without a great anointing. It would seem that the prophet, though not necessarily without miracle power, is foremostly anointed as a messenger, whereas the apostle is anointed for executive decrees accompanied by actions, that is, words plus commensurately ensuing deeds.

As we compare the PROPHET to the APOSTLE, notice that whereas the prophet is a messenger of God to speak for God, the apostle rather is sent to speak and act. He is the highest ranking representative. The prophet may carry the message that God will judge the hearer(s), but the apostle may both warn of judgment and also be an instrument of judgment in the spiritual realm.

Regarding a messenger: his rank can vary, he is a conduit of communication with the MESSAGE as the emphasis, but an ambassador is definitionally high ranking with RESULTS as the emphasis. Such is the inherent trait of the ambassador and apostle. As a master-builder, the apostle is an agent and contractor for God, empowered to change environments, but like the prophet, the apostle's work begins with a message--the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the Chief Corner Stone;" [Eph 2:20]

The emphasis here is on the Corner Stone, the revelation of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ.

[2 Pet. 3:2] - "... Be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [Old Testament], and of the commandment of us the apostles [New Testament] of the Lord and Saviour:"

[1 Pet 1:10-12] - "Of which salvation the prophets [Old Testament] have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand [Old Testament] the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you ..." [by the New Testament apostles]

To the Old Testament prophetic scribes it was revealed that Christ would come. Through the New Testament apostolic writers it was revealed that He has come, and will come again.

[Matt. 7:24] - "... Whosoever heareth [by revelation] these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock [stone foundation]."

[1 Cor. 3:10,11] - "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

[Matt. 16:17,18] - "... Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock [stone foundation] I will build my Church;"

The revelation of Christ within the authors of the Old Testament, the prophets; together with the revelation of Christ held by the New Testament apostles; grant them the privilege to be "living stones" in the foundation upon which the Church is built, the revelation of Jesus the Christ. "Upon this rock I will build my Church." [Matt. 16:18]

"Christ within" is actually the foundation, NOT men, but the apostles and prophets do bear a greater burden of the superstructure of the local and universal Church, as they bear the infirmities of the young and the weak, and the immature.

All those who have the revelation of Christ within are "living stones" in the house of God. [1Pet. 2:5; 1 Cor. 3:16, Rev. 21:2, 22]

Those who worship idols are as dead stones, or cold clay:

[Ps. 135:15-18] -"The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. ¹⁶They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; ¹⁷They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. ¹⁸They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them."

The bottom layer, the Bedrock, is Jesus and Him alone. The foundation stones are Jesus the Corner Stone, surrounded by the O.T. prophets, and the N.T. apostles, authors of the Word that the steadfast house rests on. [Matt 7:24] While the first century prophet was no less necessary in God's eyes, he was not at the same foundational level as the apostles who penned the New Testament, but the New Testament prophet is still "foundational" in that he is involved in the initial stages of construction. Stones to be added later will rest on the prophet's testimony. In this era, "Foundation-laying" is an activist role of the apostle. The apostle is the wise master-builder. The modern prophet is a crucial aid to the apostle in that the prophet is a visionary, foretelling blessings and warning of adversity afar off. The apostle is an activist who grabs hold of the heavenly vision, bringing it into reality. The apostle receives the heavenly blueprint; the prophet assists him in discerning times and seasons of Spiritual advance. At what phase is the construction? Therefore, the verse, Eph. 2:20, is not showing equality of authority between the office of apostle and N.T. prophet, but rather, stating that the Church will be built upon the foundational revelation knowledge of Christ vocalized through the prophet and implemented by the apostle, the wise master-builder.

The offices of apostle and prophet are not of equal rank.

The majority of prophets have this revelation, and are content with their unique role, seeking to submit to the apostle. The same principle applies to the evangelist, pastor and teacher. We are striving for excellency, not competition.

The ominous threat of competition within the Church leadership can only be eradicated by means of the revelation knowledge of the definite chain of command.

As we grow in this knowledge, we patiently show grace, allowing flexibility during the transitional process. At this juncture, the prophet's involvement is prerequisite, because it is he whom the Lord often uses to reveal gifts and callings of members and potential leaders including apostles-in-training.

As John the Baptist, the prophet, looked forward eagerly to the manifestation of our Apostle, Jesus Christ, so the prophets of today earnestly anticipate the dawn of the age of the apostle!!

The UNIVERSAL CHURCH

- - SPANNING THE TESTAMENTS

Where does the Old Testament end and the New Testament begin?

Is the division between Malachi and Matthew?

When did the Church begin?

Was it on the day of Pentecost?

Is John the Baptist in the Church? How about Moses?

Bear with me as we review some basics. There is a purpose in this.

The Church began on Resurrection Day. The Church was empowered at Pentecost.

