20 Things To Know About Apostles Today

20 Things to Know About Apostles Today

Copyright 2014, Published by Peace Apostolic Ministries Published at Smashwords

Published by:

Peace Publishing

PO Box 10187

Frenchville, Queensland, Australia

Phone (in Australia) 0749269911 / (outside Australia) +61749269911

Fax (in Australia) 0749269944 / (outside Australia) +61749269944

Email: davidalley@peace.org.au

Web: www.peace.org.au

First Published, March 2013.

Second Published, April 2014.

Third Published, August 2014,

All scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Introduction:

Since the early 1990's there has been an increase of interest in the topic of apostles, apostolic ministry and what this means for the Church at large. A variety of books have been written, and not all of the information has been helpful or accurate. Many questions continue to be asked.

In some parts of the world, the concept of the apostle has been so well accepted, that thousands of pastors are now calling themselves apostles. Then there are those whose approach is more traditional, and others who view it with a degree of scepticism. This short booklet aims to answer common questions in a simple, and yet accurate way to the satisfaction of all.

The 20 points of this book were drawn after analysis of search engine query statistics, which highlighted particular questions that are being asked online. In answering these questions, the majority of information has been drawn from John Kingsley Alley's “The Apostolic Revelation,” although some content contained here is unique. This short book can be considered in part to be a summary of John's book. This is done with his permission.

The purpose of this book is to help with the advance of the Kingdom of God and written with several types of people in mind. Firstly for the pastor or leader with little time, but needing concise and accurate information. This book can be read in under an hour.

Secondly for many pastors in Asia and Africa, a regular book of 200 pages, worth about $20, is beyond their means, and is too big a file to easily download in a small Internet café. Hence this summary of information. Being quick to download, it is accessible by all, and also free of charge on our ministry website www.peace.org.au

There is limited copyright placed on these materials. As long as you agree to comply with the following four (4) conditions, you are free to copy, give away, publish, translate into other languages, and reproduce this material in any other form that will help advance the Kingdom of God.

1. The names of the authors must remain on the work, as well as the contact details for our ministry.

2. This Introduction must also be translated and included.

3. You must include your own preface/introduction, stating who published the new version, and for what purpose you intended this.

4. You provide a digital copy of your publication, so that we also have the ability to make it available to others on our website.

Please forward all translations and other information to davidalley@peace.org.au. We reserve the right to revise any translations or variations that we feel are not in the spirit of the message of apostolic grace we received from the Lord Jesus. You also have permission to recover your expenses by selling the product for a reasonable fee. We would be delighted for you to share and spread this word for the good of God's people.

In addition, you can also find many other free resources (audio, video and books) on our website at www.peace.org.au

May you find this message inspiring and discover the Holy Spirit at work in you as you read.

Many Regards

David Alley

Contents:

Chapter 1 - The Church is Changing

Chapter 2 - The Return of Apostles

Chapter 3 - Today's Need for Apostles

Chapter 4 - Who Are Some Modern Day Apostles?

Chapter 5 - The Difference Between Bible Apostles and Modern Day Apostles

Chapter 6 - What Are Apostles Like?

Chapter 7 - Qualifications to Be an Apostle

Chapter 8 - Must an Apostle See Jesus?

Chapter 9 - Are There Women Apostles?

Chapter 10 - How Many Apostles are There in the Bible?

Chapter 11 - Apostles and Spiritual Covering

Chapter 12 - How Does Apostolic Covering Work?

Chapter 13 - Eldership in the New Testament

Chapter 14 - Apostles Are Spiritual Fathers

Chapter 15 - What is a Spiritual Father?

Chapter 16 - Do Apostles Make Mistakes?

Chapter 17 - What is a False Apostle?

Chapter 18 - How to Know a False Apostle

Chapter 19 - List of Apostolic Doctrines/Beliefs

Chapter 20 - Everyone is Apostolic

Chapter 1 - The Church is Changing

An honest comparison of Christianity as a whole today, with the same 100 years ago, reveals huge contrasts, and the change continues. We can trace the roots of much change to Christ himself. From the time of the reformation onwards, God has worked with His people and brought significant adjustment to the doctrines and beliefs of the Church, and now to the heart and structure as well. Church reformation is still under-way, and seems to be increasing.

The Church is changing from being institutional to being relational. The implications of this are profound. God is looking to move beyond an organisational structure for His people. As outlined in Ephesians 4:11-16, God is working to bring the Body of Christ to complete maturity. Here are some of the things that the Holy Spirit is working to bring to pass.

Apostles will not only take their place again, but regain authority. This is not simply about restoring a position to the Body of Christ, but about the whole way the Church is structured, governed and works. This implies big shifts in the way everything occurs. The people of God will learn what apostles really are, about their grace, place, purpose and nature. Many preconceived notions will be changed in the process.

The people of God are becoming apostolic in nature. The Nicene Creed describes the Church as “one holy, catholic (universal) and apostolic Church.” God's people are going to see that being apostolic is not “just having apostles,” but is the nature of being His people. Jesus was apostolic, He was sent, and we too bear His image. The Spirit is preparing the wider Church for greater intimacy with Christ, greater love for each other, greater trust of leaders, greater willingness to serve, and more that we don't conceive. We will become like the early church, but more than they were.

God is raising a covering for His people, and it is apostles. This is a new concept for many, but it is through His anointed leaders that God wishes to cover and protect His people. The covering of Jesus (his actual robe) was seamless, and likewise God wants to raise leaders for the Church that are so united in love and purpose, that it presents a seamless covering for the Body of Christ. What we previously saw in terms of denominational or organisation “covering” is going to be superseded. Something much bigger and better is on the way. Power is on the way.

The Church will become one body. This is not outward unity such as ecumenism, but something of the heart. It's more than cooperation for a cause, but a true uniting of mind and feelings. It's the answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 where he asked God “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The prayer of Jesus was for the kind of unity that Jesus and the Father had. We have yet to see such unity, but there can be no doubt that Jesus will have His prayer answered.

We will see a New Testament eldership in each city. The early church didn't have multiple sets of elders in each city, that is our modern construct as a result of denominationalism. As God's people become one in heart and mind, it may not necessarily result in one congregation per city – there may still be many congregations – but it will result in one church per city. And one eldership. This eldership will not be elected men and women, but drawn from the existing senior leaders of God's people in the church. We are talking about an eldership different to anything we have seen or experienced. In the New Testament, the apostles appointed elders such as this.

We will see Father/Son relationships in the ministry. This is something akin to Jesus and the disciples, Paul and Timothy, Elijah and Elisha and also Moses and Joshua. As the nature of the Church becomes relational, so the ministry will become like the ministry of the early believers. It will reflect the model of Father and Son. Jesus (God) was a son to a Father, and God was also a Father to a son. This ultimately will not (and should never) be legalistic, but is a relationship of the heart. It is for true maturing of God's people.

