The Gifts & the Body 8: The Gifts of Spiritual Leadership Part 3

Prophecy

"Prophecy is the ability to speak for God. It’s not merely foretelling, though some of that is included; it is forth-telling. It is speaking the Word of God." 

-Adrian Rogers

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PASTORS/TEACHERS

Prescriptive

"Forth-telling"

Exposition of God's already-revealed Word for the growth of the Church

PROPHETS

Predictive

"Foretelling"

Future Events,

God's Will,

Possible Judgment

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Prophet- prophetes- "a proclaimer or expounder of divine matters or concerns that could not ordinarily be known except by special revelation." -BDAG

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"Prophets," in partnership with "Apostles"

"Foundation" - Eph. 2:20

Revealers of Church Doctrine - Eph. 3:5

Gifts to the Body of Christ - Eph. 4:11

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"The Biblical category of prophecy seems to me to involve inerrancy and trustworthy authority, which modern-day prophets do not have and rarely even claim. When they do claim prophetic status, it seems to me that they often want the authority of the prophetic category without the corresponding responsibility."

Gerry Breshears, “The Body of Christ: Prophet, Priest or King,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 37, no. 1 (1994): 20

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"Grudem argues that the apostles and prophets are identical here. This is important to his view of NT prophecy: on the one hand, he holds to a high view of scripture, viz., that the autographs are inerrant; on the other hand, he believes that non-apostolic prophets both in the early church and today mixed error with truth." 

Grudem defines "prophecy as "an unreliable human speech act in response to a revelation from the Holy Spirit." 

-Wayne Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today (Westchester, IL: Crossway, 1988), 95.

Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 284–285.

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The very nature of the Bible's accuracy shows that prophecy must be inerrant. Otherwise, we cannot trust the Scriptures.

"Historical data set forth in the original writings are inerrant, and prophecy not only discloses the oncoming events of the future, but provides unfailing assurance that all that is predicted will be executed by the sovereign and therefore irresistible competency of God. Thus has the divine authority of the Scriptures been demonstrated in the grand array of predictions already fulfilled, and thus it will be demonstrated in the plenary realization of all that is yet unfulfilled."

Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 103.

The Gifts & The Body 7: The Gift of Leadership Part 2

Apostles- apostolos

"sent forth with orders" -Thayer, "delegate"- Unger

Secular Use- A fleet of ships sent out on a mission.

"sent one"- John 13:16

"messengers"- 2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25

68 out of 79 times in Luke/Acts & Paul

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"Apostles," in partnership with "Prophets"

"Foundation" - Eph. 2:20

Revealers of Church Doctrine - Eph. 3:5

Gifts to the Body of Christ - Eph. 4:11

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Qualification #1

From John's Baptism to Jesus' Ascension

Acts 1:20-26

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Qualification #2

Eyewitness of the Resurrected Lord Jesus

1 Corinthians 9:1

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Qualification #3

Gifted to Perform Signs & Wonders

2 Corinthians 12:12

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FALSE APOSTLES

Overview for "Apostles Today" 

by C. Peter Wagner

"Transformation of the city was the battle cry in the 1990s. What’s happening on the streets today? How far have we come since then? How do apostles fit into the urban landscape? How do they fit into God’s plans?

C. Peter Wagner, our generation’s greatest authority on the apostolic realm, has been writing on these subjects for a number of years. He now brings these topics together in one volume for an insightful look at the spheres of authority that are all around us. Wagner’s most authoritative book yet on apostles, Apostles Today looks at the progress of the New Apostolic Reformation begun in the beginning of the 1990s and continuing today.

This book is a call for apostles to assume their rightful place of work with God to see his will accomplished here on earth. Wagner relates his decades of experiences and those of others, which show the role of apostles not only in the traditional church, but also in the extended church. Apostles Today offers fresh vision for the role of apostles in healthy churches, workplaces, and cities."

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"The apostles were agents of God’s revelation of the truths that would become the Christian rule of faith and life. As such, and through Christ’s appointment of them as his authorized representatives (2 Cor 10:8; 13:10), the apostles exercised a unique and functional authority in the infant church. 

There are no apostles today, though some Christians fulfill ministries that are in particular ways apostolic in style. No new canonical revelation is currently being given; apostolic teaching authority resides in the canonical Scriptures, of which the apostles’ own writings are the core and the key. "

J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1993), 197.

