Chapter 1

WHY A BOOK ABOUT APOSTLES?

Why Does There Need to Be a Book on Apostles? Why has the Holy Spirit been commissioned at this time to fully restore prophets and apostles with their powerful prophetic and miraculous ministries? There are many reasons about which we will give abbreviated statements in this initial chapter. In the body of the book, scriptural proofs and detailed coverage will be presented.

Jesus chose from among His many disciples twelve whom He called APOSTLES. They were given a special mission and destiny to fulfill in Christ's Church (Eph. 4:11-13). They were an extension of Christ Jesus, the Great Apostle. Apostles express the apostolic nature, power and anointing; anointing of Jesus Christ just as pastors, prophets, evangelists and teachers each manifest their respective fivefold ascension gift nature of Christ.

Apostles were a new ministry that had never before been named or demonstrated. Therefore God majored on the ministry of the apostles in 'The Acts of the Apostles,' which depicts the historical activities of the first-century Church. Jesus gave five ascension gifts to certain believers to represent His fivefold nature of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.

The apostles, along with the other four, were given to the Church until it reaches the fullness of Christ's ministry and maturity. Jesus cannot return to translate His Church until it obtains and fulfills all that the prophetic scriptures declare. This will not be accomplished until the last decade of the mortal Church. Apostles play a vital role in this ministry to the Church (Acts 3:19-25).

The apostle was the first fivefold minister to be placed in the Church and the last to be restored with full recognition, acceptance, placement and power. They are being restored according to the divine principle that the 'first will be last, and the last first' (Matt. 19:30, NKJV).

When apostles were active in the first-generation Church, a great harvest of souls was brought in. When the apostles are fully restored, there will be the greatest harvest of souls ever. I believe more souls will be saved in the last one hundred years of the Church than have been saved during all the other years of its existence. 'The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former [first-century Church' (Hag. 2:9).

The whole world will be affected when the apostles and prophets are fully restored. Their supernatural prophetic and apostolic words will signal the rise and fall of many nations and people. They will be instrumental in determining goat and sheep nations so that when Jesus Christ comes He can put the sheep nations on His right and the goat nations on His left.

It will not be long until Christians realize the tremendous ways the restoration of prophets and apostles will affect them and the corporate Church. When the truth fully dawns upon them, millions of saints will begin to make a continuous cry to heaven, 'God, reactivate Your prophets and apostles into Your Church so that all things can be made ready and a people prepared for Your second coming.'

All fivefold ministers will soon be restored and united in spirit and truth. They will relate together as five expressions of their one Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. They will function knowing they are interdependent, and not independent of each other. When they reach this stage, it will release the next three moves of God, which will climax with Jesus coming and setting up His kingdom over all the earth.

By the time you have finished this study on God's end-time apostles and prophets, a cry will start arising within your heart for the Holy Spirit to escalate His restorational process of God's holy apostles and prophets.

The Church is beginning to acknowledge the need for Apostles and Prophets. Articles have appeared in several Christian magazines asking questions such as: Where are the modern-day apostles? Who are they? Were they removed from the Church or are they still active in the Church today?

Just as I was finishing writing this book, an article written by Jim Buchan appeared in the magazine Ministries Today. It was entitled 'Where Are the Apostles Today?' The three and one-half pages revealed the interest of the Church in the present-day ministry of apostles. He gave a very good presentation of six key functions and ministries of Biblical apostles. Buchan then challenges the readers to evaluate whether these apostolic ministries are needed today.

Six Main Functions of First-Century Apostles

1. Taking the gospel to unreached areas (Rom. 15:20, NIV).

2. Planting churches upon the foundation of Christ and helping established churches return to this scriptural foundation (1Cor. 3:10,11; Gal. 1:6-10; 3:13; Rev. 2:15).

3. Appointing and training the initial leaders of a church (Acts 14:21-23; Titus 1:5).

4. Dealing with specific problems, false doctrines or sins (1Cor. 1:1-16:24; Acts 15).

5. Promoting unity in the Body of Christ and networking churches (Eph. 4:1-16; Acts 11:27-30; Rom. 15:25-27; 1Cor. 16:1-4; 2Cor. 8:9).

