Jesus ministry...who is to carry it out?

[awaken]

How Did the Apostles Interpret the Great Commission?

The apostles were directly taught by Jesus, so they would have interpreted the Great Commission more accurately than we might do. Notice how they interpreted it:
If the Great Commission involves preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, then we should expect to see all of these things happening after the cross, right? In fact, that's exactly what the New Testament describes! The apostles interpreted the Great Commission to mean that Christians should preach the Gospel and set the captives free, just as Jesus did. This is why throughout the book of Acts we find numerous examples of the Gospel being preached, people being healed, spirits being cast out, tongues being spoken, and the power of the Holy Spirit being demonstrated, just as the Great Commission says to do.

The apostles and early Christians were continuing Jesus' evangelism and healing ministry until He returns, which is what Jesus commissioned the Church to do. Jesus has not returned yet, so we should be continuing His evangelism and healing ministry as well!

 

[Aaron]

Jesus ministry...who is to carry it out?

Jesus is. He operates through His body. If Christ must walk, He moves His feet. If He must work He moves His hands. If He must speak, He opens His mouth.

We are His body, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that Christ the Head must wait for His body to respond. He moves the members of His body just as we move the members of our body. As Paul said, it was not he himself that worked, but the grace of God in him.

So, the answer to the question is, who is to carry out Christ's ministry? He is, and He does.

 

[awaken]

Jesus is. He operates through His body. If Christ must walk, He moves His feet. If He must work He moves His hands. If He must speak, He opens His mouth.

We are His body, but I don't want to leave you with the impression that Christ the Head must wait for His body to respond. He moves the members of His body just as we move the members of our body. As Paul said, it was not he himself that worked, but the grace of God in him.

So, the answer to the question is, who is to carry out Christ's ministry? He is, and He does.

I agree...through His church/body...us!

 

[awaken]

Some of the healings in the New Testament were done by ordinary disciples, demonstrating that the mission of the New Testament Church extends to all of Jesus' disciples, including us modern Christians. For example, in Acts 6:2-5, 8:1, 4-5 the Bible indicates that Philip was not an apostle, he was an ordinary Christian just like you and me. Yet Acts 8:6-7 says that Philip preached the Good News, healed the sick, and cast out demons, which means that he was continuing Jesus' evangelism and healing ministry in obedience to the Great Commission:

Acts 8:6-7: "When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed."
Evangelism, healing, and deliverance were never meant to be just for the apostles.

 

[Aaron]

Which is easier to say, ordinary Christians can work daily miracles, or to say unto one sick of the palsy, arise take up thy bed and walk?

What do you have to show us that we may know that you have power on earth to heal the sick?

 

[awaken]

Which is easier to say, ordinary Christians can work daily miracles, or to say unto one sick of the palsy, arise take up thy bed and walk?

What do you have to show us that we may know that you have power on earth to heal the sick?

I could tell you story after story but I can not help your unbelief...


If we need to see proof of miraculous healings in order to believe that healing is for today, then we would be basing our views on experience rather than basing our views on Scripture.

I believe I am saved before I experience any fruits of my salvation...
Faith is believing before you see, right?

 

[awaken]

Acts 9:10-18 tells us that Ananias was not an apostle, he was an ordinary Christian just like you and me, yet he healed the apostle Paul. This means that an apostle was healed through a non-apostle!

Acts 9:10-18: "In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul [i.e. the apostle Paul], for he is praying." ... Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again."

Again....Healing the sick was never meant to be just for the apostles.

 

[Aaron]

I could tell you story after story but I can not help your unbelief...


If we need to see proof of miraculous healings in order to believe that healing is for today, then we would be basing our views on experience rather than basing our views on Scripture.

I believe I am saved before I experience any fruits of my salvation...
Faith is believing before you see, right?

Talk is cheap.

 

[Tom Butler]

Billy Graham never claimed to have spoken in tongues, healed the sick, cast out demons or raised the dead.

Charles H. Spurgeon never claimed to have done any of those things.

Neither did William Carey, Adoniram Judson, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Aquila or Priscilla.

