Authority of Apostles & Prophets - Response to Remnant Radio & Joseph Mattera
There has been an attack on apostolic and prophetic ministries by people from within the charismatic church. These attacks are being used by the enemy to hinder believers from trusting in and sitting under apostolic and prophetic ministries which are crucial for bringing believers to maturity and building the church. Some leaders are teaching that modern-day apostles and prophets do not carry the same authority as apostles and prophets in the first-century church. Also, they teach that the Lord does not give additional understanding, strategies, or revelation through apostles and prophets.
This article will examine these arguments and more using scripture to determine if these teachings are valid or false. It’s interesting that those in the charismatic church who are teaching these things are claiming to hold to the scripture. Although whenever they speak about these certain doctrines, they give no scriptures to validate or substantiate their belief systems or teachings. This is extremely problematic, especially coming from teachers who have seminary degrees. It seems that some leaders are backing down from biblical truths because Pharisees (unbelieving believers) are pressuring them or because they have experienced leaders who have misused spiritual authority.
This article will directly address the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) statement from Joseph Mattera and Dr. Michael Brown. This article will also address some statements and teachings that have come from a ministry called Remnant Radio. I understand there have been modern-day Pharisees that have labeled many in the Charismatic church as NAR, even if they don’t adhere to all the doctrines that are bundled together in the “NAR” definition. This is problematic and causing division in the church. I believe these modern-day Pharisees are disbelieving some of the things that scriptures reveal for the New Testament church, forming their own doctrine, and then attacking charismatic groups who actually believe the word of God.
If we are going to stay in the truth, then we must follow what the scriptures state about the New Testament church. The Lord Jesus has given us his blueprint for how the church should be and how leadership is established in the church. If the Lord wanted there to be changes to any of these things, He would have put those changes in His word. Therefore, if there are changes that are being taught by the current church that are not in scripture, we can be sure that those things being taught have come from the traditions of men or doctrines of demons. The only safe place during the end of this age is in the revealed word of God.
Abuses in the Charismatic Church
Obviously, there have been many abuses in the charismatic church, and I have been addressing those issues since 2015. Just a few of the issues I have addressed are false doctrine, false teaching, false prophecy, false prophets, false apostles, and an extreme overemphasis by the charismatic church regarding ministry and gifts of the Holy Spirit. With those things aside, we must still hold to the scriptures and believe what they say, or we will drift into false doctrine and apostasy. It’s not alright to reject things the scriptures teach regarding the Holy Spirit or the leadership gifts of Christ. By doing so, we can negatively impact the church and be a hindrance to what the Lord is doing on the Earth.
Being hurt by an immature church leader claiming to be an apostle does not justify forming a doctrine that states modern-day apostles have diminished authority and are merely church planters. I have heard one or two members of Remnant Radio make comments surrounding these issues. Scripture does not teach that apostles are merely missionaries and church planters, and these are erroneous teachings that could have come out of spiritual abuse and hurt (or from seeing others hurt). Peter, James, John, and a number of other apostles stayed in Jerusalem for many years functioning as elders and overseers of the church. They were the “pillars” or primary leaders of the church in that city. There were other elders or overseers as well who were prophets and teachers (just like the church in Antioch).
To teach that apostles are not overseers and that they are merely missionary church planters is a clear contradiction to the biblical blueprint of the first-century church. Obviously, the Lord functioned a bit differently through Paul. Paul did travel and function as an evangelist in order to get people saved and plant new churches. Then he was an overseer to overseers of those churches. If Paul was not an overseer to those church leaders, then he would not have had the authority to bring correction or say most of the things he said in his letters to the churches. The scriptures teach us that different graces or anointings are given to different apostles and that not all apostles were “missionaries.” It’s also obvious that Paul’s authority extended to much more than what the modern church has termed “missionaries.” Missionaries are really just disciples of Jesus Christ who have been sent by Him to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:17-18, Luke 10:1-12).
Abusive, manipulating, and controlling leaders should not be in ministry, but unfortunately we live in a world where broken people commission themselves into ministry before they are ready for it. These leaders have caused great damage to the church and will continue to do so. Most of us have been hurt by these types of leaders. The wise will not stay under these ministries for a long period of time, because the longer you stay, the more spiritually damaged you will become. If we are damaged by a leader who is claiming to be an apostle, the correct response is to focus our blame on that leader and whatever immaturity in ourselves that chose to follow that leader and submit to that system. We then must let the Lord fully heal us before we do any ministry.
We should not alter our biblical beliefs based on negative experiences by leaders who are full of mixture. If we create new doctrine (such as apostles don't have the same authority anymore) based on our spiritual abuse, then we are creating something that will damage the church. We will then sow our bad theology into the church, and believers could be hindered from progressing all the way with the Lord to full spiritual maturity.
False Doctrine in NAR
Mixed in with what has been termed the New Apostolic Reformation Movement is false doctrine such as preterism, amillennialism, dominionism, seven mountains theology (taking over and ruling the seven cultural spheres of influence within a society), and erroneous teachings that state God does not judge (which empowers a false or perverted grace message). I believe that if we want to be grounded in the word of God, we must reject these doctrines. These doctrines are unbiblical and they hurt the church. Clearly, Revelation chapters 13 and 17 show that the beast, or antichrist, will establish a global system of commerce, religion, and world government (which includes military control) for the final 3 1/2 years of this age. These scriptures make it evident that the church will not be taking dominion over the entire earth or conquering the seven cultural mountains that control society before Jesus Christ returns.
Just because there is false doctrine within what has been defined as the NAR movement doesn’t mean we have any right to reject other biblical teaching within the NAR movement. Believers who overreact and throw out Bible-based teaching will find themselves in a ditch of deception just as those who believe false doctrines that are not in the Bible. Unfortunately, there is not space in this article to address these false doctrines in detail.
Apostolic Authority Will Decrease
It is unscriptural to teach that apostolic authority will weaken or decrease as the church age progresses towards the end of the age. There are not any scriptures that state this, indicating that this doctrine is coming from the natural mind of man and is indeed a tradition of men. Some teachers argue that because scripture is no longer being written, it proves the authority of modern-day apostles is nothing more than that of a missionary or church planner. This teaching is actually contradictory to scripture, diminishes the gifts of Christ, and is just inaccurate.
