Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:42 pm Post subject: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers
Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers; do we still have them?
According to the general thought of Christendom, the Lord left the matter of Church organization with provisions which were entirely inadequate to the ends he designed, and has expected his people to use their own wisdom in the matter of organization. Many men of many minds have favored more or less strict organizations, and so we find Christians throughout the world today organized on various lines and with more or less rigidity, and each claiming advantages for his particular denomination or system of government. This is wrong! ........
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... there is not now this same variety of members in the Church; for, as the Apostle pointed out, "Tongues were for a sign not to them that believed, but to them that believed not," likewise were the miracles. When the apostles, in whom resided the power to confer these gifts of the Spirit, died, and when those who had received these gifts from them died, these miracles--gifts--would, as we have already seen, cease in the Church. But still there would be in the Church a corresponding work for every man and for every woman--an opportunity to serve the Lord, the Truth and the fellow-members of the body of Christ, each according to his natural abilities. ...
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....... the real need of the Church of Christ is still more liberty--until each individual member shall stand free and independent of all human bonds, creeds, confessions, etc. With each individual Christian standing fast in the liberty wherewith he was made free by the Lord (Gal. 5:1; John 8:32), and each individual Christian united in loyalty to the Lord and to his Word, very quickly the original unity which the Scriptures inculcated would be discerned and all true children of God, all members of the New Creation, would find themselves drawn to each other member similarly free, and bound each to the other by the cords of love.....
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All the members of the Aaronic family were eligible to the services of the priesthood; nevertheless, there were certain limitations, barriers, and disqualifications for service in this connection. And so it is amongst the antitypical "Royal Priesthood"--all are priests, all are members of the anointed body, and the anointing signifies to each a full authority to preach and to teach the good tidings, as it is written:......
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... today. Many are preaching themselves rather than preaching the Gospel, the good tidings of the Kingdom; they are attracting disciples after themselves and their denominations, rather than attracting them to and uniting them only with the Lord, as members of his body. They are seeking to be the heads of churches, instead of having all the members of the body look directly to the Lord as the Head. From all such we should turn away--the true sheep should give them no encouragement in their wrong course. The Apostle Paul speaks of these as having a form of godliness but denying its power. ......
The Apostle Paul* gives very explicit advice concerning who might properly be recognized by the Church as elders --describing in detail what should be their character, etc. In his letter to Timothy on this subject (1 Tim. 3:1-7) he reiterates the same in slightly different language. In addressing Titus, who evidently was another general overseer (Tit. 1:5-11), he describes their duties toward the Church. The Apostle Peter on the subject says, "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an Elder,...Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof...not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." 1 Pet. 5:1-3
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In addition to the foregoing limitations, it is required that an Elder shall be "apt to teach"; that is to say, he must have ability as a teacher, explainer, expounder of the divine plan, and thus to be able to assist the Lord's flock in word and in doctrine. It is not essential to eldership that the talent [F250] or qualifications of a "prophet" or public speaker be possessed; there may be found several in the same Church possessing teaching abilities and pastoral and other qualifications of an Elder, and yet possibly none possessing the qualifications of a public speaker or declaimer of the divine plan. The Lord should be trusted to raise up such servants as are needful, and if none are supplied the need may be doubted. .....
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..........There are some, however, who are competent to teach, capable of making plain to others the divine plan in a private way, who have no capacity for oratory, public speaking, "prophecy." ...
The gift of the evangelist, the power to stir men's hearts and minds to investigation of the Truth, is a special gift not possessed by all today any more than in the early Church. ..........
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"Be Not Many of You Teachers, Brethren"
--James 3:1--
What does this mean? The Apostle answers, saying: "Knowing that ye shall receive severer sentence"--knowing that temptations and responsibilities both increase with every advance step of eminence in the body of Christ. The Apostle does not exhort that none shall become teachers, but would have each one who believes himself possessed of some talent for teaching remember that it is a responsible thing to undertake to any extent to be the mouthpiece of God--to make sure that not a word is uttered which would misrepresent the divine character and plan, and thus dishonor God as well as do injury to those who might hear.
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"Ye Need Not That Any Man Teach You"
"The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him."
"Ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things." 1 John 2:27,20
In view of the many scriptures which encourage the Church to learn, to grow in grace and knowledge, to build one another up in the most holy faith, and to expect that the Lord would raise up apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, etc., this statement by the Apostle James seems very peculiar until rightly understood. ......
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The Apostle's thought is, that any who have become Christians at all, any who have understood the divine plan to any extent, must first have before them the fact that they and all were sinners and in need of a Redeemer; and, secondly, the fact that Jesus, the Anointed One, had redeemed them by the sacrifice of his own life. The Apostle further declares that they have no need that any man teach them this basic truth. .........