We still have no complete concept of the fullness of God's plans. Still, it excites us that His hand is on the helm of the Church to guide. Jesus has saved the best wine for last.

Chapter 2 – The Return of Apostles.

It has been common teaching for many years that once the original apostles died out, that the apostolic age had ended. Along with this it is believed that there were no additional apostles, and moreover that we no longer need them since the completion of the canon of scripture.

Regardless of this, there are clear and significant scriptures which show us clearly that in fact Christ never stopped appointing apostles, and continues to do so now.

Everyone is familiar with Ephesians 4:11-13, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

In reading the whole of chapter 4 in context, it becomes clear that this passage is not in reference to the original apostles. Whilst they are rightly considered a gift to the church, and their work, the canon of scripture is also a gift, these verses are talking of something else. It is in verse 7 that we most clearly see this. “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” Scripture here is not talking about the original men appointed during Jesus ministry, but about apostles appointed in His ascension. It refers to something He gave, and continues to give from His place of glory at the right hand of God.

The same passage also says (in verse 13) that these gifts are given until... “we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."The maturity that this passage speaks of has not yet been realised. The gift of apostle is still needed.

A search via concordance for the greek word 'apostolos' reveals a number of other apostles named in scripture, not counting the 12. Paul, Barnabus and Timothy are but three of these. For more information please read Question 10 – How Many Apostles are in the Bible?

How Are We To Receive Them?

In the past, men of God possessed apostolic gifts, but because the Body of Christ did not accept or understand these gifts, they were not recognised as such. Today we are learning to recognise that these gifts are real, and beginning to see them in the Church. Some people, hearing the call of God to become apostles, are striving to live for Him as He calls and chooses them.

Historically we could consider people such as John Wesley, William Booth, Nicholas Zinzendorf and others to have had apostolic gifting.

For those accustomed to only talking about pastors, teachers or evangelists, accepting apostles and prophets can be quantum leap. They will need to jump. The Bible only records 1 pastor by name (Christ, the Good Shepherd) and only 1 evangelist by name (Philip) and yet many apostles and prophets.

We begin by receiving these people (gifts given by Christ) with the acknowledgement that they exist – they have work to do. We accept them as people, and allow Christ to use them for the advancement of His kingdom.

Chapter 3 – Today's Need for Apostles

There is a huge and largely unrealised need for apostles. The Church is supposed to become one, to become like Christ and to reflect Christ, and yet the Body of Christ in the main seems to be unaware that this is essential. The Church cannot be how it needs to be without becoming relational, and that is an apostolic work.

The apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 12:27-29 “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?”

The fact that God placed apostles in the Body, and placed them first, is hugely significant. Churches have a primary need for apostles and their ministry, and it cannot be understated.

Apostles are to be fathers to the Church. As an apostle Paul was a father to those under his care, and from this place he wrote, “I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” 1 Corinthians 4:14-16

The need for fathering is prominent and clearly felt, especially by pastors and leaders who are generally sent out 'as lambs among wolves.' Apostles provide more than just accountability and covering, but heart relationship, apostolic covering and care. Various statistics abound regarding pastors leaving the ministry and experiencing burnout. You can be sure that when pastors find true fathers, that this will dramatically reduce.

Apostles carry genuine authority from Christ. They have been given the right and the responsibility to put things in order. We see examples of this in the New Testament where Paul, James and others are able to work for the benefit of the whole Body of Christ because of their authority. Paul in particular expresses a clear gentleness in doing so, and a genuine apostle will also exhibit true gentleness. Examples of this authority and the giving of this authority are found in 2 Corinthians 2:8, 13:10 and also Mark 3:15)

While the Church has no apostles and continues in an institutional or organisational framework, there is no real authority. Authority then remains vested in committees, constitutions and legal documents. Yet the restoration of apostles brings with it authority and brings with it a great fresh vitality. The Body of Christ will become mobile, responsive and alert. They will be more prayerful and more powerful once in connection with apostles.

Other Reasons Apostles are Needed:

- Appointing Elders in Churches (Citywide Elderships). (1 Timothy 5:17-20, Titus 1:5-6, Acts 14:23)

- Government in the Church. (2 Corinthians 13:10, Philemon 8-9, 2 Corinthians 10:8)

- Provides Spiritual Covering. (This point is detailed well in Chapter 7 of "The Apostolic Revelation")

- To Equip Believers To Serve. (Ephesians 4:12)

- To Build Up the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12)

- To Bring the Body of Christ to Maturity. (Ephesians 4:13)

- To Bring Believers to Unity (Ephesians 4:13)

- Teaching and Instructing. (Acts 2:42-43)

Paul did much in way of example to us of what apostles do. He was needed. Imagine the early church without the apostles, and then imagine the current day church now having them.

Chapter 4 – Who Are Some Modern Day Apostles?

Many people in reading their Bibles look through religious eyes, and this can sometimes taint the ability to see clearly. The Pharisees knew their Scriptures well but didn't recognise the Messiah when He came. Over the years, people have had such a religious image of who the new testament apostles were, that they might struggle to recognise an apostle when he comes or ministers today.

To gain a clearer perspective, consider what scripture says about the apostles then:

- They were committed followers of Christ, but they sometimes struggled to pray even in important times. (Garden of Gethsemane)

- They loved Jesus and gave their whole lives, but they also fled and ran away at Calvary to save their own lives.

- They fought and argued a lot between themselves, but they also learned how to love and taught others to love.

- They had great faith at times, but at other times Jesus rebuked them for little faith.

- Peter chopped off someone's ear with a sword, and denied Christ, but was also filled with the Holy Spirit and was prominent on the Day of Pentecost. He had great courage.

- They were forgiven much and forgave much.

In Summary, they were human, but they had grace and a calling from God to be great in the Kingdom by serving. If you are looking for a spiritual super-man hero-apostle, you will probably not recognise him. If however you are looking for a down to earth person, called of God, carrying apostolic grace, devoted to service and obedience though at times making mistakes, but learning and following God wholeheartedly, then you may have found an apostle.

Apostles do work miracles and see prayers wonderfully answered, but often times they also just work hard, as best they know how with God's grace, to do what they believe God is saying to do.

Apostles Today

Today there are many who think and say that they are apostles, and this is increasing as times goes on. Not all these are necessarily apostles and ultimately for those who are called, tests will come to see if they are approved.

Some people are genuinely great ministers for Christ, but because they have a large ministry, it has been assumed they are an apostle, and some have taken the title. Others have been given the title because of the denomination, or the organisational position they are in. Still others think that because they plant churches (like Paul the Apostle), or are in a position of influence over many churches, that they must therefore be an apostle, and so have used the title. And some people also just like titles and love to call themselves apostle.