Wonder why?

 

[awaken]

Where did this idea of cessation of the gifts arise? Could this theory come from Calvin, Luther, and Zwingle?

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are sprititually discerned"

 

[awaken]

In Mark 9:38-40, the apostles were upset because they saw a man who was not an apostle casting out demons in Jesus' Name. Jesus told them not to stop anyone from doing miracles in His Name:

Mark 9:38-40: ""Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us.""

You still think it was just for the apostles?

 

[Aaron]

I'll answer my question to you for you. It is easier to say that ordinary Christians can do these things. You keep talkin', but I'm a bit hard of hearin'. Show me.

 

[Iconoclast]

Where did this idea of cessation of the gifts arise? Could this theory come from Calvin, Luther, and Zwingle?

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are sprititually discerned"

What do you mean by this? Are you suggesting these men did not have the Spirit?
Cessation is the teaching of scripture.

How Did the Apostles Interpret the Great Commission?

They did not interpret it, they obeyed as they were instructed

If the Great Commission involves preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking in tongues, and demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit, then we should expect to see all of these things happening after the cross, right?

No ...wrong....The Apostles were unique.Others had gifts that is why they were instructed under apostolic authority of the Apostles.The function of the sign gifts, were revelatory,and to credential the apostolic word.

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Some of the healings in the New Testament were done by ordinary disciples, demonstrating that the mission of the New Testament Church extends to all of Jesus' disciples, including us modern Christians. For example, in Acts 6:2-5, 8:1, 4-5 the Bible indicates that Philip was not an apostle, he was an ordinary Christian just like you and me. Yet Acts 8:6-7 says that Philip preached the Good News, healed the sick, and cast out demons, which means that he was continuing Jesus' evangelism and healing ministry in obedience to the Great Commission:

Acts 8:6-7: "When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed."
Evangelism, healing, and deliverance were never meant to be just for the apostles.
Reply With Quote

The Apostles laid hands on Philip for that purpose...they did not lay hands on every single christian to do this.he was under the oversight of the Apostles. see here:

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:

6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Again...not to all the people:
8 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

Do you see the language used by the Spirit.....NOT TO ALL THE PEOPLE,BUT UNTO WITNESSES CHOSEN BEFORE OF GOD.......EVEN TO US.....

Stop listening to those who attack the historic faith once delievered to the saints.

Todays false teachers like Phillips and these others , ignore the context...you quoted luke 10-the seventy...that was OT.....before pentecost...you try to make that the norm???

 

[awaken]

What do you mean by this? Are you suggesting these men did not have the Spirit?
Cessation is the teaching of scripture.

This you have not shown in scripture...that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are over! The Holy Spirit is still here and the church age is still here!
Are the saints mature yet? Have we arrived? Because the way I understand scripture is the that these gifts will be here until the perfecting of the saints and the unity of the body.

 

[awaken]

They did not interpret it, they obeyed as they were instructed

Are we not to obey the comission too? Don't we have authority to?

One of the definitions of "authority" is:

"2. a power or right delegated or given; authorization" (Dictionary.com )
Notice that the Jewish chief priests sent out Saul (later to be known as the apostle Paul) to arrest Christians, so Saul was acting on their authority:

Acts 26:10: "And that is just what I [Saul] did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them."

Saul wasn't acting in his own authority, but instead he was acting in the authority of a higher power (the chief priests) who had sent him on a mission.

When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles to operate in His ministry of preaching the Gospel and healing the sick, He delegated to them the power and authority that they needed (Luke 9:1). Therefore, they were operating in His authority. When He sent out the 72 believers to operate in His ministry of preaching the Gospel and healing the sick, He delegated to them the task of healing the sick and said that He had given them authority over the enemy (Luke 10:1-3, 9, 19). Therefore, they were operating in His authority. When He sent out the Church to operate in His ministry of preaching the Gospel and healing the sick, He was delegating to us these tasks (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18). Therefore, we do these things in His authority:

Luke 9:1: "When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,"

Luke 10:1: "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go."

