Hi all,
With so many calling themselves apostles or prophets it seemed good these last Weekly Thoughts to share what the Bible says – rather than someone’s business card or the title they put in front of their name.
The original context
In our day the ‘5-fold ministry gifts’ are nouns: Apostle, prophet, teacher, pastor, evangelist. But those words are Greek words transliterated into English. That means translators of the Bible took action words, in this case ‘sent one’ or ‘apostolos’, and decided rather than staying with ‘sent one’, they turned apostolos into an English noun, apostle. They also turned ‘one who foretells’ into prophet, one who ‘proclaims truth’ into teacher, one who ‘tends sheep’ into pastor, and ‘one who announces good news’ into evangelist. That’s how these action words became nouns, which fit neatly into the hierarchy of the auditorium church culture of 400+ years ago.
They did the same thing with the word ‘bishop’, which is ‘episkopos’ meaning ‘one who oversees.’ Consider I Timothy 3:1 in the King James English, then the actual Greek:
KJV: “It is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desires a good work.”
Greek: “Trustworthy is the saying, if anyone aspires to overseership, (they) desire a beautiful work.”
Also consider the word ‘deacon’ is in Greek ‘diakonia, meaning ‘service’ or ‘serve.’ They made ‘one who serves’ into an office in a church called ‘deacon.’ The translators did us a great disservice, turning these action words into words that through the centuries became nouns, though it served the main-line denomination heirarchy well. Here is Romans 11: 13 first in King James Version, then in Greek to see how the meaning changed:
King James Version: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify my office.”
Greek: “To you Gentiles I now speak indeed I am a sent one to serve you, and I glory in my service (to you).”
In modern auditorium church it would seem that an apostle is a noun, a title. It would also seem being an apostle or bishop (overseer) is an office, when in fact the Greek word is ‘service.’ In New Testament realities, there is no such thing as an ‘office’ – whether pastor or apostle, intercessor or prophet – it is the word ‘service’ (diakonia).
What defines an apostle?
Remember that the whole of the New Testament was written by these sent ones to people in home based churches.
First therefore, the original context of an apostle is that they start home based churches. They help the discipleship process through relationships within family, friends, neighbors and coworkers. Those are the 4 main spheres of relationships seen in the NT. A 5th would be the ‘person of peace’, who knows you, accepts you, but doesn’t yet know the Lord.
Second, Jesus has appeared to them to give them their assignment. I Corinthians 9: 1:
“Am I not free?” Am I not a sent one (apostle)? Haven’t I seen the Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?” The statement that he is free is a reference to the previous chapter where he discussed the freedom to eat whatever you want, here stating he is practicing what he teaches. Notice he states he is a sent one (apostle), he has seen the Lord, and they the Corinthians, are his work in the Lord. Also note Paul saw the Lord as I or others have – after His ascension in the Spirit. But that still counts to having seen the Lord, as shown in this verse; that was part of Paul’s credibility as an apostle; he had seen the Lord.
Third, their assignment is for a specific group or task. Writing to the Corinthians in I Corinthians 9:2:
“If to others I am not a sent one (apostle), I am to you, for you are that seal of me having been sent (apostleship).” He wasn’t an apostle to everyone, just a specific group.
In Galatians 2: 9, Paul wrote that Peter, James, and John ‘perceived the grace’ in he and Barnabas, and gave them the hand of fellowship, agreeing their service was to the Jews, while Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Gentiles. In Acts 9:15 when the Lord appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, He specifically said He was sending him to the Gentiles (non-Jews). That shows us being an apostle has a specific people group and with that, limitations to that people group.
