The Misunderstood Apostle (Part 4)

A critic writes:

> You make the distinction between self-appointed ministers

> and divinely appointed ones. I would also like to make another

> distinction, that is even already made in the N. T. itself between those

> appointed by Jesus Christ himself (including Paul, by a very special encounter)

> and the ones throughout the following generations, up to this day.

While Paul was "divinely" called to be an Apostle, he did not just march into the Church and demand to be called an Apostle. After his conversion, Paul was staying with the Brothers in Damascus and preaching Christ very boldly in the Synagogues, confounding and showing how uncertain the teachings of the Jews were, which made the Jews so mad that they plotted to kill him. And the Scripture says that,"Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out." (Acts 9:27-28)

Notice that the Apostle Paul didn't go out and just start his own ministry. He was brought to the other Apostles and submitted to them the evidence of his calling and true conversion, but then the Bible says "he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out." In other words, he was submitted to the Authority of a previously existing genuine Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and to their leadership, which is what every genuine minister of the Gospel should do before being launched out into ministry.

Paul was under the authority of the Apostles in fellowship and being disciplined and trained for further ministry by the Church there. He did not run out to start his own church and ministry, but when it was time for him to be fully launched out into ministry after years of faithful service to the local church, he then went out, not as a "split" or "division", but as an extension of the vision in the Church at Jerusalem, taking the same message that was preached at the mother church to the unchurched gentile regions that had not previously known Christ. And the best part about it is that--while Paul's calling was from God, he submitted to the Holy Spirit's authority in the leadership of the Church for the revelation of his time to be sent out into ministry on his own.

Acts 13:2-3 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. NKJ

Paul did not leave and go out on his own just because he had seen Christ, Who told him his Call, but Paul waited until the Holy Spirit confirmed the time of his commissioning (or the actual ordination into the office) through the leadership of the local Church on Earth. And this wasn't until after he was trained, discipled, and proven in years of ministry service to the local Body of Christ. Some have said that from the time he submitted to the other Apostles to the time of his ordination was about 14 years.

Prior to Saul and Barnabus being sent into ministry, they were working in ministry under the authority of the Apostles and would complete assignments for them and then return to the mother Church.

Acts 12:25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark. (NKJ)

Those apostles and prophets, as well as evangelists, pastors and teachers, in the apostolic camps I have studied under are following this New Testament pattern. When I first started attending the Church where I am currently serving Christ at, I went and submitted to the Pastor (Apostle Emil Cedeno) all the things I was doing in ministry, and he gave me his blessing to continue in the works I am doing, but my ministry is still submitted to his authority and the authority of the Eldership of this local Church.

Although I am already overseeing, assisting, and training other ministers of God (and the Body of Christ) through my own ministry, I am not departing from my local Church. My ministry has been adopted into the ministry of the Local Church I attend and is under the authority of the Eldership there. In other words, I am accountable to men and women of God over me in my life. I have submitted to them the right to inspect my work, my doctrine, my character, my marriage, my family life, and the exercise of my spiritual gift. This does not mean they are dictators who I must ask permission from to do anything, but I leave myself open to receive correction from them if there is any error in my life that needs correction. I am an Apostle in my work for Ghana and others, but to my Pastor, Apostle, and the Eldership of the Local Church I am a spiritual son.

I believe that Paul was used by God so mightily NOT BECAUSE OF HIS OFFICE, but because of the example he displayed as a submitted man of God. Judas held the office and title of an Apostle, but that is not where true authority lies. True authority lies in a man's ability to submit not only to God and the Holy Spirit, but to the Elders and leadership God has Anointed and set in the Body of Christ (the Holy Spirit in others). Paul showed forth this submission with excellence as he submitted to the Apostles that were in ministry before him.

Recently I wrote a brief message to a Brother in Christ, and I pray that all of you will receive this and know the sincerity and the desire for purity I have in my heart when I say this, "Believe me, I have enough responsibility and would not think of asking men or women to submit to me personally, I just want the Body of Christ to accept the Gift of Apostle for what the Bible says it is so that the Apostles can have their right place in the Body of Christ according to divine order."