The division between the testaments is Resurrection Day. (John the Baptist is an Old Testament prophet.) The Church has the Holy Spirit dwelling within. The criteria for church membership is that a person--

Has repented of his sins,
Is totally convinced that Jesus is risen from the dead,
Has surrendered to Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior.

Jesus, after appearing to the women on Resurrection Day, ascended to Heaven as High Priest, placing His blood (in the spiritual sense) on the mercy seat. (The Mosaic Tabernacle was patterned after the heavenly one.) At this time, having preached to the O.T. saints in the paradise portion of Seoul, he ascended with these O.T. saints, now made suddenly believers in the resurrection. Some of them appeared in Jerusalem in glorified bodies after the resurrection. They were indwelt by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead!! They are Christians!!

On Resurrection Day, Jesus commanded the disciples to "receive ye the Holy Ghost". The Holy Spirit was available, because Jesus was: #1, glorified, and #2, had ascended to the Father, and #3, the Spirit fills the heavens and the earth holding all things together; the Spirit was therefore available to enter the heart of man, whereas in the O.T. the Spirit was only upon, in most cases. This offer to the disciples is the same offer that He made to those in paradise. The barrier twixt God and man had been removed by the breaking of Jesus' body. At His Ascension He then gave gifts unto men, setting up the structure of the church: apostles, prophets, etc., although it wasn't revealed per se in so many words until Paul informed the church in Ephesians Four. Yet the offices were being practiced even before the evangelist could spell, "evangelist." The nine 'supernatural' gifts such as tongues, were given a week after the Ascension of Jesus.

When Jesus was resurrected, the Old Testament saints became Church Members.

I know this is shocking to our dispensational upbringing.

Dispensationalism has caused division in the Church between the Messianic Jew (completed Jewish Christians) and the gentile Christian.
Dispensationalism teaches a separate Church age (33 A.D. onward) which attempts to exclude our forefathers from the Church.
Dispensationalism also excludes the mortal future millennial Christians from the Church.
Dispensationalism fosters a detrimental attitude of an "elite" clique, and sectarian supremacy.
Dispensationalism tries to break up the family of God, removing us from the paternal blessings of Abraham, and likewise separating Abraham from the blessings of his progeny.

The Church is a family (Eph. 3:15) and the household of God (Eph. 2:19)

Abraham is our father in the faith (Gal. ch. 3&4)
We are his children
The Church is a family; we're in that family; our father Abraham is in the Church
Caleb and Joshua and Moses were in the "local" church called, "The Church in the Wilderness" [Acts 7:38] "... They drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." [1 Cor. 10:4]
The Shulamite [Song of Sol.] is certainly in the Church
The Church will sing the "song of Moses" and the "song of the Lamb" [Rev. 15:3]; Jesus sings in the midst of the brethren, singing His "song of the Lamb". Do you think the dispensationalists will grant Moses permission to sing the "song of Moses" in the midst of his brethren also?
The pattern of worship for us is the Tabernacle of David, which also incorporated gentiles such as Obil the Ishmaelite, David's camel keeper; God is even now restoring the Tabernacle of David which is in disrepair. Will King David not be in that Tabernacle?
If Jesus' mother Mary who lived in two testaments is in the Church, is not her ancestor Ruth also in the Church, who left her heathen gods to follow Naomi and the God of Israel, to whose husband it was said, "The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel ..." [Ruth 4:11] ??
[1 Pet. 3:6] - "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." Our women are in the family of Abraham and Sarah by virtue of obedience. Sarah and Abraham are in our family, the Church.
The Lord said to David, "I will build thee an house." [2 sam. 7:27] Is David not a member of his own household, the family of God?
If the Church is the family of God, who is in that family? [Mk 3:33-35] - "And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." "Moses was faithful in all His house" [Heb. 3:2] "Abraham ... obeyed " [Heb. 11:8]
The list goes on and on.

Hebrews chapter eleven says the O.T. saints without us should not be made perfect. Could it not be said that we are not complete without them either. Emphatic "YES".

There is one God and Father of all. Moses, and Abraham, and Peter, and Paul, and you and I are adopted children of the most high God, and He is our Father.

There are no compartments in Heaven. Is Christ divided?

All of the foregoing dissertation is to illustrate two things:

The Old Testament prophets are in the present Church. They prophesied the written Word that Christ would come, laying part of the foundation along with the New Testament apostles, who completed the foundation by prophesying in Scripture that the Messiah has come. The confession of The Word of Christ, The Holy Bible, is the Foundation of the Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles:

"Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." [1 Cor. 3:11]

"And [you] are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets" [Eph. 2:20]

Jesus is not divided. The apostles must and will bring unity to the Church in all aspects.

Unity is predicated on AUTHORITY. The Lord's army must function as a well-oiled machine, each part in its proper place, with no competitive friction.