When the Lord visited me on November 4, 2001 and laid hands on me He said this: “You’ve been doing the work of an apostle, but now I’m laying hands on you as an apostle for this task: I want you to start a house church and house church network, and structure it in such a way to facilitate the development of house churches around the world.” My ‘sent one’ assignment is limited to house churches, but is world-wide. I’ve not been sent as an apostle for auditorium churches, though I freely and happily minister in them. I’ve not been assigned a specific people group, for He said ‘around the world.’ The confines of my apostleship is to those in home based ministries. I teach for all, I am a Seer for all, I pastor and oversee our CWOWI group and my apostleship is for CWOWI alone. I therefore work alongside others with different calls, all being on the same team and helping as asked.
When He stated ‘You’ve been doing the work of an apostle’ He was referencing me teaching and going around to churches to teach and consult with pastors and Bible school leaders on everything from their personal issues and conflicts, to how to enhance the good impact their ministry was having on people. I had been doing that which apostles also do, but until that point I wasn’t an apostle (sent one). I think many who do the work of an apostle but aren’t apostles call themselves apostles. But they aren’t starting house churches, they aren’t transparent and in relationships that are part of that, Jesus hasn’t appeared to them to lay hands on them for a specific task to be sent to a group or task. But because they are doing part of what an apostle does, the auditorium church culture lends itself to titles and nouns and honoring those mis-labeled ones.
As a teenager the Father told me He called me to be a Seer. As a teenager I started teaching and that is one of the main if not the main gift. I have always had a ‘pastor’s heart’, caring for God’s people to bring them along the discipleship process. My assignment as an apostle was added in 2001, but that is for a specific assignment. That is built upon the preexisting gifts of seer, teacher, pastor. Those are for everyone, but my apostleship is just for house church and those in the CWOWI network that come of that. Peter, James, and John knew they were apostles (sent ones) to the Jews, Paul and Barnabas knew they were sent to the Gentiles. Assignment, limits of that assignment clearly seen.
Fourth, an apostle has signs and wonders in their ministry, as stated in II Corinthians 12: 12: “Truly the signs of a sent one (apostle) were worked among you in all patience and perseverance, with signs, wonders, and miracles.” Though I have had dramatic miracles and healings in my ministry also seen in the gospels – the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind healed and more, I don’t talk of them lest people see me instead of the Lord.
But one time I did tell Him I’d like to see more of those dramatic healings, and His reply surprised me: “Why do you think I so often visit you in your meetings, and open the eyes of so many to either see me or know I am there in their midst? This too is part of the signs and wonders.” So I stood corrected and haven’t brought it up since. There have been so many times maybe 6 or more will see the Lord in our midst as He walks around speaking to people, some seeing Him and some just sensing Him right in front of them, or feeling in their spirit His embrace or hand on their spirit’s shoulder. And usually several will have visions, see angels or the glory cloud or be taken away in the Spirit with the Lord. I am continually humbled and amazed that He does so, usually in our times of worship in our conferences.
Years ago there was a time it was popular to call yourself an apostle. Some even went so far as to require pastors tithe to them personally, and their church to tithe to their ministry, thus enriching themselves through this manipulation. May the Lord have mercy on their souls. Neither Paul nor any other apostle required tithes or other financial support; Paul expected people to commune with Christ in them and give to those who had taught them, but there was never a demand, which is why I say very little about money. Also, apostles had networks as Paul’s letter reveal of his travels to those (house) churches associated with him – in Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, the region of Galatia, Philippi, Colossae and Thessalonica. He wrote to the Romans that he wanted to get to Spain but wasn’t sure if he would make it that far.
His desire was not to encroach on someone else’s work, as stated in II Corinthians 10: 12-15: “We will confine ourselves to the sphere of ministry the Lord has assigned to us, which includes you…”
The summary then of the Bible definition of an apostle: They help the discipleship process through relationships and in home meetings. The Lord has appeared to them to give them a specific assignment for which they ‘are sent.’ Their assignment is for a specific task or people group. There are signs and wonders accompanying their ministry.
And I am thankful for all you who read these Weekly Thoughts and monthly Newsletters. I look forward to the day we can greet each other face to face. New subject next week, until then, blessings!
John Fenn