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.........the pupils are to feel free to communicate, to make known to the teachers any and every matter coming to their notice and seeming to bear upon the subject discussed--not as desiring to be teacher but as an intelligent student to an elder brother student. They are not to be machines, nor to be afraid to communicate; but by asking questions, calling attention to what seems to them to be misapplications of Scripture or what not, they are to do their part in keeping the body of Christ and his teachings pure--they are thus to be critics; and instead of being discouraged from doing this, and instead of being told that they must not criticize the teacher or call in question his expositions, they are, on the contrary, urged to communicate, to criticize.
We must not, however, suppose that the Lord wished to encourage any hypercritical spirit, or combative, fault-finding disposition. ...... with a view to confusing his opponent, having a "debate," etc., ............
Woman's Province in the Church
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Nothing is clearer than that sex is ignored by the Lord in the selecting of his Ecclesia of the New Creation. ....
.....the Apostle's warning--"Be not many of you teachers, brethren, knowing that a man [who is a teacher] shall receive the severer testing" (James 3:1)-- would be still more forceful if applied to the sisters. Indeed, the danger with them would be so great that none were appointed to be teachers; and the Apostle writes--"I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence." 1 Tim. 2:11,12 .............
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Any interpretation of the Apostle's words which would ignore all opportunity for the sisters to "labor in the Lord" would manifestly be erroneous. It is in the gatherings of the Church (whether two or three or more) for worship and praise and mutual edification that the sisters are to take a subordinate place and not attempt to be the leaders and teachers--..........
........they could suggest their views or make queries through those brethren (men) with whom they were most intimately acquainted --their husbands, if possible, or brethren with whom they talked on their way homeward from meetings, etc. The word home in this text has the significance of family or acquaintanceship. ...........
.......the article tous (plural, Accus., masculine) occurs before apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors, and no article at all before teachers, which apparently stands here either for "helpers" (1 Cor. 12:2, or else is a comprehensive term referring to the male apostles, male orators, male evangelists and male pastors as all teachers.
Let us here remark, however, that for a sister to call the attention of the assembly to the words of the Lord or of the apostles on any subject under discussion without giving her own views could not be considered teaching, nor as in any sense usurping authority over the man: she would, on the contrary, merely be calling up the words of recognized and authorized teachers. ......
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.................This, however, need not be understood to hinder the sisters from participating in meetings not of the teaching or preaching kind; such as prayer and testimony meetings, Berean studies, etc., because the Apostle says that if she pray or prophesy (speak) it should be with her head covered, representing her acknowledgment of the fact that the Lord, the Great Teacher, is specially represented by the brethren. (1 Cor. 11:5,7,10) Such participation need not be considered teaching; because neither are the brethren who participate teachers; as the Apostle says "Are all teachers?" No, the teachers or Elders are specially chosen, though always from among the males. Eph. 4:11; 2 Tim. 2:24; 1 Cor. 12:28,29
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[F195] STUDY V THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NEW CREATION
AS THE New Creation will not reach its perfection or completion until the First Resurrection, so its organization will be completed only then...........
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Nor can we imagine any need of more apostles; for we still have those twelve with us--their testimony and the fruit of their labors--....The records of their ministries are with us; their records of the Lord's words, miracles, etc. Their discourses on the various topics of Christian doctrine in their epistles are in our [F210] hands today in a most satisfactory manner. These things are "sufficient," as the Apostle explains "that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished." Explaining the matter further the Apostle declared, "I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God." What more is necessary? 2 Tim. 3:17; Acts 20:27
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The Lord's proposition that he would through the holy Spirit guide the apostles, and through them the New Creation, "into all truth," implies that the guidance would be a general one rather than a personal and individual guidance into all truth--........
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........It was right, therefore, for the Bereans to search the Scriptures to see whether the testimony of the apostles agreed with that of the Law and the prophets, and to compare them also with the teachings of the Lord. Our Lord also invited a similar proving of his testimony by the Law and the prophets, saying, "Search the Scriptures,...for they are they that testify of me." .....
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But although the testimony of the Lord and the apostles must harmonize with that of the Law and the prophets, we should expect them to testify of things new as well as old; for so the prophets have led us to expect. (Matt. 13:35; Psa. 78:2; Deut. 18:15,18; Dan. 12:9) And so we find them not only expounding the hidden truths of ancient prophecy but also disclosing new revelations of truth. [F234]
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, or else is a comprehensive term referring to the male apostles, male orators, male evangelists and male pastors as all teachers.