The Greek word used for “apostle” means “apostle, messenger, or he that is sent.” It does not mean missionary or church planter. Obviously an apostle can be given grace to do those things, but those things don’t define or limit them. An apostle is one sent forth from God who carries the Lord’s message. A real apostle does more than give a message; they are the message. Christ works His message within their spirits over many grueling years of discipleship with Him. As the apostle releases the message of Christ to the church, a revelation of Jesus Christ is imparted to believers.
Obviously, the Lord is no longer writing scripture, and the teaching of modern apostles is not on the same level as scripture. But just because an apostle doesn’t write scripture does not subtract from their authority. In fact, most of the apostles in the first-century church did not write scripture. So does that mean that they did not carry true apostolic authority like the apostles who did write scripture? Therefore, writing scripture is not a qualification to be an apostle or to carry apostolic authority. Only a few of the first-century apostles were given grace by the Holy Spirit to write scripture. When examining the word of God, we can easily discern error in teaching, such as “apostles have to write scripture in order to be an apostle.”
James the Apostle
Remnant Radio and some others teach the modern apostles do not carry the same level of authority as the first 12 apostles. Where is this revelation found in scripture? This sounds like a “new revelation” that is outside of scripture and cannot be proven with scripture. It’s otherwise known as a man-made revelation that cannot be verified by the word of God. Did Paul have less apostolic authority than the original 12? He certainly functioned in the same authority and possibly even in a greater measure than the 12. It could also be argued that James (the Lord’s half-brother) was entrusted with a slightly greater measure of apostolic authority than the 12 since he was the main leader of the church in Jerusalem (with the other apostles and other elders, who were prophets and teachers, functioning with him in overseeing the church).
James (the Lord's brother) was the lead apostle in the church in Jerusalem. We see that in Acts 15:13-20, James was the apostle that held the authority to make the final decision at the council. He passed the final judgment and issued the decree. In Acts 21:17-18, Paul came to James, indicating that he held a higher seat of authority than the 12 or than any of the other elders (prophets and teachers). The Holy Spirit was very specific in showing us which leader Paul reported to in the church in Jerusalem. Even when the church in Jerusalem sent believers to Antioch, it was James who sent them.
“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.” (Galatians 2:11-12 NKJV)
The Holy Spirit wants us to understand that James was the leader who had the authority to send these men to the church in Antioch. We should take note when the Lord gives us three different witnesses in scripture where James is specifically looked to as the leader of the church by the other apostles, elders, and believers. Many pastors in our day have chosen to ignore this fact. We can submit to the Lord’s will or choose our own will. The following scripture shows that James (not one of the 12) was also an apostle:
“Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother.” (Galatians 1:18-19 NKJV)
It could be argued that Paul would be considered the lead apostle in the church in Antioch because of the measure of grace given to him. The Lord does not change and has always appointed leaders of His people such as Moses, Joshua, and the judges in the Old Testament. James (the Lord's brother) did not rule the church in Jerusalem in an authoritative or domineering way. The other apostles, prophets, and teachers (eldership) definitely carried spiritual authority and had a large amount of input into leadership decisions. A real apostle will not try to do everything himself but gladly accept counsel from all the elders. It's prideful and foolishness if we think we have all the answers and don't need others to help with decision-making.
True apostolic leaders empower other leaders as the Lord reveals their gifts and callings. Real apostles will allow other leaders to be in charge of their God-given callings such as worship, intercession, evangelism, or shepherding. A good leader allows others to oversee the area of their anointing and doesn't try to control them. Other elders definitely have the authority to remove an apostle from ministry if that lead apostle becomes compromised by disqualifying sins. Leadership must be qualified according to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1.
The church should be governed by elders according to 1 Corinthians 12:28, not ministry boards created to gain tax-exempt status. Ministry boards are unbiblical and not the way the Lord wants His church leadership to be set up. Churches that have ministry boards governing the church or overseeing the main leader are adhering to an American church model that is not authorized in scripture. This is a prime example of men doing what is right in their own eyes and disregarding the Bible. We come to fullness by submitting to God's way of doing things, not arguing for or making excuses for our own way.
Obviously, modern-day apostles and prophets do not carry the same authority as the authoritative word of God. I don’t know anyone who teaches that or believes that. To assert that this is a fundamental teaching among modern apostles and prophets is just a fallacy. However, the Lord can speak through apostles and prophets, and if we as believers hear the Lord through them, we do have a responsibility to obey. If the minister is saying something out of their own heart and mind, then we obviously do not have a responsibility to listen to what they’re saying. But all believers need to know the voice of the Lord for themselves and have a firm foundation in the Bible so that they can distinguish the Lord's voice from other voices. John chapter 10 says that the Lord’s sheep know his voice. We are all required to obey the Lord however he chooses to speak or by whoever he chooses to speak through. (Much of my messages and writings address false prophets and false apostles, so I will not be addressing that subject at length in this article).
A modern-day missionary is not necessarily an apostle. They could be an apostle if they are planting churches, starting a network of churches, and overseeing all those churches. That would fit a partial definition of true apostolic ministry. However, most missionaries are simply going to other countries and preaching the gospel to get people born again, which is closer to the ministry of an evangelist. Therefore, I would argue that the majority of missionaries are simply preachers of the gospel and functioning similarly to Philip the evangelist in Acts chapter 8, or they could just simply be disciples fulfilling the great commission. To equate all modern-day apostles as missionaries is simply false and a tradition of men. Many pastors do not want to recognize true apostolic authority and will create their own doctrines in order to dismiss clear biblical authority.
Note: I do not adhere to the erroneous "covering" doctrine that was popularized in the "Shepherding Movement." Our only "covering" should be the Lord, not pastors or apostles. For a full explanation on this issue, please see my 2015 article on the subject: Spiritual Covering and Authority
The Argument of Diminished Authority
If teachers are going to argue that the authority of modern-day apostles and prophets has diminished without clear scriptural evidence, then we could also argue that the authority of teachers and pastors has diminished as well. I find it interesting that some teachers and pastors are teaching the diminished authority of apostles and prophets while holding to the scriptures regarding their own pastoral and teaching ministries. Does this seem like a conflict of interest? These teachers want to maintain their own authority while stating that apostles and prophets are now less important in terms of spiritual authority.