The only thing I want to see is all the ministry Gifts of God accepted and working together. Right now I believe that a lot of us need more understanding on the Offices of the Body of Christ, and especially the Gifts of the Apostle and Prophet, whose function and benefit I believe the enemy is trying to rob from the Body of Christ. I believe that while Christ and the original Apostles have been away, the enemy has come in and sown tares among the wheat so that doctrinally we would not be able to understand and discern true apostolic and prophetic ministry the way it was designed to function and benefit the Body of Christ according to the order first set by Christ.

Christlike authority is never for domination or dictatorship, but rather is used by God to destroy enemy strongholds over the saved and unsaved alike so that all hindrances preventing us from being completely conformed into the Image of God's Son can be removed. This leads me to the last point:

The same critic writes:

> Where do you get the idea from that apostles are 'higher ranking'

> than a Pastor or a Prophet or an Evangelist? ...

> Just because apostles are mentioned first in Ephesians, where the '5-fold' ministry

> is mentioned, does not necessarily mean that they are higher in ranking.

> I wrote some time ago that the order in which the ministries are mentioned

> might well be an operational order and not an hierarchical one.

Reply:

What I mean by "higher ranking" is not an apostle's dominance, nor their ability to make others follow orders. We know that all men have a will of their own and can even choose to disobey the rule of Christ's authority. So no authority of God is exercised by force. This I'm sure we all agree upon. What I mean by "higher ranking" is not their importance, but their divine ability to maintain godly order and enforce the observance of the proper doctrine by their arguments in Scripture, through which it is recorded that the disciples would search the Scriptures to see if what was being said was true (Acts 17:11). This kind of authority can only be enforced by their practice of Scripture and by the character example of men of God making any claims of leadership in the Body of Christ. This means that while higher ranking, they regard themselves as the least or the greatest examples of servanthood to the Body of Christ. It is upon the principle of servanthood that all divine authority is established. This also means that while an apostle may have a higher functioning office, it is possible for someone who is not even five-fold to display a greater example of servanthood.

We are not rewarded for our rank, but rather our character. While Saul was recorded to be the King in the old Testament, David was displaying greater character and yet he remained submitted to Saul's authority as King and would not raise a finger against him even when Saul was pursuing David to murder him. But the authority on Saul's life was still in operation and observed by David even though Saul was displaying a poor example of servanthood.

I agree with you 100% that apostolic authority is not "an hierarchical one." In fact I recently sent an article to the list stating that true authority at any level is by relationship and the willingness of others to observe the character and office of others and not some hierarchical system that removes the will of the individual. Any person can refuse an apostle's authority the same way some people refuse to go to Church. You said that by "God's grace" you are "a pastor and a teacher, but do not like to advocate (that you are) 'higher in ranking' than other members of the body." While you do not like to admit that you are higher ranking than the sheep that attend your church, you must admit that you are. You are the one who has the highest level of responsibility and accountability to God for the care of the Sheep in your congregation, and not them. True authority is also exercised through levels and degrees of responsibility. If a member of a Church continually disrupts the Church, you are the one who must see that order is kept during service even if it means this person must be disallowed fellowship if they cannot exercise decent order in the house of God. Surely you would not let them continue to disrupt service and say to the congregation, "I can do nothing, this man has the same authority in the Body of Christ as the Pastor of the Church." (Of course I am using an extreme example, but I know of more than one Pastor who has had to let others know that loud outbursts would not be tolerated in a disorderly manner.)

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth that they were the ones responsible for tolerating the sin of one man who was having sexual intercourse with his stepmother or his father's wife. Paul exercised his authority to have the wickedness of that person removed from them before it affected them all. It was the responsibility of the leadership and the Saints of the Church at Corinth to respond to the sound advice of the Apostle.