Apostle: Wearing The Title

Will the Real Apostles Please Stand Up!

An apostle should call himself "apostle" because:

The nature of the apostle is boldness. He must be bold to speak the truth concerning himself, others, and situations. He should boldly, but meekly, call himself by his proper title.
Apostles are to be honest and transparent and sincere. If you hide behind another title, where is the integrity?

Paul said, "I am what I am by the grace of God." There no room for pride. Apostle is a gift. The apostle does nothing to receive the gift. He is sovereignly appointed by God. If you don't take the credit, you don't have to take the blame.
False humility is sin. If a man is an apostle, feigning humbleness by refusing to wear the title is one of the things that can beguile him of his reward and spoil the ministry. [Col. 3:8, 18, 23]
A medical doctor should call himself a medical doctor, so that when you need him you can find him and confide in him. Likewise, in the case of an apostle.
Fear of man is sin. It is "politically incorrect" to call yourself an apostle in most circles. Turn the world upside down and do what God says.
Calling yourself, "apostle", only offends the flesh, the world, and the devil. Go find out.
New Christians and children have no problem accepting the concept of modern day apostles. We would do a great disservice to them in not being bold regarding this present day truth.
An apostle should call himself "apostle" so that we can partake of his gift, and learn what an apostle does, and try (test) him to determine if he is truly an apostle. We want to learn.
If a true apostle does not call himself an apostle, it is just as deceptive as a false apostle calling himself an apostle.
False apostles are bold and proud to call themselves, "apostle". If the true apostles do not stand up, then only the false apostles will be visible, thereby the apostolic movement would get a bad reputation. Don't give the enemy the first shot.
Apostles establish doctrine. The office of apostle is part of the doctrine that must be taught. He must be frank about it. "My people perish for lack of knowledge."
Apostles are mentors. The children want to know where daddy is. Are you A.W.O.L., running from child support payments?
Some fivefold churches dub all their apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers with the title, "PASTOR". This is done for the purpose of being "seeker-friendly". Many "seekers" are Sunday Christians dabbling in religion to placate a guilty conscience. We are not to be friends with the world. The "Berean" seekers are looking for truth. When the house is in order God knows how to communicate supernaturally to the heart of the unlearned "seeker".
The devil would like to know that you are an apostle so he can persecute you. Would you like to be blessed? Would you like to have the Spirit of Glory rest upon you in a greater measure?
Do you believe it is presumptuous to take the title, "apostle"? If apostle is what you are, then you would be presumptuously stretching God's grace, if you should shy away from the title.
Know that you are not exalting yourself. The denominational presidents have millions under their wing, though their doctrine disallows the modern apostle. Who is exalting whom?
If we equate Moses' 70 elders to the 70 "sent ones" in Luke 10, based on Israel's estimated population of 2 million (600,000 warriors and an extrapolated number of women and children according to Josephus, the church historian) there would be one (1) elder per approx. 30,000 persons. If Moses' 70 elders correlate with or typify the apostle (remember they had a portion of Moses' prophetic anointing), then a modern city of a million could have 35 apostles, a city of 10 million could have 350 apostles. Whether or not you agree with this theology, the teachers of today agree that God wants to raise up thousands of apostles, not just a few. This also helps to eliminate the pride factor, and should make you a little more bold to stand up. No, we are not making apostles "common" in the crude sense, but yes, commonplace, i.e., apostles should be the normal part of church life, not an isolated phenomenon.
Apostles are leaders. People want to know who to follow. Make yourself available and accessible. PLEASE USE THE PROPER TITLE!

Strategies

Where Do We Go from Here?

RESULTS OF APOSTLE SURVEY:

WHO IS FIRST IN PLACE, ORDER, OR IMPORTANCE among the Fivefold?

We surveyed 150 (one hundred fifty) residents in the Phoenix, AZ area, asking them, "Who is first in the Church under Jesus?" The respondents had a choice of: "??I DON'T KNOW??, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher, or NONE."

RESULTS:

?????? = 27.5% Since we were interviewing street people, this was the stock answer.

Apostle = 9.3% Dismal. Isn't it?

Prophet = 18.0% We're on Mormon turf. The head L.D.S. apostle is called, the Prophet.

Evang. = 1.2% Too many syllables, I guess.

Pastor = 10.8% Thought it'd be a little higher.

Teacher = 19.2% Surprise!

NONE = 14% Probably there were some Catholics in here, but most respondents were proud of this "revelation". Many of these respondents also claimed to be Christians.

You can see we have a wealth of misinformation in the public and the church regarding the apostolic.

The Church is also in need of dynamic regenerative miracles to validate the Gospel and the apostolic.

Some solutions:

Publishing: Printed and electronic media reaches only a minority, but we can at least reach many leaders and potential leaders.