Some of these teachers seem to have an attitude that they do not need apostles and prophets and that they can bring their own church to full measure by their own teachings and pastoring. This is unscriptural and prideful. They may not actually say this, but it is implied in their teaching, theology, and attitude. We will discuss this more later, but the scriptures clearly teach that it takes all five leadership gifts of Christ to bring the church to maturity. When pastors teach that they do not need apostles and prophets, it shows where their hearts are at, and it shows that they are not adhering to the scriptures.
Authority Statements
The following italicized quotations are statements from Joseph Mattera and Michael Brown regarding apostolic authority and prophetic authority.
“WE REJECT the belief that contemporary apostles carry the same authority as did the original Twelve Apostles.”
I already discussed how apostles who came after the 12 carried the same authority that the original 12 did, and that nowhere in scripture are we told that the apostolic authority will diminish. If the authority of apostles has diminished then so has the authority of pastors and teachers. And if leadership authority has diminished then there are no leaders capable of providing oversight to the church and equipping and perfecting the saints.
We must understand that true leadership authority comes from Jesus Christ (who lives and functions through the leader). To say that Christ’s authority has decreased or diminished is almost blasphemous. It is negligent and foolish to even teach that Christ’s authority has faded over time when operating through apostles and prophets. As we allow the Lord to crucify our self-life, the measure of Christ increases in us. And as the measure of Christ increases in us, the measure of His authority increases as well. Immature leaders cannot be entrusted with a great amount of spiritual authority as they will abuse it and cause damage in the church, as many of us have experienced. However, the answer is not to back away from and teach against apostolic authority but to submit to the Lord and allow Him to do work within us until we are mature enough to steward authority properly.
To argue that apostles have lost authority without scriptural backing is to journey down the same path that the cessationists have gone down. Cessationists do not believe that the gifts of the spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are for today, yet they believe this without any clear and absolute scriptures to back up their claims (they twist the scripture to fit their way of thinking). In other words, they are operating in “new revelation” even though they speak against the Lord giving new revelation that is additional to His word. Can we see the contradiction in this?
We currently do not see disciples operating in the same healing power as Jesus did, so does that mean that God’s power has diminished and it’s impossible for us to see that reality come forth in the modern church? If we create doctrines on what we are currently experiencing instead of what the word of God demonstrates as His perfect will, it is a clear sign that we are departing from true faith in God’s word. The Lord has called us to walk by faith and trust His word even if we don’t see a certain biblical reality that He has promised being manifested. Abraham was tested for decades before his promise was made manifest. We should be like our spiritual father Abraham and contend for biblical truth to be made fully manifested. The Lord’s promises will come forth for those who do not doubt but stand firm in faith in order to inherit those promises:
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:10-14 NKJV)
It’s very concerning to see leaders who treat the scriptures as if Jesus is lying in the above passage. He is either telling the truth or giving false prophecy and deceiving His followers. It’s also concerning to see some charismatic leaders who believe the above passage yet are teaching that the authority of apostles and prophets is diminished. These leaders will then teach that believers can see the same miracles as Jesus by operating in His delegated authority, all while teaching that apostles can no longer operate in the fullness of Christ's delegated authority. What a terrible contradiction and inconsistency! Either believers and leaders can function in the same authority as Christ, or His authority has diminished and we cannot.
All truly commissioned apostles are apostles of Jesus Christ. The church has no authority to appoint apostles or commission them; only Jesus does. No minister has the right to tell Jesus that He can no longer call and commission apostles. Only pride tells Jesus what He can't do. Jesus can reveal Himself inwardly in a vessel who He has called to be an apostle and send them. The Kingdom of Heaven is within and Jesus lives within us, so this is His most common way of bringing this revelation. However, Jesus is the eternal King, and if He desires to appear physically to someone (or even in a dream or a vision) and commission them as an apostle, He can. He sets the rules; we don't.
Here is the next statement from Mattera and Brown:
“WE REJECT the belief that contemporary prophets have the exact same function or carry the exact same authority as did Old Testament prophets.”
The above statement does not line up with scripture. Nowhere in scripture does it state that the role of the Old Testament prophet was done away with. We see these functions continue into the New Testament through the ministries of Jesus and John (the apostle). Jesus cannot change and therefore His gifts that He gives cannot change. He is our example for character and ministry. When He ascended on high, He gave gifts to men. John was given the gift of a prophet along with that of an apostle. John demonstrated this by having a very similar prophetic experience to that of Daniel, where he saw saints and angels in Heaven and was given divine revelation for the church. John then wrote down those experiences that reveal Jesus Christ as the coming King and Judge (among other things). John prophesied of massive and destructive judgments just as Old Testament prophets did.
Paul prophesied judgment by the Holy Spirit and Bar-Jesus became blind (Acts 13:9-11). In Acts 5:9, Peter prophesied to Sapphira by the unction of the Holy Spirit that men would carry her dead body out the door. Those prophecies happened immediately, were severe, and were something that only happened a few times with a couple of Old Testament prophets (prophesying death or judgment directly to another person). It appears that the New Testament prophetic ministry demonstrated the same authority as the Old Testament prophetic ministry, as nothing was subtracted from it. Traditions of men teach otherwise, but the scriptures show us the spiritual reality if we actually want to know the truth.
Jesus likewise, when functioning as a prophet and exampling prophetic ministry, prophesied of judgment coming to three cities because they did not repent when miracles were performed in their midst (Matthew 11:20-24). He also prophesied judgment over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44), which was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Rome invaded. Obviously, the Lord added to the function of a New Testament prophet in Ephesians chapter 4. Prophets are now included in equipping, perfecting, and building the church along with their other roles that were clearly defined throughout the Old Testament.
No minister, elder, teacher, pastor, apostle, or prophet has the authority to say that God’s word has changed and that His vessels no longer carry the same level of His authority. This is false teaching and error because it is not revealed in the word of God. These doctrines of men seem to be an attempt to justify why we haven't seen pure and mature apostolic and prophetic ministries operating on a large scale throughout the church. The doctrine of diminished apostolic and prophetic authority was birthed out of man’s need to explain something that God has not yet released full revelation on. When men do this, they normally drift into error and the traditions of men, as their doctrine comes from their natural minds (instead of waiting patiently on the Lord for His time of revealing).