Too many of the people described above will be 'false apostles' in a 'nice' way. They do have a part to play in God's kingdom, but they are mistaken about their role and they are not apostles. One the other hand, Satan will also sow into the "field of God" false apostles who are in reality not the Lord's ministers at all. These are "false brothers" and must be recognised or they could do great damage. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 describes this scenario.

Over and above this, there is a great work of Christ in raising genuine apostles. There may be more than we realise in every nation, and they are being prepared for what God has planned. True apostles are multiplying today and being brought to maturity.

There are a various initiatives seeking to gather apostles together for relationship and support. These groups are able to validate the ministries of those they know, without that of itself being the final proof that any individual is an apostle.

Chapter 5 – The Difference between Modern and Bible Day Apostles.

There are obvious differences between the world we live in, and that in which the Bible was written. These differences are cultural, technological, and practical, plus it seems evident that the early church had more grace and power than we typically experience. Reading the book of Acts makes us feel far from being like the early Church, and yet the Bible is clear that 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:9) When Jesus conducted His first miracle in Cana the wedding host said "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." (John 2:10)

God likes to do His best things last. He doesn't start with His best thing, and then do His second best, until finally all He has are options of diminishing quality. The Body of Christ in the world today is supposed to supercede the Church in the book of Acts. This we have not yet done, and apostles are needed to help us get there.

Right now God is restoring apostles, but they don't yet have their full authority. A fuller understanding of who apostles are, and what they do has not arrived, and even those that have been called, may not understand it themselves. There is much to learn, and a journey still to take.

With the restoring of apostles, there is still much difference between what we see, (or think we see) in scripture and what we see (or appear to) see today. Part of this difference is due to the unfolding understanding, and part due to the differences already mentioned above.

So What Are The Differences?

- Modern day apostles do not yet posses the freedom and the authority that Biblical Apostles had, but they will in time.

- Modern day apostles don't effectively govern churches today, but this is where Christ is taking it.

- Modern day apostles are yet to really find their place in the Body of Christ.

- Many modern day "apostles" have not been tested to be apostles, and some of them in fact aren't apostles at all. There doesn't seem to be an adequate practical and widely understood way of how to test or approve of apostles yet.

- Modern day apostles may not "seem" like their biblical counterparts because the everyday life aspect of Biblical apostles is not mentioned much in scripture. The biblical apostles often seem more 'super' than modern day apostles.

- Modern Day apostles have conveniences available to them that their Biblical counterparts didn't have such as technology, world travel and common languages.

- Not all modern day apostles are going to be like St Paul. It is not church planting and travelling which determine apostolic gifting. Anyone can travel and plant churches.

There are some similarities between Biblical and Modern day apostles too. They should both be walking with Christ, know the mind of the Lord, be willing to serve and go wherever directed. The apostle is a "sent one" (apostolos) which in Greek means “to be sent” - an ambassador for Christ. Christ should still command His apostles and they should still listen.

Though times, languages, clothing and technology will change, one thing should remain. This is the heart of God in the apostle. The apostle should be gentle, humble, and obedient to Christ. The apostle should love, and in doing so teach the believers how to love too.

Chapter 6 – What Are Apostles Like? - The Nature of Apostles.

Apostles do a variety of things, and have a variety of personality types and traits. Aside from their own “quirks,” expressions of speech and habits, what is the nature of an apostle? It is not from the personality of the apostles that we draw this, or from the outward appearance of the ministry of an apostle, but from the character and qualities of the people themselves. When we seek to determine what qualities an apostles has, it is not skills, talents, abilities and things they “do” that we examine as much as it is of “who they are,” and what type of people they are. It is inward that we must look.

Apostles are willing to suffer. Jesus himself was a suffering servant (Isaiah 53) and an apostle. He is the example for all other apostles. Paul himself suffered and was in fact called by Christ to suffer (Acts 9:16) much. All of the original apostles suffered, and whilst not every apostle will suffer to this degree, there is or should be a willingness to endure whatever hardship presents itself for the sake of Christ. If this willingness is not present, the apostle may either not be genuine, or not yet be properly formed.

Gentleness is the hallmark of an apostle. Jesus said to learn from Him, and set the example of being gentle and humble. (Matt 11:29) Paul the apostle said 'but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.' (1 Thess 2:19) The call of an apostles demands that gentleness be associated with it. Christ, to whom all authority was given, became the least and became a servant, and became gentle. It only follows that apostles, to whom much is given, must also become low, gentle, humble and serve.

Other Qualities of Apostles:

- Servants of the Church

- Recipients of Apostolic Grace

- Great Love

- A Heart to Discipline

- Humility

- Patience

- Trustworthiness

- Undivided Loyalty to Christ

- Of a different spirit.

This qualities above have nothing to do with how charismatic a person is, or what great leadership skills they may have developed, or whether they have a mind for big business. Anyone is able to be charismatic or have a mind for big things. God is looking for a certain measure of heart. Apostles are not born, they are called, and then made as they suffer, obey, and follow Christ regardless of difficulty. It is through the years that they become the kind of people God asks them to be.

If talents or outward qualities were required, some of the world's most talented unbelieving people would be serving Christ. God is looking for people of character, and of these He calls some to be apostles. He then trains them over many years to become how He requires. Jesus took his own 12 disciples on a fast-tracked 3 year intensive boot camp, and then reinforced it up with visual demonstrations of His resurrection, and the day of Pentecost to set them correctly.

For most other apostles, the process takes longer, but still requires yieldedness and a moving of the Spirit in their lives. The Apostle Paul, even after a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, spent 14 years in the desert being moulded by Christ into the apostle he was to become. From that moment on, he still continued to grow, change and be changed.

If big ministry, success with money, business interests, charismatic leadership, prophetic gifting or big influence were the qualities of an apostle, then a lot more people would be apostles.

When the time came for Samuel to anoint a king for Israel from the sons of Jesse, he was directed by the Lord to ignore the 7 handsome older brothers and instead choose David to be King. God was looking at the heart. This is how God selects apostles.

Chapter 7 – Qualifications to Be an Apostle

The Bible lists qualifications for both elders and deacons, and although the qualifications for apostles are not listed all in one place, they are still found in Scripture. There is a reason for this.

Elders were appointed by apostles. Paul wrote to Timothy telling him what requirements elders needed to have. This was part of Paul's training of Timothy. It is also worth mentioning that the elders of the scripture are not the same thing as the elders today in any given local church. Biblical Elders were leaders over a whole 'church' in a city. Their appointment was more significant and it was essential for it to be done accurately. Today with many congregations in a city and multiple sets of elders, we have yet to see a return to the former type of eldership.