Luke 10:2: "He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Luke 10:3: "Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." ...

Luke 10:9: "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'" ...

Luke 10:19: "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

Matthew 28:18: "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Matthew 28:19: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"
Matthew 28:20: "and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

Mark 16:15: "He [Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Mark 16:17: "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;"
Mark 16:18: "they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.""

When we heal the sick and cast out demons, we're not acting in our own authority, but instead we're acting in the authority of a higher power (Jesus) who sent us out to do these things.

Here's another way to look at it. One of the definitions of "in the name of" is:
"b. by the authority of" (Dictionary.com )
When we're operating in Jesus' evangelism and healing ministry (which He delegated to us) then we're acting "in His Name," which means that we're acting in His authority:

Acts 3:6: "Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."" ...
Acts 4:6: "Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family."
Acts 4:7: "They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: "By what power or what name [authority] did you do this?""

So when we're sent out by a higher power to do something, and we do it "in the name of" that higher power, this means that we're doing it in the authority of that higher power. For example, when a police officer says, "Stop in the name of the law," he has the full authority of the government backing him up. Since Jesus commissioned us to preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons, we do these things in His authority. When we do these things "in His Name," this means that we have His full authority backing us up.

 

[awaken]

I'll answer my question to you for you. It is easier to say that ordinary Christians can do these things. You keep talkin', but I'm a bit hard of hearin'. Show me.

Again..isn't faith believing before we see?
How would you like me to show you?

 

[awaken]

Paul was highly intelligent and highly educated (see Acts 22:2-3 and Galatians 1:13-14, for example), and he received amazing revelations directly from Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). If anyone could win people to Christ through wise and persuasive words, Paul certainly could have done so! But he didn't. If the great apostle Paul did not rely on "witnessing" (as we call it) but instead he demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit to win people to Christ, then are we really going to be as effective as possible with nothing but words? While it's true that many people are being saved through witnessing, just think of the multiplied millions of people who would escape torment in hell if every Christian would begin demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit every day in malls, supermarkets, gas stations, airports, and wherever we happen to be, just like Paul did!

 

[12strings]

Paul was highly intelligent and highly educated (see Acts 22:2-3 and Galatians 1:13-14, for example), and he received amazing revelations directly from Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). If anyone could win people to Christ through wise and persuasive words, Paul certainly could have done so! But he didn't. If the great apostle Paul did not rely on "witnessing" (as we call it) but instead he demonstrated the power of the Holy Spirit to win people to Christ, then are we really going to be as effective as possible with nothing but words? While it's true that many people are being saved through witnessing, just think of the multiplied millions of people who would escape torment in hell if every Christian would begin demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit every day in malls, supermarkets, gas stations, airports, and wherever we happen to be, just like Paul did!

I believe you are putting your hope in the wrong things (signs and wonders) when our sure hope should be in Christ and his Cross. I believe it is a fallacy to think that more modern miracles would somehow begin a 21st century revival...Biblical examples show us that miracles do not make people believe:

1. Early Israel– God sent 10 plagues on Egypt, parted the red sea, sent manna from heaven, and repeatedly led them to military victory.
-RESPONSE: Only 2 spies & Moses trusted God enough to go into Canaan. Everybody else was too afraid to trust that God could lead them to victory.

2. God revealed himself in Jesus, and Jesus did many miracles. He taught here on earth for 3 years. He healed the crippled and made them walk, he healed and blind and made them see. He even raised people from the dead.
-RESPONSE: Many believed, but many did not. IN fact many followed him around because of miracles, and were attracted by them, but did not truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

3. Jesus Died and rose from the dead, and appeared to over 500 witnesses.
-RESPONSE: Some believed, some did not. Then Jesus told Thomas "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:27-29)

4. God has revealed himself in his Word.
-RESPONSE: Many have believed, many have not.

5. In Jesus' parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Abraham said this to the rich man: "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."
--> Even if people see someone risen from hell to warn them, it won't make them believe!

Were God to interact in a similar fashion with all of the people living today, they would respond no differently than did those in biblical days.