Maybe the Father has been taking His time with His apostolic and prophetic vessels and making sure that they have a great enough measure of His Son in them before He empowers them to build His church and prepare His bride. Many teachers have seen levels of immaturity or sin in various apostles and prophets over the last 40 years and judged inappropriately because they haven't seen mature vessels emerge. They haven't discerned that some of the forerunners only attained a certain level of maturity and never crossed over into the fullness of true apostolic and prophetic ministry. They have judged only according to the infancy and childhood of the movement and failed to understand the growth process in which the Lord has allowed in order to train the next generation of leaders and bring them to maturity.
Some believers have received the gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit but then have inappropriately taken the calling of prophet for themselves. They only prophesy vague words of encouragement and are not fulfilling the true Biblical ministry. Some have gone into prophetic ministry before they were commissioned by God and therefore are immature and inaccurate. Yet others have taken the calling as a prophet and were not called by God, thus making themselves false prophets and wolves. These categories of people have produced false, soulish, and incorrect prophetic words that have discredited the prophetic ministry.
The same kind of damage is being done by believers titling themselves apostles who are actually not apostles. Because of all the abuses and messes, it is somewhat understandable why some leaders are teaching on the diminishing authority of apostolic and prophetic messengers. However, it’s never alright to disregard or override scripture because there have been abuses or because a leader abusing authority has hurt us. Just as a leader claiming to be an apostle can hurt believers from the way they are conducting their self and ministry, a pastor can commit the same offense (and many have). So the argument stating that the main problem is apostles abusing authority is very weak. Any leader can abuse spiritual authority.
A Prophet’s Authority
“And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.” (Revelation 11:3-6 NKJV)
Some teachers may state that the two prophets mentioned in the above scripture are Moses and Elijah but we do not know for sure, as the scriptures do not say. What we can state for sure is that these two prophets are functioning in the New Testament church age in high levels of power and authority similar to Old Testament prophets like Moses and Elijah. These are therefore, by definition, New Testament prophets that carry the exact same authority as Old Testament prophets. This scripture is proof that Joseph Mattera's and Michael Brown’s statement is in error. The Lord is currently building His prophetic ministry and will get them to be mature enough to operate at this level of authority. To say that Jesus can't do this is to challenge the ability of the eternal God, which is not advisable. Those who truly fear Him would never challenge His ability to do something.
The Bible shows us that some New Testament prophets will carry great power and authority. There may be some other prophets throughout the nations that carry similar authority for the final years of this age. The Bible only gives us a small snapshot of what will occur, just as it only told of a small portion of the miracles that Jesus performed. Many of the miracles that Jesus did were not recorded, as John stated it would have filled up too many books to do so. To assume that we know everything the Lord will do in the days ahead through His messengers is foolish. The Lord can do whatever He wants and He gives us a taste of what He will do in His word.
“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1-2 NKJV)
During the time period of the Old Testament, the Father mainly spoke through His prophets. But now, Jesus lives in us and the Father speaks through His Son. Since the Son is speaking through us, we must understand that Jesus the prophet is speaking through those called as prophets. If we attempt to diminish the gift of the prophet, we are actually diminishing the gift of Christ in the person and thus attempting to diminish Christ Himself. This is a sin that many pastors are ignorantly committing.
Association with Apostles and Prophets
Here is the next statement by Mattera and Brown:
“WE REJECT the belief that every church must be submitted to apostles and prophets to be in right order before the Lord.”
The real issue isn’t about submission to apostles; it’s about submission to God and being in His proper order. The church will never be in proper order before the Lord if we do not adhere to the truth of 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11-13.
Apostles in the first century were the first leaders in the church and Jesus did this for a reason. Jesus did not select pastors as his first and primary leaders, but He certainly could have if that was His will. All churches were connected to apostles and it served as the Lord’s model for the church. To imply that the church can be in right order with God without relating to God’s ordained leadership is a contradiction to the scriptures. The church must sit under the ministry of all five ministry gifts found in Ephesians chapter 4 if the church wants to grow, function, and mature as the Lord intends. We don’t get to tell God what is best or acceptable for His church. We must humble ourselves and obey Him and His word.
When churches do not have true apostolic and prophetic leaders to relate to, the full measure of God's grace is not released in that church because Christ is choosing to manifest Himself through five ministry gifts. If a church is only under the ministry of pastors and teachers then they are only receiving a partial revelation or manifestation of Christ. If a pastor/teacher understands that the scriptures teach that all five ministry gifts of Christ should be operating together to be fully effective, yet they reject relating to apostles and prophets because they don’t want to, that prideful heart posture will hinder the grace of God from being released in full measure in that specific church. The sheep will pay the price for the shepherd’s hardness of heart and resistance to the scriptures.
Ephesians chapter 4 indicates that grace is released to bring the church to the unity of the faith when all five leadership gifts of Christ are functioning in the church (including the evangelist). That grace is not released in full measure when there are only pastors and teachers operating in the church. That's not an opinion; it's the word of God. Here are a few more scriptures that indicate additional grace was released when true apostolic ministries were functioning:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:42-43 NKJV)
“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33 NKJV)
Relationships between apostles and other leaders should never be conducted in a demanding CEO-type way. Real apostles will not be dictators but will treat others with respect. Real apostles do not view themselves as better than others and will demonstrate a “kingdom family” dynamic in the church. Apostles are to relate to other leaders as friends and have a “team” mentality. The real and mature apostles will not be misusing spiritual authority and hurting other leaders or believers within the church. True apostles do not use people to build their ministry; they labor to see Christ formed in believers and for them to know Jesus in a deeper way.
Church Leadership
“And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” (I Corinthians 12:28 NKJV)
The Greek word the Holy Spirit used for “first” is prōton. It means “first in time, in the first place, at the first, first in dignity, importance, before all things, before, chiefly, at the beginning, first in time or place (in any succession of things or persons), and first in rank (influence, honor).”