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"The canon of the New Testament, by implication from the factors that formed it, should be viewed as closed. It is a reasonable view that the New Testament canon was completed by the first century AD, by which time all the apostles had died. On dealing with this issue, it is important to consider the passage in Hebrews 1:1-2, which states that God has spoken through Christ as final revelation."

Joseph M. Holden and Norman Geisler, The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 2013), p. 176.

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"One thing must be emphatically stated. The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect. 

The first ecclesiastical councils to classify the canonical books were both held in North Africa- at Hippo Regius in 393 and at Carthage in 397- but what these councils did was not to impose something new upon the Christian communities but to codify what was already the general practice of those communities."

F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Bottom of the Hill Publishing, 2013), p. 25.

The Gifts & The Body 6: The Gift of Leadership

The Gifts & The Body 5: Grace, Gifts & Victory Part 2

Spiritual Forces of This Present Darkness

Ephesians 1:21

“Rule”- arche- ⑥ “an authority figure who initiates activity or process… Also of angelic or transcendent powers, since they were thought of as having a political organization.”

 Translated: “principalities”- Rom 8:38

Also 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15- word is used to describe dark spiritual forces.

“Authority”- exousia- ⑤ “bearer of ruling authority… ⓑ of transcendent rulers and functionaries: powers of the spirit world.” 

Also 1 Cor 15:24; Col 2:10; 1 Pet 3:22.

“Power”- dunamis- ⑤ “an entity or being, whether human or transcendent, that functions in a remarkable manner, power as a personal transcendent spirit or heavenly agent/angel.” Also Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 1 Pt 3:22.

“Dominion”- kuriotes- ③ “a special class of angelic powers, bearers of the ruling power, dominions.” Also Col 1:16.

Colossians 1:16

“Thrones”- thronos- ③ name of a class of powerful beings, earthly or transcendent, the enthroned, plural… perhaps of transcendent beings Col 1:16… but in view of the reference to things ‘seen and unseen’ in the same verse it is probable that the author thinks also of earthly rulers.”

The Gifts & The Body 4: Grace, Gifts & Victory

"In the ancient world the conqueror would parade the captives and demand tribute for himself. Jesus is the conqueror of Psalm 68, and the booty does indeed rightfully belong to him. But booty was also distributed after a conquest. Paul knows that. He quotes Psalm 68:18 to make the point that after Jesus conquered his demonic enemies, he distributed the benefits of the conquest to his people, believers. Specifically, those benefits are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph 4:11)."

Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible, First Edition. (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2015), 293.

Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser

Demons by Michael Heiser

The Gifts & The Body 3: We Can Because He Did

The Believer's Already Blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1-3)

We are saints- 1:1; 2:19

Blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies- 1:3

Chosen in Christ- 1:4

Chosen to be holy and blameless before Him in love- 1:4

Predestined to the adoption as sons- 1:5

Predestined according to the kind intention of His will- 1:5

Predestined to the praise of the glory of His grace- 1:5-6, 12

Recipients of His “freely bestowed” grace- 1:6

Redeemed through His blood- 1:7

 Forgiven of our trespasses- 1:7

 Forgiven according to the riches of His grace- 1:7

 His grace has been lavished on us- 1:8

 It is the kind intention of God’s will to give us wisdom and insight into the dispensation of the fullness of times in which all things will culminate in Christ Jesus- 1:9-10

 We have obtained an inheritance that was predestined for us- 1:11

 Sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise- 1:13

 We are God’s possession, awaiting future redemption- 1:14

 Capacity to love all the saints- 1:15

 Access to greater wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God- 1:17

 Enlightened, that we may know the hope of His calling- 1:18

 Enlightened, that we may know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in believers- 1:18

 Enlightened, to know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us- 1:19

