Switzerland

I originally posted this short article in my creative blog - The Creative Journey. But I decided to post it here as well.

This is no fictional account or metered poem. Rather it is a simple story about this past weekend. On Thursday, my wife and I rented a car from the Charleroi-South Brussels airport and headed to Switzerland. It wasn’t a spontaneous, up-and-hit-the-road-trip, as we were going to celebrate the wedding of one of my wife’s friends. But still, we were headed across western Europe, and therefore, a six hour drive seemed not bother at all.

So it was into our Ford Focus and on the road. Obviously, our first part of the road trip was heading south through Belgium, but we then went through the small country of Luxembourg (a quick hour’s drive), then onto a drive through the east side of France, south through Germany, and then onto our final destination of Switzerland. The only thing that would have made it better would have been cruise control, but that is of little consequence. And what an experience to be in five different countries in the same day, not to mention driving through them all and taking in the stunning scenery.

But, of course, the cherry on top was our actual time in Switzerland. From the Swiss cuisine of their cheese (I had it in melted fashion over potatoes and assorted vegetables) to the pure milk chocolates to a specialty dish in a Zurich restaurant, my taste buds definitely left enlightened. Even more, there was the special treat of having eyes laid on the beautiful and spacious countryside to the forest-covered mountains to the history in the city of Zurich. Granted, it rained all day on Friday, but that mattered little to soaking up the culture and life of another country.

For some, a trip to Switzerland will seem of little significance. But when you know that I am an American who usually had to travel some ten or twelve hours to get to another country, then you understand how this was a pure delight. To simply relax in a foreign land and gaze at what God had created in Switzerland was worth it all. Oh, and by the way, it was a perfect day on Saturday at the wedding. Not one rain drop, and only a few white clouds.

I do not want this to just be another country I can put on my list of places I have visited, but I want it to be part of truly experiencing the goodness of God. Amazing to think that the same God created all nations, yet all of them having their own distinctives.

I only wonder now what new land will be next in my discovery of the grace of God.

The Nature of Apostolic Gifting

I have spent the past four articles looking at a detailed defense for the gifting of apostle in the present day. Thus, the implication is that this gift of Christ was not just for a few special followers in the first century, but it has been a necessary gift for equipping Christ’s body in every generation. We looked at Paul’s great statement to the Ephesian church:

‘And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.’ (4:11-13)

From this, we recognize that we have not reached that place of unity in the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, becoming a mature body. Hence, the need for all five of these gifts, including apostle. And we must also be encouraged that Christ is taking us to that place of unity and maturity. But one of the great ways Christ has chosen to do so is by giving the body of Christ all five of these gifts – apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher – to equip us until we reach this high calling as Christ’s body.

So, knowing that apostles still exist today is only the first step. We must still discuss the nature of the gifting, or what does this practically look like. In a previous article, we recognized that being gifted as an apostle does not chiefly mean that a person has been called to write Scripture, though some of the first apostles were called to do so. Rather, the word apostle simply means ‘sent one’. They were first and foremost sent with a mission to accomplish. Thus, they had their calling as apostles.

Because of this fuller understanding of the call of an apostle, we can, therefore, move away from allowing fear to dictate to us that the gift of apostle is not for today. For, as it was clearly stated, in claiming the existence of such a gift does not mean one is maintaining that we should write more Scripture in addition to the canon (such as in the case of the Mormons, etc). It was God’s providential guidance that led our fathers to affirm the closing of the canon of Scripture, all to have a full and final text by which we measure our faith and to guard against heresy. Thus, anything that a present-day apostle or prophet, or anyone for that matter, teaches must be consistent with the canon of Scripture.

But moving on to the finer detail, when discussing the nature of apostolic gifting, most people begin with Paul, seeing him as the greatest apostle in Scripture. But, as stated in my first article on this topic, I believe it is a misnomer to both start with Paul and believe he was the apex of such a gift. As with any gift or character quality, though it may sound super-spiritual, the best place to begin with is Jesus. And Jesus was the great apostle (Hebrews 3:1), for the Father sent Him into a world of darkness with the greatest mission ever known to mankind (see John 4:34; Luke 4:16-19). So, it is with this premise of Jesus being the great apostle that we delve into some specifics concerning the gift of apostle.

One of the greatest aspects of Jesus’ ministry is that He came to serve. God incarnate, God in the flesh, came to serve humanity. He did not fancy platforms, nor even great titles. But, rather, the washbasin became closest to His heart. One of the most moving Scriptures I have ever read is found in John 13:3-5

‘Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.’

This passage is revolutionary to our thinking. Jesus knew all things had been given into His hands – everything! So, what does He do? He pulls off His outer garment, places a towel around His waist and washed the feet of His closest friends. This is so utterly different from what we many times have in mind. I’m not speaking about CEO’s of corporate businesses. But I simply refer to the mindset of us as Christians in general, and even more, church leaders. Many times we miss this beautiful aspect of Christ’s ministry.