The Holy Spirit chose to use this specific word to convey a specific meaning to the church. The Lord did not just throw some words together randomly when He wrote the Bible but compiled it with specific words that portray His purpose and meaning. If the Holy Spirit, through Paul, simply wanted to give a list of Christ’s leadership gifts without giving a specific rank, He would have had Paul use the Greek word “heis.” This word means “one or first, one by one, one after another, and in succession.” Essentially this Greek word can be used to list the first in order of something, without giving that first subject a greater level of importance. For example, the listing of the days of the week. We see this word used in the following scripture:
“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” (Acts 20:7 NKJV)
Sunday is not necessarily a more important day than Monday, so the word “first” is simply used to indicate the day's specific order.
Paul lists the gifts of Christ and then some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a very specific order. Paul is not full of pride and listing his own ministry first in the church because he wants to be exalted but is following the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is foolish to think that any true apostle who is called by God would want to exalt themselves. They didn't choose the calling themselves anyway. Any real apostle has been stripped of their own self-life by carrying their cross and broken in the wilderness by the hand of the Lord. The real apostles are the ones who are treated as the scum of the Earth, as the scriptures state, even by those in the church who seek to eradicate, diminish, or strip their authority. True apostolic ministry is a ministry of carrying around in your body the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ so that His life can come forth. It is not a glamorous ministry filled with fame, power, and recognition.
Elders and Overseers
Many leaders do not understand what the church elders really are. Many teach that elders are pastors that oversee a certain church. This understanding and teaching is incorrect and unscriptural. Where are the scriptures that state elders are pastors? Many leaders make this statement matter-of-factly without any scripture to back it up. Some pastors might say their spiritual mentor taught them this doctrine, or they learned it in seminary, or they read teachings from church fathers that lived in the second or third centuries. Regardless of where they learned this, it’s not in the scriptures and therefore a tradition of men.
The eldership was made up of apostles, prophets, and teachers/pastors. They did not appoint someone as an elder unless they were an apostle, prophet, or teacher/pastor. Oftentimes a teacher has a shepherding gift as well, but there can be people who only have a shepherding gift. Ministers with only a pastoral gifting should not be overseeing churches. The church in Antioch serves as a model and blueprint for us:
“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” (Acts 13:1 NKJV)
This scripture is showing us the leadership (eldership or overseers) in the church of Antioch. Staying true to 1 Corinthians 12:28, there were prophets and teachers overseeing the church. We also know that Paul and Barnabas were sent out as apostles, so that grace was working in them at least to a certain measure while in Antioch. The full grace to fulfill the apostolic ministry would have been released in them when they were sent out by the Holy Spirit. Regardless, the Lord had apostles, prophets, and teachers overseeing the church in Antioch (which was the eldership). Pastors were not the elders or overseers of the Antioch church. With that said, it's very possible that at least a few of these overseers had shepherding gifts as well (as a secondary gifting).
“And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.” (Acts 15:1-2 NKJV)
In this scripture we see Paul going to the apostles and elders. Who are the elders? Did the prophets and teachers not get invited to the leadership meeting of the church in Jerusalem? The elders are the apostles, prophets, and teachers, as we know from other scriptures that there were prophets in Jerusalem. Peter refers to himself as an elder in 1 Peter 5:1. John refers to himself as an elder or presbyter in 2 John 1:1. It is clear that the apostles were part of the eldership as well. The scriptures specifically state “apostles and elders,” so we understand that the apostles were the primary leaders among the church overseers, but we know from Peter and John's own testimonies that they were elders also. It's interesting how so many teaching pastors leave these scriptures out when stating that only pastors can be church elders.
It has been said by the early church fathers that when John the apostle left Jerusalem, he resided at Ephesus for a while. Then it is believed that John established churches in Asia Minor at Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, and Thyatira, to which he addresses his book of Revelation. John would have been the leading apostle in these churches, which makes perfect sense why the Lord Jesus Christ would give John a message for each of the churches. The Lord was giving John prophetic "new revelation" for the seven churches that he had oversight of as an apostle (senior elder or presbyter). That "new revelation" was important for the spiritual life and growth of the churches.
Understanding from the Greek
“From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” (Acts 20:17 NKJV)
The Greek word for elder also means “presbyter.” So elder and presbyter are the same. We must note that Paul goes on to speak to these same elders or presbyters in the following verse:
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28 NKJV)
The Greek word for overseers means “superintendent, bishop, or overseer.” Therefore elders, presbyters, superintendents, bishops, and overseers are all the exact same thing. They are the leadership of the church; apostles, prophets, and teachers/pastors are shown in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Acts 13:1.
Leaders will run into major issues if they appoint "good men" as elders who do not have one of the Ephesians 4 ministry gifts of Christ. Elders who do not function in a leadership gift do not have the authority to be overseers of churches. Elders must lead with an apostle and be able to freely perform their ministries as well. These elders should not be "yes men," which sometimes is the case when a leader appoints elders who don't actually have a leadership gift of Christ. The church will only be in the right order when we do things in God's order.
Timothy the Apostle
Many pastors put forth the narrative that Timothy was a pastor who oversaw the church in Ephesus. However, Timothy was actually the lead apostle on the eldership of that church. The following scriptures should help us to understand this.
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thessalonians 1:1 NKJV)
“Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.” (I Thessalonians 2:6 NKJV)
The above scriptures make it clear that Paul refers to his spiritual son Timothy as an apostle. Paul doesn't say, "I might have made a demand as an apostle of Christ and Timothy as a pastor of Christ." I hope we can see how some leaders ignore the scriptures and teach their own narrative for New Testament church leadership. Here are a few more scriptures:
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothyour brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:” (2 Corinthians 1:1 WEBUS)
“As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 8:23 WEBUS)
Paul, again, was likely referring to Timothy (our brother) as an apostle but not just Timothy; others on the team as well. Also notice that Paul said "apostles of the churches" and not "apostolic missionaries that started the churches." These men were called to be in the churches as apostles and as overseers.
When Paul wrote the letters to Timothy, we must understand that Paul is writing those letters to give him counsel on how to oversee the church as an apostle, not a pastor. Paul is actually instructing Timothy how to lead among the other elders (prophets and teachers/pastors) and how to administer discipline if needed. The letter was not written to “the elders” in the Ephesus church (1 Timothy 1:2). We must understand the context to get the entire meaning that the Holy Spirit desires to convey.