 Have received God’s rich mercy- 2:4

 Greatly loved by God- 2:4

 Made alive together with Christ by God- 2:5

 Raised up with Christ by God- 2:6

 Seated with Christ in the heavenlies by God- 2:6

 Examples of the surpassing riches of God’s grace in kindness- 2:7

 Saved by grace- 2:5, 8

God’s Workmanship, created in Christ- 2:10

 Created in Christ for good works that have been prepared beforehand- 2:10

Brought near by the blood of Christ- 2:13

 Possessing the Person of Peace, Jesus Christ- 2:14

 Unified and at peace with believing Jews in One New Man- 2:14-15; 5:30

 Free from the Law- 2:14-15

 Reconciled to God through the cross- 2:16

 Access to God through one Spirit- 2:18

 Fellow-citizens- 2:19

 Of God’s household- 2:19

 Growing into a “Holy of holies” unto the Lord- 2:21

 Built together into a dwelling place for God’s Spirit- 2:22

 Able to know the mystery revealed to the apostles and prophets- 3:4-5

 Fellow heirs of the body- 3:6

 Fellow members of the body- 3:6

 Fellow partakers of the promise- 3:6

 Revealers of the manifold wisdom of God to spiritual forces in the heavenlies- 3:9-10

 Boldness and confident access to the body- 3:6, 12

 Strengthened with power in the inner man by His Spirit- 3:16

 Greater fellowship where Christ will settle in our hearts- 3:17

 Rooted and grounded in love- 3:17

 Greater fellowship enabling us to comprehend the multi-faceted love of Christ which surpasses knowledge- 3:18-19

 Greater fellowship to be filled up with God’s fullness- 3:19

 His power works within us- 3:20

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In the Greek, "Worthy" "has the idea of equal weight. Conduct and calling are to balance in weight. The aorist is constative and includes the entire walk of the Ephesians: viewed as a whole, it is to have the mark of worthiness. More is implied than likeness between calling and conduct, namely also corresponding weight and value."

R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians (Columbus, O.: Lutheran Book Concern, 1937), 506.

The Gifts & The Body 2: The Gracious Privilege of the Church Part 2

The Gifts & The Body 1: The Gracious Privilege of the Church Part 1

Things That Are Instantaneously True of Every Believer

Elect and called of God (1 Thes. 1:4; 5:24).

Redeemed by God through the blood of His Son (Col. 1:14).

Reconciled to God by the death of His Son (2 Cor. 5:19).

Sheltered eternally under the propitiation made in the blood of Christ (1 John 2:2).

Forgiven all trespasses, past, present, and future (Col. 2:13).

Condemned no more forever (Rom. 8:1).

Justified freely by His grace (Rom. 3:24).

Sanctified positionally, or set apart unto God in Christ (1 Cor. 1:30).

Perfected for ever (Heb. 10:14).

Made meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light (Col. 1:12).

Made accepted in the Beloved (Eph. 1:6).

Made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

Made nigh to God in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:13).

A child and son of God (John 1:12; 1 John 3:3).

Free from the law and dead to the law (Rom. 7:4, 6).

Delivered from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13).

Translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Col. 1:13).

Founded on the Rock Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 3:11).

God’s gift to Christ (John 17:11, 12, 20; 10:29).

Circumcised in Christ (Col. 2:11).

An holy priest, chosen and peculiar (1 Pet. 2:5, 9).

Object of divine love, grace, power, faithfulness, peace, consolation (Eph. 2:4, 8; 1:9; Heb. 13:5; Col. 3:15; 2 Thes. 2:16).

Object of Christ’s intercession (Heb. 7:25).

His inheritance (Eph. 1:18).

Seated in the heavenly in Christ (Eph. 2:6).

A citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20 R. V.).

Of the family and household of God (Eph. 2:19; 3:15).

Light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8).

In God, in Christ, and in the Spirit (1 Thes. 1:1; John 14:20; Rom. 8:9).

Possessed with the first fruits of the Spirit. 

Born (John 3:6), baptized (1 Cor. 12:13), 

indwelt (1 Cor. 6:19), and sealed (Eph. 4:30).

Glorified (Rom. 8:30).

Complete in Him (Col, 2:10).

Possessing every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).

In addition to this list, every believer in Christ has also been graced with at least one spiritual gift to be used for the edification of the Body of Christ unto the glory of God (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:7, 11, 18; 14:1; Eph 4:11-16; 1 Pet 4:10-11). These are gifts exercised in the Spirit (hence “spiritual gifts”) and they reflect the Church’s stewardship of the fruit of the Kingdom of God while it is in postponement (Matt 21:43).

In the Hall of the Mountain King

Daniel 4 & 5

Renew Your Mind and The Rest Will Follow