6. Demonstrating and imparting the supernatural dimension of the kingdom of God (2Cor. 12:12; Acts 4:33; 8:4-20; 10:44-46; 19:16; 2Tim. 1:6-7).

Apostles Mentioned in the Bible.

The following people in the New Testament are recognized as apostles by being called apostles by name or identified by association, implication or root meaning of words.

The Original Twelve Apostles Commissioned by Christ Jesus

1. Andrew, the apostle, who brought his brother, Simon Peter, to Christ.

2. Bartholomew or Nathaniel, the apostle won by a word of knowledge.

3. James, the son of Alphaeus, the younger Apostle James who did obscure services.

4. James, the son of Zebedee, the elder Apostle James who was John's brother.

5. John, the beloved, the prophetic apostle, who wrote the book of Revelation.

6. Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Christ, and lost his apostleship.

7. Matthew, the apostle who wrote the first gospel book in the New Testament.

8. Peter, the quick-to-respond apostle, whose name Jesus changed from Simon.

9. Philip, the friendly apostle who brought resources and people to Jesus.

10. Simon, the Zealot apostle with enthusiastic zeal, revolutionary for change.

11. Thaddaeus, also called Judas and Lebbaeus, the young, obscure apostle.

12. Thomas, the devoted, melancholy apostle; 'show and prove and I'll believe.'

The Expanded Circle of Other Apostles of the Lord

1. Matthias, the disciple chosen as apostle to fill the vacated apostleship of Judas.

2. Barnabas, the networking apostle, who brought Paul to the Twelve and to Antioch.

3. Paul, the supernaturally chosen apostle to the Gentiles, given revelation of the Church.

4. James, Jesus' half brother, apostle (pastored the church in Jerusalem; wrote the book of James).

5. Silas, the established prophet, first to have a dual ministry of prophet-apostle.

6. Apollos, the eloquent apostle; apostle by association of 'we' and 'us.'

7. Andronicus, a noteworthy apostle among the brethren.

8. Epaphroditus, the faithful, sacrificial apostle, overseer of the Philippian church.

9. Junias, the only woman apostle mentioned (based on interpretation of the name).

10. Timothy, the apostle trained and commissioned by Apostle Paul.

11. Unnamed Apostle, 'Whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches' (2Cor. 8:18b).

12. Unnamed Apostle, 'Whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things' (2Cor. 8:22b).

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Apostle of Apostles and the True Example for All God's Holy Apostles. Jesus loves His fivefold ministers as Himself. He has invested all of His ministries for the Church to these ministers. Even so, He continues His ministry of making intercession for all His saints (Rom. 8:34).

Books have been written revealing the end of each of the original Twelve Apostles and Apostle Paul. Historical tradition and legend declare that all these apostles were martyred in the different nations where they ministered. Paul was beheaded at Rome.

The two exceptions are Apostles John and Judas Iscariot. Apostle Judas betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver, lost his apostleship and died by hanging himself. Apostle John was put in a big pot of oil to be boiled to death. It is said that he swam around in it like a refreshing bath while at the same time it renewed his youth. He was then banished to the Isle of Patmos where he received and wrote 'The Revelation.' He then escaped and returned to Ephesus where he died a natural death in his 90's. Apostles truly fulfilled in their day the prophecy that Jesus gave, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute' (see Matt. 23:34).

Now we have an introduction to all the apostles mentioned in the Bible. If one wants to do a further study with all the scriptural references, historical background and meanings of the names of the apostles, details are in Herbert Lockyer's 270-page book entitled All the APOSTLES of the Bible. It is published by Zondervan and should be available in all major Christian bookstores.

Let us now find out what is presently happening in the Church throughout the world. There are specific things that God is doing in preparation for the full restoration of His apostles.

We all need to continue on until we are established in all present truth and the present ministry of the Holy Spirit within the Church.