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,”and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure. (1 Timothy 5:17-22 NKJV)
The scriptures also show that apostles had the authority to appoint the elders in the church and this model is the only example of appointing elders that the scriptures reveal. A believer should be called as an apostle, prophet, or teacher/pastor and be in alignment with 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1 before they can be appointed as an elder or overseer.
And when they (Paul & Barnabas) had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:21-23 NKJV)
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— (Titus 1:5 NKJV)
Foundation Layers
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22 KJV)
The scriptures say that the people of God (living stones) are built up on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. The scripture does not say that the church is built on the foundation of the pastors and teachers. The church is made up of living stones, and the foundation must be laid in the hearts of each individual believer in each generation. Dead apostles and prophets can't lay a living foundation in believers just as dead pastors and teachers could not teach or shepherd God's flock.
Some teachers and pastors argue that the first-century apostles have already laid the foundation and that it was the scriptures. So if the New Testament was to be written by apostles, why did the Lord bring the prophetic ministry into the New Testament? If He only used prophets as a means to receive His word and write Old Testament scripture, then He certainly wouldn't have needed them in the New Testament church (since He started using apostles to write scripture). But apparently the Lord does believe His prophets are still of use because He brought their ministry into the New Covenant carrying authority. Even though prophets had completed their task of laying the foundation through Old Testament writings, they still had to perform the task of laying an inward foundation of Jesus Christ in the hearts of believers. Just as the Lord did not remove prophets from their ministry after their task was complete of writing scripture, neither did he remove apostles from their tasks after they were finished writing scriptures.
The Lord has always put His leaders in a position to lead people to Him, to teach and reveal His word and His will, and to call His backslidden people to repentance. The Lord has chosen to teach, speak, and reveal Himself through His leaders and He hasn't changed. He still uses apostles and prophets and never stated that He would stop using them. They have been granted authority to lay the foundation in the body of Christ. and the only foundation that can be laid is Jesus Christ.
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 3:10-11 NKJV)
The Greek word used for “master builder” also means “architect, head builder, chief constructor, and the superintendent in the erection of buildings.” Ideally, an architect should oversee the entire structure of living stones being built into the temple of the living God. The apostolic architect understands what should be built upon the foundation and what should not. The wise master builder also understands the order that the building should be erected. Jesus the Apostle functions through someone with the calling of an apostle. Jesus shows the apostle how He wants His church structured.
Apostles and prophets have been given an authority from God to lay the foundation of Jesus Christ in believers. The foundation of Jesus Christ is more than just salvation. It is an inward revealing of who Jesus Christ is, His purpose and plan, His eternal thought and intent, and His ways. Apostles and prophets carry the grace to see Christ formed in believers (meaning to see the incorruptible seed in which believers were born again with, increasing to full measure).
“My little children, for whom I am again suffering birth pangs until Christ is completely and permanently formed (molded) within you,” (Galatians 4:19 AMPC)
While teaching and shepherding are extremely important, the main focus of real apostles and prophets is to see believers come to the fullness of Christ’s measure (Christ formed in them). The scriptures make it clear that all five leadership gifts must be functioning together for this to occur. Nowhere in scripture does it say that shepherds and teachers have the authority to lay Christ as the foundation within the hearts of believers or bring them to maturity by themselves. That is why the current church has not reached the measure of Christ's stature. Many are teaching against the biblical and true authority of apostolic and prophetic ministries, thus actually fighting against God. When we speak against and teach against apostolic and prophetic authority, we prevent believers from coming into alignment with those ministries, and thus we prevent the church from coming to full measure. Jesus will only return for His harvest when His wheat is fully matured.
Shepherds and teachers should be working with apostles and prophets to perfect the saints and bring forth the “mature man” that the Lord desires. But instead, some shepherds and teachers are fighting against the will of God, which is a major issue in our time. The devil wants leadership gifts of Christ preaching and teaching against each other. This is his strategy to prevent the church from coming to full measure and prevent the bride from being made ready. The enemy wants leaders to teach that Christ's authority through apostles and prophets has diminished. Satan wants us to believe that Christ's authority will not flow through us to do the same works that Jesus did. Some leaders are falling into the devil‘s trap and repeating his doctrine.
Defining the Gifts of Christ
“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:8, 11-13 KJV)
The gifts of Christ are not titles or offices. Jesus Christ functioned as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. When he ascended into heaven, he gave the exact same gifts that he functioned in to men. In other words, He gave Himself as those gifts to men. Jesus lives in each believer. When a believer is functioning as an apostle, Christ the apostle is actually functioning in that vessel and through that vessel for the benefit of the church. We have to be able to see Christ the apostle or Christ the prophet operating through a leader.
Likewise, shepherds and teachers should be yielding to the gift of Christ within them. As their self-life decreases and Christ increases in them, then Christ the teacher and Christ the shepherd will minister through them in greater ways than they have ever known before. The body of Christ will be taught and shepherded by Christ through his vessels. We can really do nothing apart from Jesus Christ and we need to recognize and acknowledge that. All five leadership gifts of Christ need to acknowledge one another, work with one another, and recognize the authority of Jesus Christ in each other. If this does not happen, then the church will not be brought to full measure. But thankfully, the scriptures say that Jesus will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. So the Lord will do a work and connect His leaders who will actually work together. The question is, how many leaders will come into agreement with the Lord and choose to be a part of this remnant?
The Lord will build His church through His five leadership gifts. The scriptures specifically state in Ephesians chapter 4 that all five ministry gifts are needed to bring the church to the unity of the faith and to the mature man that Christ is. Clearly the church has not arrived at that standard yet, so therefore all five gifts must still be in operation. The authority of Christ that flows through these gifts is needed to fulfill Ephesians 4.
Here is the next statement from Mattera and Brown:
“WE FURTHER OPPOSE the possible abuse of ecclesial titles that manifests itself in self-proclaimed apostles and prophets claiming territorial authority over pastors in a community, city, or nation.”