1 Cor 5:3-7 Even though I am not there with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. Concerning the one who has done this, I have already passed judgment 4 in the name of the Lord Jesus. You are to call a meeting of the church, and I will be there in spirit, and the power of the Lord Jesus will be with you as you meet. 5 Then you must cast this man out of the church and into Satan's hands, so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved when the Lord returns. 6 How terrible that you should boast about your spirituality, and yet you let this sort of thing go on. Don't you realize that if even one person is allowed to go on sinning, soon all will be affected? 7 Remove this wicked person from among you so that you can stay pure. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. (NLT)

Authority must be observed in the Body of Christ, not for the sake of esteeming others or allowing dominance, but rather for the preservation of the flow of God's Spirit and the health of the Body of Christ. Imagine if the Pastor or Eldership at the Church of Corinth had told Paul that he had no more authority than they did and who was he to tell them to expel a member of "their" congregation. But rather, they observed the authority of Paul, and the result was not only that the congregation was preserved from having the leaven of sexual immorality spread, but the man eventually repented and was forgiven and welcomed back into the fellowship of the Saints (2 Cor 2:6-10). This Scriptural portrayal and observance of apostolic authority resulted in the ultimate good of all involved. Paul told them that not only was this necessary for the preservation of the congregation and the individual, but it was a test to see whether or not the Church in Corinth would be "obedient (to divine order) in all things." (2 Cor 6:9) The New Living Translation translates that verse to say, "I wrote to you as I did to find out how far you would go in obeying me (or his apostolic authority and authority as their spiritual father in expelling this person from the Church)."

True authority should not be associated with words like dominance, importance, or preference, but rather should be associated as a word of divine order when the person in charge ministers in Love. Christlike authority is never for domination or dictatorship, but rather is used by God to destroy enemy strongholds over the saved and unsaved alike so that all hindrances from us being completely conformed into the Image of God's Son can be removed.

All of us have been given different levels of spiritual ability. A person who can teach cannot automatically assume that he can contend with the devil on a Pastoral level if he or she has not been given that equipment from God to Shepherd God's Flock. When we observe the Body of Christ as a whole, it doesn't bother me to know that there are other Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, etc. that are higher ranking in authority than me, when I know that their authority is for my benefit and for the benefit of the Body of Christ. Those who are most concerned about the authority of others are usually the ones who are unsure of their position in the Body of Christ. I know that some Pastors may feel threatened, because God is restoring Apostles and Prophets to their rightful place in the Body, but Pastors who know who they are will understand that the Grace of an Apostle or a Prophet is for the benefit of all and will desire God to raise up men with greater levels of authority in leadership all the more.

I pray that Pastors and Apostles and ministers of God GREATER THAN ME will be raised up all the time so that the Body of Christ can be equipped with men of God who are able to accomplish MUCH MORE for the Body of Christ than I am able to do. For others to rise up from my service to the Lord that are GREATER than me is my dream and vision. I am satisfied to be an Apostle, or not to be an Apostle. I'm satisfied just to be a Servant of God doing what He has called me to do, regardless of what it is. ALL OF THE LORD IS GOOD TO ME. I have yielded my life to Him to make me whatever He has purposed for me to be. If being an Apostle means I'm going to be able to help others more by that office that God has called me to be, then who am I to say how I am to serve Him best???

1 Timothy 1:1 states that Paul was "an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God". To deny my Apostleship would be rebellion against the commandment of God, Who is calling men to this office. It is the same for Pastors or any other Gift. They are called to the office of 5-fold by commandment, and any Pastor or minister who refuses to acknowledge and walk in his called office after it has been revealed--is in direct rebellion against the Kingdom and purpose of God to conform others into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

I think that I have written you all enough for you to see my motives in the operation of my Gift. In my heart I'm just a person who loves to give others the Word of God. I send FREE New Testaments to as many needy countries as possible and I fund my own ministry out of my own pocket (along with the help of my wife). Not only that, but I regularly assist and give funds to other ministries as well as to the Church I belong to. My goal is to be as much of a servant to as much of the Body of Christ as possible in furthering the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why I am on the Internet, to fellowship with, help, and learn from other ministers around the world. I want to thank all of you personally for this opportunity to share and fellowship with you, in Jesus' Mighty Name, AMEN.

Written by Randall A. Muse | RAMuse@aol.com | Blood of Jesus Ministries | www.huios.com/Jesus

The Misunderstood Apostle (Part 4)

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