The Greek word for minister is diakonos (where we also get our word deacon), and it simply means ‘servant’. That is what it means to ‘minister’ or have a ‘ministry’. It simply, yet profoundly, points to the fact that we are called to serve.

But what does this have to do with apostles? Well, apostles might have a specific commission from Christ spoken to them by the Holy Spirit (even through a prophetic word), and that is just fine and dandy. But if an apostle does not know how to serve, if that person does not hold the washbasin close to their heart, then they really do not have much of an idea of the apostolic calling of Christ. For consider the greatest apostle to ever live and how He walked out life amongst others. He served, and even served to the point of giving up His life on the cross, suffering the death of a criminal. That was the greatest act of serving ever. Christ still accomplished that for which He was sent, thus, fulfilling His apostolic role. But He accomplished it through serving.

The next great aspect to highlight about apostolic ministry is that of teamwork. Again, we can simply start by looking at the life of Jesus. First, though He was God Himself, we see His reliance upon the other two members of the Trinity. In John 5:19, we see Jesus’ dependence on the Father:

‘So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.’

We must also consider His relationship with the Holy Spirit. John 16:7 shows Christ’s own desire to send the Holy Spirit so that His own mission might be finished:

'Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.'

Interestingly enough, this verse shows the apostolic nature of the Holy Spirit, for He would be sent by Christ. But keep in mind that this is God in the flesh. In a sense, He could have decided to do everything on His own. Yet, He saw the value and importance of working with and relying on the other two members of the Godhead.

Also, consider that, though He was the Son of God and could have done things just fine with the help of the Trinity, we see Jesus sharing the responsibility with the twelve (see Matthew 10:1-5; 13:14-21). And, if we were to consider Paul’s ministry, it would take little time in seeing his demonstration of teamwork when considering his partnership with people like Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, Epaphroditus, Priscilla and Acquila, Silas, Luke and on and on.

In the kingdom of God, there is absolutely no room for lone rangers. Even Paul's words in Ephesians 4:11-13 point to the fact that the five ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are called to equip the saints together. We need all five of these ministries, and we need them to work together, for they each have important emphases for Christ's body. Thus, if one is called as an apostle, they are called into relationship and accountability with other gifted ministries as well. This is an ‘apostolic team’.

Finally, though this last characteristic is necessary and good, I have saved it for last to make sure we began with the ‘more important’ matters of serving and teamwork. The final aspect I would like to highlight about apostolic gifting is their heart for the nations. What I mean by this is not that each apostle is called to reach every nation, or even to just pick up and head to any random nation. What this entails is that apostles tend to have the ‘bigger picture’ in mind. We might also call them visionaries.

True, their ministry of equipping God’s people will extend into the nations abroad, as the apostolic commission of Acts 1:8 will be close to their heart:

‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’

However, it is not simply about going off to take the gospel to other nations. It is definitely a part of it, and a very exciting part of it as well. But an apostle's heart for the nations highlights that God has broadened their vision. As I spoke of earlier, they have picked up the ‘bigger picture’. It is somewhat like a double-sided coin: one side emphasizes the practicality of reaching the nations, the other side underlines the reality of God's big vision. And we keep that coin continually rotating so we can see both sides.

In reaching and training the nations, apostles will also recognize the importance of equipping those in the other nations all that the locals might be the ones to reach the people of their own nation. For consider this – Though God became flesh in His plan to redeem humanity, He also knew it was best to get other human beings involved in His mission. As a result, Jesus equipped, trained and then released twelve others to reach those in their ‘own land’. Thus, I believe this will be close to the heart of a true apostle. Instilled in their desire to reach the nations, they will certainly train people in other lands and cultures, but all with the goal of seeing the people of a particular land released to reach and train those in their nation. That’s visionary. That’s seeing the bigger picture of how the kingdom of God will expand.

To end out, I would also like to bring up the role of God’s people as an apostolic people. Why? Because, in one sense, we have all been given a mission by Christ – we all are to join in the call to make disciples of all nations, being salt and light in the world, testifying to the grace that God has shown in Christ Jesus. Even more, it is the whole body of Christ that has been called to serve, work as a team and understand the bigger vision in God's heart. And it is those who are gifted as apostles that have been given to help equip us in being faithful to this apostolic call as the whole body of Christ.

In reality, we could go on and on highlighting important characteristics of apostolic gifting. But, suffice to say, we will conclude here summing up the role of apostles with these four qualities: 1) Start with Jesus, 2) Servant leadership, 3) Teamwork, and 4) Seeing the bigger picture.

Apostles Today (Part 4)

Though I have already posted four articles around the topic of apostles today, I am writing this post in response to a comment/query from an acquaintance on another theological blog. It revolves around the question of God authenticating the message of true apostles in the first century through signs and wonders. The argument arises from the belief that, due to the fact that the New Testament was not written and completed, God authenticated the gospel message of the first apostles by granting them miraculous signs, wonders and healings. But when the finished canon of Scripture was completed with the New Testament being written, signs and wonders, healings and miracles, were no longer needed.