I agree with this statement. There is a major problem in the church with people titling themselves apostles and prophets for the purpose of exalting themselves and building their ministries. False apostles and prophets must be exposed publicly, and I believe that most well-known leaders have done a poor job of addressing this which has allowed ministries of mixture to flourish and pollute the church. The Lord is showing us the results of when national leaders fail to use the authority that the Lord has given them so that the new generation of leaders does not make the same mistakes. The Lord desires His sheep to be protected and for righteousness and justice to come forth in His church.
True apostles and prophets will be servants of all and demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit. They will not claim control over pastors or geographical areas. No real apostle would ever try to force teachers and pastors to be under his ministry. Ministry relations between leaders should always be done as friends and spiritual family and never with an organizational-type structure. The Holy Spirit can build these kingdom relationships into what the Father intends. I do believe there is a convergence resulting in greater release of the Lord’s grace when teachers and pastors are in relationships with apostles and prophets. How could there not be when different manifestations of the Lord's grace and authority are being released through vessels choosing to work together to bring their Father's kingdom upon the earth?
I don’t believe I have ever seen real apostles and prophets trying to take dominion over pastors. I’m sure some of the false ones could try but would be mostly unsuccessful. What I do see arising is an attitude from some pastors hearts saying that they don’t recognize the true authority of apostles and don’t need them in “their” church. This is arrogant, as all five ministry gifts are needed to perfect believers, and it is the Lord's church. Pastors who have this attitude are starting down a dark road that will end similarly to a “pastor” that John had to deal with:
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” (III John 1:9-11 NKJV)
Once pastors and teachers make the decision to reject apostolic and prophetic ministries in their lives and in their churches, various levels of darkness can set in. It’s never alright for apostles and prophets to reject pastors and teachers and say they don’t need them. The reverse is also true.
Diotrephes would not receive John and his team. He wanted to pastor the church without any apostolic relationship because he thought that he could do everything himself. He didn’t need any other gifts of Christ ministering to “his” church. He then started to speak against John to diminish his influence and apostolic authority. Finally even the brethren started to be abused by this pastor. I can certainly see the “spirit” of Diotrephes rising again in the church. I’m just a bit surprised that it is occurring in the Charismatic Movement, but I really shouldn’t because this is what happens when a movement becomes a monument (and we have seen this happen to many movements in the past).
I have personally been hurt by church leadership when I was an immature believer. The church overseers would have been classified as NAR. These leaders operated in control and manipulation. Everything was about them and the building of their ministry. They damaged other believers as well and were not safe leaders. Just because I experienced spiritual abuse in the church doesn't give me the right to change biblical truth and teach my own doctrine.
I had to spend years allowing the Lord to heal me inwardly. The Lord used this church trauma to teach me and bring me to a greater level of maturity. I learned a lot about leadership and the things that the Lord did not want me to do. The Lord expects us to go to Him, heal, and progress on the spiritual journey of following Him as disciples. It's a difficult path that we must walk, but if we change our biblical faith and doctrine based on poor leadership, we will depart from truth. There are bad leaders who are not pure, and we must have the discernment to stay away from them and not be a part of their ministries.
Their next statement:
“WE REJECT the belief that “new revelation” is essential for the life and growth of the Church or that contemporary apostles or prophets are the only ones privy to such “new revelation.”
The Lord can speak or give revelation to anyone He chooses, including pastors and teachers. Let’s say, for example, the Lord reveals to an intercessor in the church that a witch is cursing the church. These curses are causing some people to be sick and others to slip into sin. Therefore, the church life and growth are being negatively affected, and the “new revelation” that the intercessor received from the Lord is vital for church health, life, and spiritual growth. With the “new revelation,” the church can engage the forces of darkness in spiritual warfare and shut down the attack of the enemy (Ephesians 6:10-18). This understanding would be critical and only one example of how revelation could benefit the church.
I personally know a prophet of the Lord who is sometimes shown territorial spirits over a region that are negatively impacting a church where he is ministering. The Lord desires to show the church certain information so we understand the specific enemy that is opposing us and so we will get the Lord’s wisdom regarding how to pray and stop the satanic attacks against the church. I understand that people criticize this understanding and group it into the NAR doctrine. I don’t understand why charismatic church leaders would speak against this or not believe that the Lord could reveal these things. It shows levels of unbelief in the church that I didn’t think were there.
Bottom line, if the Godhead wants to show a prophet something in the spirit realm that is impacting the church, He can. The Lord doesn’t need a pastor’s permission to speak to His prophets or believers who have the gift of prophecy. Pastors who say the Lord can’t do this are arrogant. No one has the right to tell the Lord what He can and can’t do. Pastors who continue down this road will become spiritual Pharisees (the religious system that opposed Jesus).
Jesus, our example, operated in ministry by receiving new revelation from His Father on a daily basis (not just the scriptures). The Father would show Jesus specific ways to heal people, and Jesus would then do that very thing so the person would be healed. These are examples of the Lord showing us that He can give new revelation not found in scripture.
“Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19 NKJV)
“When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.” (John 9:6-7 NKJV)
With that said, the Lord does give revelation to apostles and prophets so the church understands Him to a greater degree.
“For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,” (Ephesians 3:1-6 NKJV)
The mystery of Christ was revealed to the apostles and prophets, not the pastors and teachers. Paul is specifically talking about salvation in these passages, but the principle holds true throughout the entirety of scripture. God gave a revelation of Himself to Moses, who was a prophet, and Moses released it to the people of God. The Lord gave John the apostle a powerful revelation of Jesus Christ the King and Judge, which was recorded in the book of Revelation. These are the ways God operates. He desires to give us a greater revelation of His will, plans, and ways. This is vital for church life and health. I don't think it's wise to tell the Lord that He cannot speak, because He certainly can communicate any way He wants.
When the church has a better understanding of God’s eternal will and purpose, the church is more successful in following Jesus and being transformed into His image. If we are only focused on the great commission of making disciples (as some pastors and teachers say we should only focus on), then we could miss our high heavenly calling of being conformed to the image of Christ. When someone first becomes a disciple they can be very immature, as I have experienced. A disciple has to be more than made; they have to be brought to maturity. The Lord uses His apostles and prophets to unveil Christ in deeper ways. Obviously, these revelations will align with scripture and are oftentimes revealed from scriptures that have been veiled. Much of what was revealed to Paul was already in scripture, but no one understood it until it was unveiled in Paul and released to the church.
