tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7249450514410760079.post1821831653334960918..comments2011-06-07T16:38:15.575-05:00Comments on Stephen's Reflections from Scripture: Modern Day Apostles and Prophets????Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12402041588382977326noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7249450514410760079.post-48112292517264487972009-09-20T15:34:53.944-05:002009-09-20T15:34:53.944-05:00There is a church that has as it's foundation ...There is a church that has as it's foundation Jesus Christ with Modern Day Apostles and Prophets as it's earthly head.<br /><br />It is called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.<br /><br />Each apostle has a special calling of witnessing Christ's divinity. It is so special and sacred that they don't get too specific about this witness, but they allude to it in various ways.Modern Day Apostleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12255054180088052156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7249450514410760079.post-84723976514530792142007-04-15T22:36:00.000-05:002007-04-15T22:36:00.000-05:00thanks for sharing Adam! Much appreciated! Mor i...thanks for sharing Adam! Much appreciated! Mor input is invited!Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12402041588382977326noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7249450514410760079.post-25793086062001131082007-04-15T21:57:00.000-05:002007-04-15T21:57:00.000-05:00Stephen, I really appreciate your post. Thank God...Stephen, I really appreciate your post. Thank God for men like you who wrestle with what Scripture actually says in spite of the seemingly persuasive arguments of men's sytematized theology to the contrary. The text does indeed say that Christ gave these apostles and prophets "UNTIL we all attain to...the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13, ESV).<BR/><BR/>The above Scripture reminds me of the same sense of 1 Corinthians 1:7-8 "...you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ" (ESV). The inclusivity of "any spiritual gift" affords the possibility of the sense: "You are not lacking in [apostles and prophets] as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ." So this text supports the understanding that until our Lord Jesus is revealed in the last day, until that day when we see him and become like him, the church will, in some measure and in some sense enjoy the presence of apostles and prophets as gifts from the ascended, reigning, soon to return Lord Jesus Christ.<BR/><BR/>But what about the text that has been portrayed by some as showing a cessation of some gifts? "As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away" (1 Corinthians 13:8-10, ESV). When will these gifts "pass away"? "When the perfect comes." So when will "the perfect" come? It is certainly not the close of the Biblical canon (although the canon certainly is closed). The weight of Scripture does not rest on that or on some speculative time before Christ comes when the church will be somewhat mature. The weightiest understanding from Scripture points to "the perfect" being the second coming of Christ. That is what the Scripture above points to (1 Cor. 1:7), that is the only possible time when the church could ever hope to attain to "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," and that is the kind of maturity the Apostle John refers to when he says, "when [Christ] appears we shall be like him, because we shall se him as he is" (ESV). Therefore until the perfect comes, until that day when the Church is perfected at the second coming of Christ, there will be in some measure and in some way apostles and prophets in God's church.<BR/><BR/>Nevertheless, I do not believe that today's apostles and prophets are exactly like those who wrote Scripture and who spoke ex-cathedra. Yet, there is some way God does have apostles and prophets in His church. Stephen, your allusion to "The Heavenly Man" may indeed be a good example of nowaday apostleship - men whose ministry is accompanied with mighty manifestations of God's power for the proclamation of the gospel for the honor and glory of Christ's name.<BR/><BR/>If there's anything we can be sure of it's this: "Through [Jesus] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations" (Romans 1:5, ESV).treasuringJesushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11194355938295181157noreply@blogger.com