With deacons, these were appointed by leadership too and so Paul also wrote specifying the qualifications for that. The deacons in Jerusalem were appointed by a consensus of the community of believers, however it was under the direction of leadership that this happened, so in that context, it was still a leadership decision.

Apostles however are called by Christ, appointed by Christ and must declare themselves to be an apostle. It is after this that they should be tested to see if they really are an apostle. So the character of an apostle, the fruit of an apostle's life and their devotion and love to Christ and the believers will testify that their call is correct. The procedure for an apostle being selected and rising up is different to that of elders and deacons.

Three Basic Qualifications

In Mark 3:14-15 it says, "He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with him, that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons."This passage gives us 3 basic qualifications as a starting place for apostles. Firstly they must be people who are close to Christ, secondly they must be completely obedient and willing to be "sent ones," and thirdly they will have authority to do Christ's work.

Other Qualifications

The above are not the only qualifications an apostle needs. Other believers may also meet these requirements. Here are additional qualifications needed:

- Submission to Christ - not a law unto themselves. (Philippians 2:5-8)

- Willingness to suffer for Christ. (Colossians 1:24-29)

- Holiness. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

- Sincerity. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

- Grace on their lives. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

In addition, we earlier discussed the nature of the apostle, and these qualities dovetail and overlap significantly with those. Apostles should be people who love wholeheartedly, who care for the whole Body of Christ (not just their own interests), who have a heart for the poor, the widow and orphans, and who have a sacrificial life. Jesus said "You will know them by their fruit."

Some people also add that an apostle must physically see Jesus. This point is discussed in the following section.

Those who God calls, he equips. That process is not quick, it is the work of years.

Chapter 8 – Must An Apostle See Jesus?

Many believers consider that for someone to be an apostle they must have personally seen Jesus. This is not necessary.

This concept of having to personally see Jesus comes from two scriptures, which at face value seem to indicate this. Acts 1:21-22 discusses the selecting of the 12th apostle to replace Judas and says that, "one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." People therefore think that an apostle must personally have witnessed or seen Jesus to qualify.

Also in 1 Corinthians 9:1 Paul says when defending or qualifying himself that, "Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?"

Explanation of those Passages

Jesus initially appointed 12 apostles, but later on when he ascended (Eph 4:7) he gave gifts to the Body of Christ, which included the gift of apostles. (Eph 4:11) The Bible is clear that we need apostles and there would be a number of them, however the 12 apostles were specifically needed for a certain task which included the founding of the Church. Of this it was said that Judas' replacement (Matthias) must be a witness with us.

The Acts passage is not saying that to be an apostle each person must personally witness Christ. We know because later in the Scriptures other apostles are mentioned who were from other places, and were not personal witnesses of Christ's death and resurrection. Examples of apostles who were not even Jewish are Andronicas and Junias (Romans 16:7)and also Timothy and Silas (1 Thess 2:6 mentioned indirectly). Matthias was chosen to replace Judas, and was someone who was needed to fill in a specific gap.

In the Corinthians passage, Paul is giving a list of reasons of his suitability - he is making a defence of himself to others who have accused him. He uses various arguments including the facts that he saw the Lord, and was also an apostle. There is no linking of the two points but rather just stating a list of reasons. Paul is not an apostle because he saw the Lord, rather he saw the Lord, and he was also an apostle.

It does seem that many apostles do have close encounters with Christ. Today it is the same with apostles. God calls, equips and trains people to do His will wherever and however He wants. We are not saying apostles haven't seen Christ, but we are explaining that God can call them without appearing to them, even though He often does. Ultimately it will be the way Christ chooses.

Chapter 9 – Can a Woman be an Apostle?

"There is no limit to the height to which a woman may aspire in service to Christ" - John Alley

This question can be a difficult question for people, and is certainly an emotive one. But there is a positive answer that will satisfy most people, as it does the many men and women we know and are in relationship with. This question has been much more comprehensively addressed in the book, "The Apostolic Revelation" by John Kingsley Alley. Any serious consideration of this question should include a thorough reading of Chapter 6 of this book.

The Position of Women in the Old Testament

In the Old Testament, as a rule, all anointing for ministry was for men. Men had all the leadership, all the authority and all of the anointings. Men were placed in all of the offices — all the kings were men (i.e. there was no anointed queen), all the priests were men, and generally all the prophets. In the main, God’s dealings as far as appointing leaders is concerned, were exclusively with men, and leadership was always supposed to be upon men, unless God made an exception. And there were exceptions! Notably Deborah the Judge, and Miriam the Prophetess (Moses' Sister).

So in the Old Testament the established pattern was that all anointed leaders were men unless God made an exception.

But at the end of the Old Testament however we find a prophecy with a promise of bigger things to come. "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2: 28-29). This promise showed that a new day was coming.

Women in the New Testament

In the New Testament, all anointings are for men and women equally, unless again, God makes an exception. Everything in the church is for both men and women, unless God makes an exception — and it so happens that there are some apparent exceptions. But of those exceptions, which we will discuss in a moment, God can and does also make exceptions. Just as the Lord made exceptions to His general method in the Old Testament, He is as free and well able to make exceptions to the usual governmental rule of the New Testament.

The exceptions made apparent in the New Testament appear to be two - eldership and apostleship. These two points are discussed in further detail in the book.

Thus in summary, in the New Testament generally all anointings and giftings are available equally to women, but with the usual exception being the eldership and apostleship. At the same time, we must allow for grace, calling and the work of the Holy Spirit to make exceptions to this general rule as He wills.

Exceptions to the Exception

Therefore, in the same way that God made exceptions in the Old Testament so as to bring certain women to positions of significant leadership, God can also make exceptions to his New Testament exceptions.

We need to be thoughtful in realising that Miriam and Deborah are not in roles equating to apostles and elders. In the New Testament we have not one clear example of a women in either of those positions. These are the two positions of not only significant gate keeping for the Body of Christ against deception, and high level demonic powers, but these are the most authoritative governmental positions in the Body of Christ at large. For Eldership, in practice the Scriptures say 'husband of one wife,' which seems to be significant.

There are many great female leaders, some leaders of local ministries, and some of big international works. We greatly honour them and recognise the grace given to them. Women who serve the Lord are worthy of our respect and we consider them to be a gift from God to the Body of Christ.

Chapter 10 – How Many Apostles Are Mentioned in the Bible?

This is a common question. In researching it seems that the answer is not commonly known. Here is what I believe to be a comprehensive list of apostles taken, with scripture references from the New Testament.

Jesus is our first Apostle. We read this in Hebrews chapter 3. Jesus called twelve men to follow him, and these became apostles. It is these that we call the apostles of the Lamb. After Judas fell, he was replaced by Matthias, our 14th person named apostle.

