23 Mar How Normal Are Apostles?
It’s easy to understand why people struggle with the idea of there being apostles. I think we are all wrestling with it, because it is what it means that we are wrestling with.
For some, the wrestle is with the supernatural. Nobody today seems to have the amazing spiritual giftedness that Peter and Paul had, so there must no longer be apostles, right? But Peter and Paul were actually quite normal, and down to Earth, having thier share of struggle and difficulty. It is true that they did perform miracles, but there are few believers, even today, who when walking with the Lord don’t see their share of prayers answered. Life can be quite mundane and still contain miracles.
Others wrestle with the idea of authority. It’s not easy to think that someone outside of the denominational or institutional system could exercise spiritual governance over a local church. There is definitely a lot of thinking to go on in that space. And trust seems to be a key ingredient. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I’m not an apostle to everyone, but I am to you.” – 1 Cor 9:2. Trust existed between Paul and Corinth, and authority with it. What that means for the average church today is still a big question.
Others wrestle with the humanity of apostles. This is a BIG one. We see so many people taking the title of apostle for themselves, and others going around laying hands on people and making them apostles. This is a struggle for us here at Peace, because it seems to be suggesting that the apostles today are not the apostles of the Bible, they are just ministers, just like pastors. It seems to undermine the idea that God had something specific in mind when He called apostles.
We also wrestle with bigshotmania. People want to be the big shot, the big dog on the porch, to be someone important, and whatever the highest position is, go for that. What about taking the lowest place? What about serving and becoming the least? What about volunteering to work in the soup kitchen, or clean the toilets.
It seems easier for many to just throw the idea of the apostle away. Simpler to not have them, suggest many leaders.
Just because there are problems, even big ones, let us not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Can we suggest that Apostles are still people, still human, and still weak on their own, but called and trusted by God to something special, something important and something needed. They are both normal but also special. There are not millions of them, and when truly called by God and appointed by Him, are a much needed part of the Body of Christ. True apostles are raised up by God, and may we suggest, many of them are obscure, and may not be recognized this side of Heaven. Those who are in the public eye are not there because they glory in it, but because God needs them there.
PS Just because someone says they are an apostle, does not mean that they are. They give the real thing a bad reputation, and mess up the understanding of what God is trying to do.
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