Prayer: There's no lack of information here, just have to do it.

Repentance: Ditto. Repentance has a lot to do with running out of gimmicks. Apostles, don't sell your covering. The parents lay up for the children, not visa versa. The apostolic message will spread further and faster if we give it freely, rather than merchandise it. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Sanctification: Without legalism. God needs clean vessels to flow through. Unplug the pipes.

Obedience: It does no good to be educated about the apostle, if we do not seek out and obey him, just as it does no good to know that Jesus is Lord, unless you come under that Lordship. Obedience is one step at a time. Do the first thing. "... To obey is better than sacrifice ..." [1 Sam. 15:22] "... So is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." [Acts 5:32]

Surrender: Just as the people need to submit to leadership, the apostles and head pastors need to periodically surrender the pulpit, to allow the evangelist, prophet, teacher, and apostles-in-training to "learn to swim". You have to activate fivefold, not just teach it. Be it.

Don't fear change: esp. increased apostolic authority. Authoritative power is necessary for dunamis miracle power. God knows how to judge any potentially oppressive apostles. Being elastic to change brings both liberty and persecution.

Proper Church Structure: The laws in nature, which God has created, are a proof of the existence of spiritual laws. Within this mathematical framework, God has a Church pattern and proper structure, which is the fivefold ministry headed by the apostle. The machine won't run if it's not put together right. God can only bless His plan.

Signs & Wonders: They are the best, most effective publicity for the Kingdom of God and the apostolic realm. The anointing flows down from the "head of Aaron." The head, the apostle needs to be in place, for maximum dynamite power. If you are doing all of the above categories, this brings us to the next:

Patience & the Sovereign Timing of the LORD: World events play a crucial role in the emergence of the apostle and the miraculous. We cannot force God to move. We just need to make sure we are poised in position to move with Him. The above list of strategies is not a formula to make God act, but only a method to prepare our hearts to receive what He does when He does it. God meets big crises with bigger miracles. Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds.

When the world is in a traumatic state of upheaval, you can expect an outpouring of the miraculous. Instinctively, both Christianity and the world are watching Israel, the powder keg, and Russia, the Sleeping Bear.

Meanwhile, we just have to keep on putting one foot ahead of the other. God can hold world events and the economies in suspended animation as long as He wants, so there's no point in being overwhelmed by sensationalism. Just be aware.

CONCLUSIONS:

If we derive NOTHING ELSE from all of the above, we at least must know that it is of no value to talk about, write about, or even "implement" the apostolic--unless we are purposed in heart to accept all it means: the doctrine, the authority, and if necessary, rebuke from the apostles. Otherwise, what the Church will have is just another faddish ingredient in an experiment to concoct the "perfect" church mixture, yet without striving to attain the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

Scripture & empirical evidence does not support the concept of women apostles. The notion of female apostles is a result of man's fear of rebellion from the opposite gender; men compromise their conscience to keep peace at home. The fear of the majority has silenced the minority; most men are deceived by the modern humanistic concept of equal opportunity even without equal God-given created workmanships.

The apostle is number one, but he needs the prophet, and all the others to keep him in line. No apostle is an island, he needs the other four fivefold offices as support. Apostles can be rebuked by the same process as any elder. [1 Tim. 5:1,19,20] He must be entreated first.God knows how to remove apostles. The people will not indefinitely follow a tyrant. In the long run, a prince is known by the abundance of people; but the despot will find himself without subjects. The greater problem in Christianity is not inordinate shepherding, but rather, a lack of committed loyal members. Even Paul and John had problems maintaining their status as apostle in the eyes of some of their flocks.

Unity is required before the return of Jesus. It must be based on the Word of God (the highest denominator), not ecumenicalism (lowest denominator). The Church is one. It is not sectarian and exclusive. We must be meek, not arrogant, as we introduce the apostolic revelation, or we will degenerate into an exclusive club.

The apostles need to stand up and accept their role and title. Many leaders are innocently operating in the wrong nominal office. The gifts of prophecy, the word of wisdom, and the word of knowledge are essential during this transitional period, as the Holy Spirit reveals the giftings and callings that the Lord Jesus Christ is giving to the church. Also needed to recognize false ministers is the gift of 'discerning of spirits' which should not be confused with suspician, 'poker tells', or any natural/intellectual objective discernment; the gift of discerning of spirits is simply a "yes" or "no" tool from God that only tells which spiritual source of power the minister is operating in and through.

During this transition period, there are and will continue to be apostles-in-training under the tutelage of other fivefold ministers. An apostle is territorial, and therefore submits to other apostles and fivefold ministers when he is led into another apostle's region or ministry. [Acts 15]

Let's each find our position in God's army, and as one man, let's displace the kingdom of darkness with the Kingdom of Light!! The Lord Jesus Christ is calling us to stand up. Answer the call.