After this there were other apostles, which we call ascension apostles because they were called after the ascension of Christ. The other apostles were Paul, Barnabas and James (the Lord's brother) and some Greek (non Jewish) apostles Apollos, Epaphroditus, Andonicus, Junias, Silas and Timothy. There were also 2 other unnamed apostles. This brings the total to 25 confirmed apostles in Scripture.

After these 25, there are other possible apostles in Scripture. We consider here the writer of Hebrews, Mark, Luke, Jude, and Titus. Four of these authored scripture and this was the foundation of the selection of the canon of the New Testament. The fifth (Titus) was similar in role and position to Timothy who was an apostle.

In addition, in 1 Corinthians 15:7 it mentions "all the apostles" allowing room for other unnamed apostles. There are 5 other named possibles plus other unnamed possibles.

In some versions of the Bible the word “messenger” or similar is used rather than apostle. However in the Greek the word apostolos appears with these references. A literal reading in English does not always convey apostle, but a reading in Greek does.

A complete list:

- Jesus Christ (Hebrews 3:1)

- Simon Peter (Matt. 10:2)

- Andrew (Matt. 10:2)

- James the son of Zebedee (Matt. 10:2)

- John (Matt. 10:2)

- Philip (Matt. 10:3)

- Bartholomew (Matt. 10:3)

- Thomas (Matt. 10:3)

- Matthew (Matt. 10:3)

- James the son of Alphaeus (Matt. 10:3)

- Thaddaeus (Matt. 10:3), or Judas the son of James (Luke 6:16)

- Simon the Zealot (Matt. 10:4)

- Judas Iscariot (Matt. 10:4)

- Matthias (Acts 1:26)

- Paul (Gal. 1:1)

- Barnabas (1 Cor. 9:5-6, Acts 14:4, 14)

- Andronicas (Rom. 16:7)

- Junias (Rom. 16:7)

- James, the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19)

- Silas (Silvanus) (1 Thess. 1:1, 2:6)

- Timothy (1 Thess. 1:1, 2:6)

- Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25) - The word apostolos does not appear in most English translations but does appear in the Greek, Strong's word 652, Apostolos.

- Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6-9 & 1 Corinthians 3:22)

- 2 Unnamed Apostles (2 Corinthians 8:23) - in many English versions it says messenger, but in Greek, Apostolos.

Possible Other Apostles

- Jude the Brother of Jesus is considered a possibility. He was considered an apostle by early believers and church patriarchs. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistle_of_Jude)

- Mark and Luke. Some early Church Fathers considered them to be apostles as they had authored Scripture.

- The writer of Hebrews may have been an apostle as he authored scripture.

- Titus. Similar in position and role to Timothy who was an apostle.

- Possible other unnamed apostles (1 Corinthians 15:7)

Starting with the 25 confirmed apostles in Scripture, plus the 5 named possible apostles you have a total of 30, not withstanding the Scripture referring to "all the apostles."

Chapter 11 – Apostles and Spiritual Covering

The word 'covering' is not new around the church. We have all heard references to spiritual covering, like: - "Who is your spiritual covering?", "What is your spiritual covering?", or "You should be under covering," etc.

Generally this expressed the need for everyone to be a member of a church. The pastor of that church (or the church itself) was seen as your spiritual covering. To say you were ‘under covering’ meant that you ‘belonged’ somewhere in the Body of Christ, and by belonging to a specific church this provided you with your bona fides as a Christian. This meant you were not independent, you were submitted and accountable, you had a shepherd (someone who watched over your soul, someone who could presumably correct you if you were deceived or went wrong) and because of that you would be seen as a genuine Christian. Thus you were seen as being "under covering."

Covering is a Great Deal More Than That

Covering is in fact more that this, and occupies another dimension entirely. Under true covering, spiritual power is flowing and is at work because something appointed by Christ is in place. A spiritual covering is a spiritual force field which helps bring in good things (blessings) and keep out bad things (protection). The life and power is provided by those anointings of Christ that flow through apostles, directly or indirectly.

The covering of Christ is vested in certain men (i.e. specific individuals). God has always done things this way and there are many Scriptural examples. Adam was a covering for the entire human race and when he fell, we all fell. Abraham was a covering to us and because of his standing as the Father of Faith, we are children of Abraham and we inherit blessing because of him. Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles and a Father to us all. We have inherited much good and blessing because of Paul. The Bible has many examples of men whose lives were a covering to others and through them God was able to bless and protect His people.

If we would have the full measure of the blessing of Christ, we need to have in place the relationships appointed by Christ that are a covering for us. By this we see that our lives are affected by other people. Our lives are impacted by those who are over us in the Lord whether we like this concept or not.

In churches where there is an anointed leader and unity amongst the supporting leadership, there is always a certain level of covering and protection. This kind of leadership which seeks to follow Christ and work together always provides a good place for people to grow in Christ, to serve, to be blessed and to find what God has planned.

However there is a level of covering that is even above this - an apostolic covering. When we are in proper relationship directly or indirectly with the apostle's that God has placed over us, we find that this brings covering, blessing, protection, and a spiritual dynamic of good that we may not even understand. This apostolic covering is the covering of Christ.

You can read more detail about this in "How Does Apostolic Covering Work?" - and cover this concept in depth in Chapter 7 of "The Apostolic Revelation" book.

Chapter 12 – How Does Apostolic covering Work?

The life of one person can have an affect on many. Spiritual covering is a grace or anointing on a person, more specifically an apostle or leader appointed by Christ. This is an in-depth topic and is covered comprehensively in chapter 7 of "The Apostolic Revelation."

In the beginning Adam was the "Father" to the human race. The consequences of his actions affected us all. His fall was tragic and the result was that the choices of one affected many. Adam was a covering for the whole human race, and that became faulty.

The result of Adam's faulty covering was the coming of Christ as a second Adam. Because of His righteous life and obedience to Christ, restoration of all good things became possible. The life of one affects the many who place their trust in Him. Christ becomes a covering to all who place our lives under His care.

More Examples

Moses was called as one man to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and as such He was given anointing to lead. Moses provided for them a covering, was a Father to them, and in Hebrews it says all were "baptised into Moses." While this sounds strange, it emphasises how God uses one man as a covering to His people.

Abraham was the father of many nations, and through Christ he becomes our father. We inherit the blessings of God given to Abraham. Here is a powerful example of covering as an anointing, and means of blessing and grace, if we are under the covering. Here is an example of one man providing covering and blessing to many.

Through Scripture there are more and more examples of how God used just one person as a covering for His people. It is God's way of doing things. King David was the "Shepherd of Israel. "Apostle Paul was the "Apostle to the Gentiles" and a "Father in Christ" whereas Peter was the "Apostle to the Jews" and Christ said that Peter was a rock on which He was going to build the church. Peter is a Father to all of us as Christians today.