And... FROM ADRIAN ROGERS' SERMON: "Believe in Miracles and trust in Jesus." (loose quote/paraphrase...I heard it on the radio)

Signs and Wonders are valid, Jesus did them. But when we demand signs, that dishonor’s God. We are then saying, “God, I can’t take you at your word. You’ve got to prove yourself to me.”
Suppose you are a father and you say to your son, “Son, I’m going to put one hundred dollars into a bank account for you.”
Your son says to you, “that’s Great, Dad. But how can I be sure you put the money in the bank for me?”
“I just told you I did, son.”
“Yes, I know you did. But would you mind showing me the deposit slip? I need some proof...”

Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign." Please understand I'm not saying you are evil, but simply that there may be people in the judgement who claim that the reason for their unbelief was lack of sufficient signs from God...but those objections will not hold water...they are simply an excuse for continued rebellion.

 

[awaken]

I believe you are putting your hope in the wrong things (signs and wonders) when our sure hope should be in Christ and his Cross. I believe it is a fallacy to think that more modern miracles would somehow begin a 21st century revival...Biblical examples show us that miracles do not make people believe:

1. Early Israel– God sent 10 plagues on Egypt, parted the red sea, sent manna from heaven, and repeatedly led them to military victory.
-RESPONSE: Only 2 spies & Moses trusted God enough to go into Canaan. Everybody else was too afraid to trust that God could lead them to victory.

2. God revealed himself in Jesus, and Jesus did many miracles. He taught here on earth for 3 years. He healed the crippled and made them walk, he healed and blind and made them see. He even raised people from the dead.
-RESPONSE: Many believed, but many did not. IN fact many followed him around because of miracles, and were attracted by them, but did not truly believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

3. Jesus Died and rose from the dead, and appeared to over 500 witnesses.
-RESPONSE: Some believed, some did not. Then Jesus told Thomas "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:27-29)

4. God has revealed himself in his Word.
-RESPONSE: Many have believed, many have not.

5. In Jesus' parable of Lazarus and the rich man, Abraham said this to the rich man: "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead."
--> Even if people see someone risen from hell to warn them, it won't make them believe!

Were God to interact in a similar fashion with all of the people living today, they would respond no differently than did those in biblical days.

And... FROM ADRIAN ROGERS' SERMON: "Believe in Miracles and trust in Jesus." (loose quote/paraphrase...I heard it on the radio)


Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign." Please understand I'm not saying you are evil, but simply that there may be people in the judgement who claim that the reason for their unbelief was lack of sufficient signs from God...but those objections will not hold water...they are simply an excuse for continued rebellion.

I myself have never demanded a sign. Everything I have come to in the Bible...I hear and then believe.

When one person is miraculously healed, it can bring numerous people to Christ. For example, when Peter and John healed the lame man, the Bible says that "all the people were astonished and came running to them" (Acts 3:11), and many people were saved (Acts 4:4). When Philip (who was not an apostle) healed people and cast out demons, the crowd of people listened closely to what he said, and all the people, both high and low, were saved and baptized (Acts 8:5-12). When Peter healed a paralyzed man, all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord (Acts 9:33-35). When Peter raised Tabitha from the dead, this became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord (Acts 9:36-42). When Paul and Barnabas healed a lame man, the crowd thought that they were gods and wanted to offer sacrifices to them (Acts 14:8-13). When you do the supernatural in the course of your everyday life, it will get people's attention and many people will be saved!

Jesus told the apostles that they would be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), but notice that their "witnessing" included doing miracles of healing

 

[awaken]

Notice that even Jesus didn't rely on "witnessing" to convince people. He repeatedly told people that if they didn't believe His words then they should believe because of His miracles:

John 10:25: "Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me""

John 10:37-38: "Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

John 12:37: "Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him."

John 14:11: "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves."

Are we better at sharing the Gospel than Jesus was? Obviously not! Jesus and the apostles didn't rely on "witnessing," but instead they used healing miracles to convince people and to save them from torment in hell. Jesus also commissioned us to use healing miracles to help save the lost!