This argument mainly revolves around three passages of Scripture:

• 1 Corinthians 13:8-12
• Hebrews 2:3-4
• 2 Corinthians 12:12

1 Corinthians 13:8-12
Paul states this in the first passage, 1 Corinthians 13:8-12:

‘Love never ends. 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. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.’

Those claiming that miracles, healings, signs and wonders had ceased with the death of the first apostles are referred to as cessationists. They use this passage in 1 Corinthians 13 to claim that the ‘perfect’ in these verses is the New Testament canon that would be completed by the end of the first century. Yet, though we believe that the New Testament canon is God’s Word, most realize that the ‘perfect’ of this passage is not speaking of the New Testament. The key is found in verse 12:

‘Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.’

Though verse 10 states, ‘but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away,’ this is not speaking of the completion of the New Testament canon. Verse 12 shows that it is speaking of Christ’s return. Who will we see face to face? Christ. Paul goes on to say that he would know fully, even as he had been fully known. Known by whom? Christ. 'When the perfect comes' is in reference to the perfect One, Christ, returning for His Bride.

This passage is not a proof-text to show that signs and wonders ceased with the close of the New Testament canon. It is to show that we will no longer need such signs and gifts of the Spirit once Christ returns. We still have a lot to accomplish, and all of God’s gifts (apostles, prophets, healings, miracles, teaching, giving, leading, etc) are needed to advance God’s kingdom.

Hebrews 2:3-4
The next Scripture used to prove that miracles and healings, as well as apostles, no longer exist is found in Hebrews 2:3-4

‘How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.’

Cessationists contend that ‘those who heard’ are the first apostles and God bore witness to their message by signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit through them alone. Yes, the gospel was witnessed to and authenticated by signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit by those who personally heard (presumably the first apostles). Yet, we must also admit that the Holy Spirit used others in signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Spirit than only the first apostles.

We cannot forget about people like Stephen (Acts 6:8), Philip (Acts 8:4-7) and Ananias (Acts 9:17-18). And we must also remember that tongues and prophecy are gifts of the Spirit, and it does mention ‘gifts of the Holy Spirit’ in the Hebrews 2 passage above. We can see many others besides the first apostles that were used with gifts of the Spirit. There were the 120 believers at Pentecost (Acts 2:4), Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:46), Agabus (Acts 11:37-38; 21:10-11), the Ephesian disciples (Acts 19:6) and the Corinthians believers (1 Corinthians 14).

While the first apostles were the ones who personally heard Christ, and they were definitely used in signs, wonders, miracles and Spirit-gifts, they were not the only ones. And we also must guard against developing an argument from this passage in Hebrew 2:3-4 that apostles no longer exist because signs and wonders no longer exist. For, as Jesus stated in John 14:12

‘Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.’

Signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Spirit were not just for a select few in the first century. Christ said that ‘whoever believes in me’. That is the whole body of Christ. We need all of Christ’s gifts to accomplish the job.

2 Corinthians 12:12
The final passage cessationists use in support of the argument that apostles, as well as signs and wonders, no longer exist is found in 2 Corinthians 12:12

‘The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.’

Cessationists claim this verse is proof that signs and wonders were only performed through apostles. And, as with other passages, it is claimed that, because apostles no longer exist, signs and wonders no longer exist. But, what we must first do is distinguish between the use of the word ‘signs’ in this passage, for it is used in two different manners.

The first time the word signs is used does not refer to miraculous signs. Rather, it refers to ‘signs of a true apostle’. Paul uses this phrase to contrast his work as a true apostle with the selfish ways of the ‘super-apostles’ (see 2 Corinthians 12:11). Paul had just spent chapters 10-11 defending his apostleship by telling of all the things he has been through for the Corinthians. And this is the first use of the word ‘signs’. He came with the signs of a true apostle – having a servant heart for them, even willing to suffer for them. Paul, then, goes on to say that he was also used in signs, wonders and mighty works. This is the second use of the word is in reference to miraculous signs.

Therefore, this verse does not teach that signs, wonders and miraculous works are only limited to apostles. And as with the other Scriptures above, we cannot use this verse to build the case that signs and wonders no longer exist, and therefore, apostles no longer exist. In 2 Corinthians 12:12, the 'true signs of an apostle' are a servant heart for the people with whom they work. And miraculous signs are not only limited to apostles (first century or present century). They are available to all of those indwelt and empowered by the Spirit – the whole body of Christ.

We are in great need of all the gifts that God bestows to His Bride, all that we be fully equipped with the necessary tools in advancing God’s kingdom rule. And, let us not forget to couple all of these gifts with servant hearts and humility. But in the end we cannot disregard the gifts of God. Though it was in a slightly different context, I end with Paul’s words in Romans 11:29

‘For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.’

Click here to read my article on the nature of apostolic gifting and some important aspects to consider in regards to this gift.