Featured Researching apostles...

The Bible specifically says that signs and wonders accompanied the apostles. They authenticated the apostles, not others. Who, besides Philip and Stephen, performed signs and wonders?

Besides Stephen and Philip, Who?

You don't know what you talk about. The apostles performed signs and wonders as the Spirit gave them power to do so. It was a sign for them.
You have no idea what "manifestation of the Spirit" means or you wouldn't use the term. The Holy Spirit is manifested in me daily. But the gifts of the Spirit died out 1900 years ago. Think on that one.

This statement only demonstrates an unteachable spirit. Go and study some NT Survey books. Get yourself an education.

The Holy Spirit is the same; the same as he was during the days of Creation. But he isn't working the same way, as you think he is. If he was you would be able to demonstrate that, but you can't. You can't meet the challenge I keep giving you to demonstrate that he is working the same way as he once did in the first century.
Demonstrate it by giving evidence of:
The gift of miracles,
The gift of healing,
The gift of languages.

Since you cannot, we know these gifts have ceased. Don't claim what you cannot do.

 

Both the Apostles and the message of the Apostles had to be authenticated.

But you don't have one more.

The Holy Spirit dwells within every believer. That was the whole point of Pentecost. From that point onward the Holy Spirit would now come and indwell the believer instead of coming upon the believer.
However the text also says that the Spirit filled them and they spoke with other tongues.
The filling of the Holy Spirit is also available to every believer.
In Acts 4, the disciples came together and prayed. After they prayed, the earth shook, and they spoke the Word of God boldly.
The filling of the Spirit is directly related to the command in Acts 1:8--to preaching the gospel, to speaking boldly, witnessing boldly.
The command is given in Eph. 5:18.

And that is precisely why you will remain confused.
I have a library of over 2,000 books, plus close to a thousand more books on my computer from various software programs, and a good working knowledge of where to find various resources on the internet as well. I can draw on the wisdom of others. You spurn that very wisdom and that is sad.
The Holy Spirit does not work in a vacuum. He works through individuals.
Can't you see and understand? God gave local churches pastors, teachers, and evangelists for their edification and their teaching. He doesn't expect them to learn on their own. He doesn't expect you to learn simply by allowing the "Holy Spirit teach you."
That isn't even Biblical.
It is the very reason that I have been teaching in a Bible College for more than 30 years, preparing others for the ministry.

I will repeat it again, for what I said is very Scriptural. There is nothing unscriptural about the immutability about the third person of the eternal Godhead. He is the same person at Creation as he is today.

But just as he worked in different ways then, he worked in a different way in the Apostolic Age, and he works in a different way now, 2,000 years later.

The Holy Spirit is the same; the same as he was during the days of Creation. But he isn't working the same way, as you think he is. If he was you would be able to demonstrate that, but you can't. You can't meet the challenge I keep giving you to demonstrate that he is working the same way as he once did in the first century.
Demonstrate it by giving evidence of:
The gift of miracles,
The gift of healing,
The gift of languages.

Since you cannot, we know these gifts have ceased. Don't claim what you cannot do.

Thus evidence is a very important thing in our lives.
Read Eph.2:8-10
Verses 8,9 speak of our salvation. But verse 10 speaks of the result of our salvation which is works. If the Christian life is not evidenced by works; if there is no change perhaps he was never changed in the first place. There must be evidence.
In the same way, when you claim the gifts there must be evidence for the reality of the claim.

 

Apostle paul stated the Full gospel is the birth/death/resurrection of Jesus, and that thry faith we have life in his name!

Do you have that "full Gospel?"


And do you see there IS a difference between the 12 Apostles and paul, and ANY so called ones today?

 

You go think on that one again ...!

 

I believe in miracles; I experience them day by day. Some are just greater than most.

I thank God I need not explain these miracles from the Bible--the God in the Bible is their only explanation. "I AM THE LIFE." Where is greater proof of miracles than the miracle to see them?

Unhappy man that does not believe in miracles or has found no miracles or whom no miracles have found!

 

It is evident that if the Apostles died in the first century that we don't need them today. I haven't seen the Apostle Peter or Paul or even John around lately. Have you? Or do you have seances and bring them up from the dead?
Along with the Apostles the prophets died out at the end of the century when the NT canon was completed. We don't need any more revelation. God's word is complete.
Thus the three offices remain for the building up and edification of local churches. What don't you understand about that?

 

what is their purpose though? To guide and direct you, in a way that the bible cannot?

Do tongues allow you to share/witness to someone who speaks a foreign language to you?

 

:laugh:

Actually, that is not too far-fetched, considering some charismatic churches I've been in. In one, they had a visiting "prophet" (profit) who did what I considered pretty close to palm reading, in effect. And he drew huge crowds to this little isolated country charismatic church. Poor deceived souls.

 

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

This letter, written by Paul to the church at Ephesus was written ca. 60 A.D. in the first century before the apostles had died, before the canon of Scripture was complete. To this early church, as with all these contemporary churches God gave them apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers. But the apostles and prophets would not be for all churches. This letter was for Ephesus. It would be passed on to near-by churches and eventually preserved as Scripture. But its original intent was for the believers at Ephesus. He writes that they needed the apostles and prophets, etc., not that we need all five offices.
We need only the last three of them because the apostles and prophets have done their job. They have laid the foundation. We have what they did not have--the completed Word of God. Their ministry is finished. The Bible takes their place.
There are no apostles today.
There are no prophets today.
We have the completed word of God; apostles and prophets are not needed today. They died at the end of the first century. They have never been replaced. There is no apostolic succession. There is no prophetic office. There is no gift of prophecy.

 

the Church has NEVER said that there wee ANY Ot prophets/NT Apsotles that were still functioning in the Body of christ, outside of the groups like the Mormons/JW/RCC, so the Charasmatics have quite a 'brotherhood" they are linked together with on this topic!

 

1. Prove that there has been apostolic succession from the first century until now.
2. Prove that history shows that churches held to apostolic offices.
3. Prove that the Bible indicates that each of the apostolic offices were to continue.
4. Why are there only 12 names written on the foundations of the 12 walls of the New Jerusalem if the office was to continue.

The time of the ascension is a moot point. It has nothing to do with this discussion since all the apostles were alive at that time.