The Nature of Covering

Apostolic covering is actually the covering of Christ. It is something provided by God to His people and He uses apostles to provide it. Through this covering there is grace and blessing provided to God's people, and in addition there is protection, accountability and belonging too. To benefit from the covering of Christ we need to have hearts given to our leaders.

The giving of the heart is a choice to serve and to care for your leader. When the heart is given, and you are in right relationship, then the gate opens for the channel of blessing to flow. This is something that applies to all believers in addition to ministries and ministers.

Chapter 13 – Eldership in the New Testament.

Christians everywhere agree that there is only one Church and that all believers must walk together in unity, but the reality is that in the majority of locations, there is either no unity, it is superficial, or not complete. It doesn't help when believers regard others as not belonging to Christ, and this is a great resistor to true “unity of the heart.” In a typical location there will be a variety of denominational congregations, one or two non-denominational congregations, a few house churches and a bunch of non affiliated believers. In each congregation will be a set of elderships (or group of deacons) and they will generally have little or no relationship with other sets of elders, from other congregations, in the same city. Also these 'elders' in these congregations are often 'lay people' not called to the ministry, but simple 'good people' committed to Christian life.

The contrast with the above is evident in the Scriptures, for example. "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." Titus 1:5-6.

Elderships were appointed in the Bible on a town by town, or city by city basis. In the book of Revelation Christ wrote letters to churches... the Church of Ephesus, the Church of Philadelphia and so on. In the mind of Christ, there is only one Church in each location.

Because so many believers today think it's normal for the church to be fragmented they may have never considered that the elderships and the leadership structures we have may not be Biblical. With only one church in each location (according to the Bible), then there should also only be one eldership (local church leadership) in each location too.

Once we move from the point of having many sets of elders to only one set in a given location, we then start to reconsider the type of people who are appointed as elders. This is where the list of qualifications for eldership given by Paul to Timothy becomes important. It becomes obvious that we would not just pick 'good people' committed to Christian life, but people with a genuine call to Christ, to serve, teach and preach.

The Scriptures are full of references to " the apostles and the elders". In Acts 15, we see this phrase a number of times. Biblically the elders are the leaders of the Church in a given location. In a city there might be many ministries (local congregations) and many other works of Christ but there will only be a handful of elders, and these will be selected from amongst the five-fold ministers already in the city. Elders are chosen from existing ministers in a city.

Understand this concept, reveals much about how we perceive eldership in the New Testament times. We are not talking about a few slightly more spiritual men and women in a local congregation who volunteer their time for leadership, and who may rotate every 3 years, or serve in this role because of a vote. We are talking about men called by Christ to lifelong ministry, selected because of their dedication and qualifications (according to Timothy), appointed by apostles and called to walk in love with the other elders to lead the whole Church in their city. We are talking about something different to anything we have seen or experienced in our lifetimes.

This is something we haven't witnessed yet, but as apostles are restored, we will see change in the Body of Christ, including the restoration of true biblical eldership. As God changes the Body of Christ from being institutional (denominational/organisational) to being relational, the years ahead are going to prove exciting.

There is a call to prayer - prayer for right relationship between leaders, prayer for the restoration of apostles, prayer for the unity of the Body of Christ in your city, and prayer for the restoration of city wide elderships. Will you answer the call to prayer?

Chapter 14 – Apostles are Spiritual Fathers.

God has appointed and continues to appoint "fathers" throughout Scripture and history for varying reasons. Abraham is the "Father of many nations", Adam is the "Father of the human race", Jacob is the "Father of Israel", Paul is the "Father to the Gentiles" and the Bible says he became a "Father to us all".

God uses certain called and anointed men and individuals for the role of fathering. Apostles are also spiritual fathers in the Body of Christ because they are needed for the role of father, and through this Christ wants to bless and strengthen the Church.

When a child has no parents, there are certain things that child will never receive, even from other adults. A father imparts to a child identity, courage, security, discipline and blessing. When fathers (think apostles) are missing from the Body of Christ the Body is also missing identity, blessing, and many of the things which Christ intends it to have. Even Christ, despite His perfection, received words of encouragement and identity from His Father in Heaven, And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:17) We need fathers in the Body of Christ to strengthen, give identity, and be a source of blessing and covering that helps the Church become what it needs to become. This is true even for mature believers.

In Ephesians 4:11-13, the role of apostles is to mature the Church, something fathers are able to do. The following Biblical description of the apostolic ministry comes alive for us when we are more informed of the importance of the father's role. "As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children... For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God..." - 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7, 11-12

The last words of the Old Testament provided warning, saying that that the Prophet Elijah was coming to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers" or else there would be a curse. Fathering in the Body of Christ removes a curse of some description on the land. As we see apostles restored to the Body of Christ, we are seeing the return of fathering and the nature of relational Christianity. We will find that as the heart comes back into these relationships there will be great victory for the Kingdom. We were always meant to have fathers, and they are apostles.

Chapter 15 – What is a Spiritual Father?

"From the beginning God had revealed Himself to be a personal God, but more amazing is this; when Christ came in the flesh as the great revelation of God, He revealed God to be God in Father and Son." - The Apostolic Revelation, Chapter 9.

God is a Father to a Son, and also a Son to a Father - the nature of God is revealed to us in this dynamic relationship. Why should we be surprised if the Body of Christ were also to have these kinds of fathering and sonship relationships throughout. It does in fact, and the Bible is also full of the examples and language of sonship. Once you notice it, you find it is everywhere as demonstrated here. A search of your own will find even more examples:

- "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." (John 5:19)

- "Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us..." (John 17:20)

- "I became your father through the gospel" - Apostle Paul, (1 Corinthians 4:15)

- "To bring many sons to glory" (Hebrews 2:10)

- "This is my beloved Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased." (Matt 3:17)

- "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6)

- "I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending you Timothy, my son whom I love." (1 Corinthians 4:16)

- "To Titus, my true son in our common faith" (Titus 1:4)

- "You are no longer a slave, but a son" (Galatians 4:7)

- "You received the Spirit of Sonship" (Romans 8:15)

Many verses that include the word son are not in reference to being a son/s of God, but also to being son/s of other people who are not biologically related. The concept of sonship in scripture is not only toward God our Father, but also toward other 'fathers' that God placed in the earth for our benefit. It's true that we are brothers of Christ and as such are adopted as sons, but the volume of references that mention sons and 'earthly' fathers in reference to each other shows it something for here and now, and between people too.

So sonship is not only toward God, but toward leaders (fathers) over us in the Lord. A spiritual father is more than just a "godparent." A spiritual father is someone who cares for us, who imparts to us love, identity, spiritual covering, who prays for us, and is concerned for our well being. In return we love, honour, serve, and care. We also give in return to make our spiritual fathers work easy, and receive covering from them, and grace, and the blessing of Christ.