I believe that the church will definitely need “new revelation” revealed through apostles and prophets during the final years of this age and during the great tribulation. The Lord will be unveiling portions of the Old Testament and the book of Revelation that we do not fully understand now. He will use His mature messengers to help guide the church as the judgment events mentioned in the book of Revelation are being fulfilled and during the time of the antichrist’s reign. The church will need revelation and understanding from the Lord so that the church can stay healthy, growing, and protected.
Imagine if Paul's and John's theology stated that God doesn't give new revelation. The Lord would have spoken to Paul regarding believers not needing to be physically circumcised in order to be righteous (since true righteousness comes from Christ transforming us inwardly), and Paul would have rejected the revelation (since his theology was that God can't give new revelation outside of the Old Testament). Think of the Lord showing John all that He did which is contained in the book of Revelation, and then John responding, "That can't be of God because He doesn't give new revelation anymore. I won't record this since it might be from the Devil." This may sound ridiculous, but that's exactly what this "no new revelation" doctrine is—ridiculous and unscriptural. The Lord shows us in scripture who He is and how He has always interacted with us. He does not change.
“But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11-12 NKJV)
If Paul were alive and ministering in the current church, he would be just as hated and persecuted by the religious Pharisees of our day as he was in his own time. There would be many in the church who would try to destroy Paul’s ministry and drive him out of the church for saying he was preaching the gospel according to a revelation that Jesus gave him. Paul would be branded as a heretic by the numerous Pharisaical watchmen in the church.
It’s foolish to say that the Lord cannot or does not give new revelation or understanding. Obviously He will never contradict His word. The Lord can do whatever He wants to with His church. His leaders need to get in alignment with Him and be vessels that He can pour Himself through to His church. All of us need a deeper revelation of Jesus Christ and He has not been fully unveiled to any of us. He desires that we have a deeper understanding of Him while we are living in these bodies.
Another statement from Mattera and Brown:
“WE AFFIRM the full sufficiency of Scripture for the health and mission of the Church.”
I don’t fully understand their statement because the Holy Spirit (God) is also needed for the full health and mission of the church. Yes, the scriptures are beautiful and needed, and we should adhere to the scriptures because they train us in righteousness, but the scriptures are not God. If we have the scriptures without the Holy Spirit then we will not be healthy or fulfill our mission. Much of the current church does not have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their meetings, so the meetings are dry and lifeless.
The main point of the scriptures is to lead us into an intimate relationship with God. The Pharisees knew the scriptures better than anyone else, yet they only had an outward form of religion (pretended holiness and devotion). They knew the scriptures but they didn’t know God. It’s possible for Christians to know the scriptures but not know the Lord.
“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40 NKJV)
The scriptures were not sufficient for the health and mission of the Pharisees or the Jewish religious system. The Pharisees thought that there was sufficient life in them, but they failed to understand that life only comes from The Life Himself, the Living Word. We must connect to the Living Word (Christ) by His Spirit if we are to continue in spiritual health.
Next statement:
“WE AFFIRM that the spirit of true apostles and prophets should exemplify the attitude and lifestyle of Jesus (Philippians 2:4-12), coming alongside other church and workplace leaders to serve them, not replace them.”
I agree that apostles and prophets should exemplify the attitude and lifestyle of Jesus. So should shepherds and teachers. That should be the goal for all believers, not just leadership.
I don’t know of anyone teaching that apostles and prophets should replace pastors and teachers, so that part of their statement does not make sense to me. I have heard certain charismatic leaders imply that pastors and teachers can replace apostles, however. Jesus led by example and His expectations of leadership are clear:
“A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the nations Lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. Rather, the one who is greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:24-27 WEBUS)
Mattera and Brown state that “apostles and prophets…coming alongside other church leaders to serve them.” The Bible is clear that in the church there are to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers/pastors who are functioning together to build the church, to bring believers to the unity of the faith, and to see Christ increase in believers to the fullness of His stature. Leaders are to serve the body of Christ, and that is what the focus should be on. The Lord desires His people to be mature, living in purity, and prepared for His coming.
Conclusion
True ministry success is not measured by having a large church where there are a bunch of exciting activities taking place. True success is measured by the maturity of believers in a church. Are believers coming to the full measure of the stature of Christ, or are they staying in a place of immaturity? Pastors and teachers who embrace kingdom relationships with apostles, prophets, and evangelists will see the people of God come to full measure. Pastors and teachers who “don’t need” apostles and prophets since their “authority has diminished” will see congregations only attain to a certain level of spiritual maturity but not come to the fullness of Christ’s measure.
The enemy is attempting to get charismatic leaders to back down from truth in the scriptures. He uses bad and controlling leaders who cause young leaders to be damaged in order to accomplish this goal. Satan is also using “religious” Pharisees to attack certain NAR doctrines that are biblically true. Well-known leaders are then backing down from biblical truth in an attempt to be kind, to be humble, to have a good reputation, and in an effort to bring unity. However, it is never humility to back down from the truth in the word of God. It is false humility that will compromise truth for the sake of unity. It will never actually bring unity but only has the potential for a false unity. The religious snakes will continue to bite and attack. They will never be satisfied until charismatic leaders denounce apostles, prophets, and everything related to the power of God that there is.
The Lord is looking for those who do not care about their reputation and will actually make themselves of no reputation even if Christians unjustly judge them. I chose in 2007 to pick up my cross and follow Jesus as His disciple. I’ll stand for Christ’s revealed will and on His word even when others are backing away and backing down. I didn’t care if I please men, only my Master.
I personally deny any affiliation with what is presently characterized as “NAR,” because I certainly do not agree with all the doctrine that is being bundled together and labeled as NAR. I confess that I am affiliated with Jesus Christ, His Word, the Holy Spirit, and the Godhead’s eternal blueprint, plan, and design for His church, which is clearly detailed in scriptures. I refuse to disbelieve God’s word or nullify it by my own personal hurt or by the traditions of men. I pray the Lord will raise up strong leaders who will stand on the truth in the word of God regardless of the cost. We do not need weak and wishy-washy leaders (controlled by the fear of man) in the church for the turbulent times we are entering at the end of the age. We need God-approved leaders who have backbones that have been forged by the Holy Spirit. Amen.