A spiritual father is someone God has placed in our lives for our spiritual well being. We should submit to them, give our hearts and serve and honour them. In return God will bring good to us through them. They are a source of life to us through Christ.

Through this the example of the Father and Son becomes alive and real. God our Father in Heaven had a Son, Jesus Christ, who is also God. So God is a son as well as a Father. And the Body of Christ will have the same function and form as God, we are made in His image. We too will have fathers and sons.

For more detail you will need to read Chapter 9 of "The Apostolic Revelation."

Chapter 16 – Do Apostles Make Mistakes?

All apostles are human, and all humans make mistakes. This doesn't give apostles a license to sin. All believers must guard the heart and the mind and strive to walk before Christ and with each other in integrity. All believers must be on the watch against false motives, wrong attitudes, and choose submission, service, and love. This includes apostles more than anyone.

Do fathers make mistakes? Yes, even the best dads do. This doesn't disqualify them from being a father, or even from being a good father. It certainly does not change a family's need to have such a father, and to continue to receive the love and leadership of such a father. Neither does it remove the love of all the members of the family for the father. Not in a good family. Usually mistakes honestly dealt with will draw a family closer together, and result in increased closeness. In a good family this should happen.

In the family of God mistakes can and will happen. In this way we all learn and we maintain our love and dependence on each other. Mistakes are not a bad thing if they are dealt with properly with a right spirit. This will help bring the whole Church to maturity.

Biblical Examples

The Scripture has many examples of times when genuine apostles made mistakes, or pursued things which were a dead end, or spoke their own thoughts rather than the Lord's.

- "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong..." - Galatians 2:11

- "Forgive me this wrong" - Paul - 2 Corinthians 12:13

The Bible has other examples showing the humanity of apostles, like when Paul in writing Scripture used his own opinions with the words "in my judgement" when talking about marriage. In Acts 15:7-10 Paul tried to cross the border of Mysia and enter Bithynia to preach the gospel, but the Holy Spirit wouldn't allow them. Later that night he had a vision of a man from Macedonia calling them. Paul felt to do a certain thing, but wasn't aware of the Lord's will until it was later revealed. Sometimes apostles (and all believers) will think God wants a certain thing but be mistaken.

Genuine apostles do make mistakes and are fallible, but that doesn't negate the fact that they are called, and have a grace from God for certain tasks. Nobody expects pastors or evangelists or teachers to be infallible, and neither are apostles or prophets. All are called by God, given grace, and anointed and still must walk with Christ in humility to fulfil their call.

Sometimes there are people who claim to be apostles, but have serious error in their lives. For these situations the Bible has clear directions for how to deal with people who are "false apostles" or people who have fallen into serious sin.

Chapter 17 – What is a False Apostle?

There are never false or counterfeits without there being the genuine. Nobody produces a $99 bill because it would immediately be recognised as a fake. Because there are genuine apostles, the evil one produces the false in an attempt to thwart the work of God. The church must accept, honour, and follow true apostles, yet at the same time be discerning, and guard against, and reject the false apostle.

It seems the early church, knew they were supposed to test, or assess, the claims of apostles so as to guard against false ministry. It was common in the early church to receive travelling ministers, and communication was not what it is today. Jesus commended the Ephesian church for testing and rejecting false apostles (Revelation 2:2), and Paul remonstrated with the Corinthian church for failing to do so, after having been deceived by boastful men with false motives. (2 Corinthians 11:13)

At the same time, it would be a grave mistake to assume that false apostles are as prevalent as true and genuine apostles of Christ. This is simply not so, and the New Testament gives us a right and healthy perspective. Biblical references that honour apostles abound, whereas false apostles are referred to in just the two places which we have already quoted in the previous paragraph. There is far more mention of false prophets, false teachers, false brothers and even false Christ's than there are of false apostles. Perhaps this is to do with the nature of the ministry of apostles. The fact remains that the enemy will attempt to counterfeit every aspect of the life of the church, each ministry anointing, and the teaching of the truth itself.

A false apostle is someone who claims to have apostolic ministry, claims to be called of God as an apostle and claims leadership and government over God's people, but they are not genuinely called. They may be misled and sincerely believe they are called when they aren't, but they are still believers. Other false apostles are false brethren sown into the church by the evil one.

Today we have people now thinking that they are apostles, and claiming that position for themselves. As time progresses and we come into a greater understanding of what it means to be an apostle, according to God's definition, some of these people will realise, or others will realise, that they are not apostles. This would not make them false brethren but just misinformed about what an apostle is. As understanding comes, God will order the Body of Christ, and His people will all take their places. We will become better at knowing what apostles are, and what they do, and it will become easier to test and know the true from the false.

The best way to know the false is to be well acquainted with the genuine.

Chapter 18 – How to Know a False Apostle?

There are only two references to false apostles in the entire bible and given so, it would be a mistake to assume that there are more false apostles than genuine. Given the many references to apostles in scripture, and just the few to false apostles, it seems fair to conclude that it is only occasionally we encounter the false apostle. We must become well acquainted with the genuine so that the fake will be easy to notice.

What signs should we look for in discerning the false from the true. Paul describes false apostles in 2 Corinthians 11 by saying that:

- They commend themselves and boast beyond proper limits.

- They lead believers astray from pure and sincere devotion to Christ.

- They preach another Jesus and a different gospel

- They create the impression that they are "super" apostles.

- They look for opportunity to be considered equal with true apostles.

- They are deceitful

- They are servants of Satan and will be judged.

- They push themselves forward, even to the point of abuse and control.

There are two passages in the New Testament with serious warnings about false leadership in the church. From these passages we can glean information about what to consider and watch for in testing for false apostolic ministry. We consider Jude 3-16 and 2 Peter 2 and the characteristics there are listed below:

- Corruption in the heart - false motives such as envy, rivalry, greed, and other selfish motives.

- Quick to claim leadership for themselves and equally quick to find fault and exclude others. They are defined by Jude as grumblers and fault-finders, and Peter said they were bold and arrogant.

- Motivated by self interest rather than love of Christ and the brethren, and this is the "way of Balaam." They use boasting and flattery to establish themselves and achieve their ends.

- They despise authority, so they will oppose apostles who they seek to undermine. They will themselves be unsubmitted to true spiritual leadership that God has appointed.

- They are under serious judgement and will be repaid with "harm" for what they have done. "Their end will be what their actions deserve", "their destruction has not been sleeping", and "for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever."

Christ said that "By their fruit you will recognize them." (Matt 7:16) God has given genuine apostles to the Body, and grace flows from their lives to us as a result of their calling and anointing. The false apostle however does not produce this fruit, and the Body of Christ as it becomes familiar with the real, will learn to recognise the false.

Chapter 19 – Everyone is Apostolic – Being an Apostolic People.

The Body of Christ has numerous parts, and although the majority are not apostles, all should be apostolic, it is God's intent. Apostolic qualities should be common to all believers, and working through them, creating apostolic life and character.

In Psalm 32:8-9 it says "Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding, but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." The word of significance here is "understanding" because this is what Scripture says we must have. God is looking for a group of people, it could be 50, or it could be 200 that He can place understanding on, which is an anointing of the Holy Spirit, (Isaiah 11:2) and then they will have one heart and one mind to do the will of God. A group such as this would be an example of an apostolic people.

We have two examples of this type of thing in Scripture. The first is the early church who were "of one heart and mind" (Acts 4:32) and the result of this apostolic nature was staggering. The known world was turned upside down. The second example was in Israel during the days of King David when "the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord." (2 Chron 30:12)

A majority of believers have little understanding of the Lord's ways, and the result of this is there is a lack of unity, love and power. The majority of sermons while they have great educational value, do little to influence actual outcomes in a significant way. But when God gives the spirit of understanding to a group of people, they become one in heart and mind. This is the anointing that was poured out on the day of Pentecost on the early church. This anointing of understanding is supposed to be on all believers and should make us to be an apostolic people.

It is grace which changes an individual person, and in a similar way, the grace or understanding will corporately change a group of people who are willing.

What is an Apostolic People

An apostolic people or group is not just a group that has apostles, rather it is a group that has certain qualities, such as:

- Understanding of God's will and a desire to do it

- Unity between believers - absence of competition and striving

- Community - willingness to work together and honour each other.

- Admiration of each other - believers like each other.

- One heart and mind.

- Clothed with Christ's authority

- Submission to authority

- Faith and the fear of the Lord

- Willingness to accept responsibility

- Prayer and the willingness to pray

And there are also some particular apostolic qualities such as:

- Willingness to go - to be sent at any time.

- God shows them things - the direction to go

- Willingness to suffer, to be patient in hardship

- Undivided loyalty to Christ

- Surrender to Christ

Apostolic Christianity is an experience of walking with Christ, where for each believer these qualities are real, tangible, and personal to their faith. Each believer experiences the dealings of God, as intimately and as personally as Abraham and Paul did. Anything less, or anything else, is not the apostolic faith, but only religion.

Believers who are apostolic in nature will walk in humility, be teachable, and submitted. They will honour leaders and walk in faithfulness in relationships rather than just for convenience or to get ahead. They will be accountable, transparent, open and honest, and will love from the heart. They will lay down their lives for each other. They will operate as a community. They will be a people who although they have rights, will not cling to them.

The Church has not yet become apostolic, but will. As Christ restores apostles, the church will begin to get back its apostolic nature and we will become mature, not lacking anything. The future is going to be different.

Chapter 20 – List of Apostolic Doctrine – Apostolic Beliefs.

Listed below are a number of significant things we believe the Bible says about apostles. This is not a creed, and neither is it necessarily comprehensive. This is not to be confused with any list of apostolic doctrines as listed by any number of apostolic denominational churches. When we speak here of apostolic doctrine we are not talking denominationally, but simply rather in terms of New Testament life and what the Bible has to say.

- Jesus initially appointed 12 apostles - Apostles of the Lamb.

- Later Jesus appointed additional apostles and continues to appoint them - Ascension Apostles.

- There are 25 apostles mentioned in Scripture including Christ himself.

- Apostles are 5 fold ministers called by Christ with certain tasks to perform.

- Apostles and prophets are the foundations of the Church and Christ is the cornerstone.

- Apostles help to build lives together - they teach the Church how to love.

- Apostles are needed until the Church is completely mature.

- To be an apostle you must be called of Christ, and go through times of testing and maturing.

- An apostle does not necessarily have to see Christ physically or have witnessed the resurrection.

- Typically, apostles are men, the Bible is ambiguous about the possibility of women apostles. God is free to do what He wants.

- Apostles provide spiritual covering to God's people - which is a covering of grace, an anointing.

- Apostles are fathers to God's people.

- Apostles are Sent Ones - and the people of God are supposed to be apostolic in nature as well.

- Apostles are human and can make mistakes.

- Sometimes false apostles arise and we must learn how to recognise them.

- To recognise a false apostle, we must be familiar with the genuine.

- The hallmark of a genuine apostle is gentleness.

- Apostles are not necessarily church planters.

- Fame, fortune or charisma are not necessarily apostolic qualities or to be desired for such.

- Apostles seek to be servants.

- Apostles are acquainted with suffering.

In "The Apostolic Revelation" all of the above beliefs are well expounded. If you have an questions, please contact us via our website at www.peace.org.au – we would love to hear from you.

In addition, as part of the formal doctrinal statement of Peace Christian Church and it's ministry Peace Apostolic Ministries, we have included the following as our statement of belief regarding the restoration of the apostolic nature of the Church.

Concerning apostles and apostolic ministry, we believe that Christ has appointed apostles in every generation, and continues to appoint apostles today just as He did for the first century church. These apostles are called, equipped and appointed to express the authority of Christ in the church and provide leadership for the church. Apostles today have the same authority, given by grace and exercised through grace, as did the first apostles, except that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments may not be changed or added to. The apostolic church of Jesus Christ is personal and relational, rather than institutional. Apostles exercise a personal ministry, and a relational and spiritual authority. The authority of Jesus Christ rests upon each apostle personally through a holy anointing, the degree of which may vary depending on the anointing given, but is not conferred by institutional office. As taught in Holy Scripture, the churches of Jesus Christ are meant to recognise the apostolic office, receive those true apostles sent by Christ but reject the false, maintain a heart of submission towards the spiritual authority of apostles, and live in harmony with their biblical way of life and teaching. The institutions of the Christian church are not to control the apostolic ministry, but to serve it and thereby serve Jesus Christ. Apostles seek to bring the people of God into freedom, and are not authoritarian or controlling. The goal of the apostolic ministry is to bring the believers into community. The true apostle is also in submission to others, and this submission will be evident in the relationships in which the apostle walks.

About the Author

David Alley works for Peace Apostolic Ministries and serves John Alley as not only a biological son but a spiritual son in the kingdom of God. David started in the ministry as a pastor at the age of 19 and continues to serve with a big heart for evanglism, missions and the gospel. David also runs a web hosting business hosting both business and church clients from 3 continents. David is married to Marie who is from California, and they have 7 children.

More Books by David:

Spiritual Fathers and Spiritual Sons

Achieving Apostolic Community

Why Jesus Won't Return Before 2040

The Grey Missionary

Follow David:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/webtechqld

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=87277913

Blog: http://www.davidalley.com.au

Sermons: http://www.peace.org.au/user/69

Website: www.webtechnologyqueensland.com

Email: davidalley@peace.org.au