Apostolic Ministry in the Kingdom of God - Part 2
Filed under The Kingdom of God on June 2nd, 2009 by Andrew YeomanIn the first installment of this series on the apostolic ministry (see earlier post), we took a look at the original meaning of the theme ‘apostolic’ as given by the Lord to the 12; that of ’sent ones’. In this next part we will look at Christ’s Apostolic ministry in particular, and the significance of it then and now.
2. Prophetic significance from OT history & prophets; fulfilled in Jesus.
Mark 11, 12 & 13 capture a remarkable sequence of events in the life of Jesus. It is a time when Jesus is open about His Messianic status like no other point in His life. He did this in the final week before His atoning death and triumph. This was a moment like no other in that He was now declaring Himself as the pioneer of a new day, a new foundation, a new building and a greater glory! This statement of truth about Himself was the ‘Rock of offense’! Thus, because the ‘grace of apostleship’ is the grace of Christ through a vessel, in a smaller but important way, apostolic ministry due to its pioneering and foundational nature causes a great disturbance, but also great glory! Let’s look at why.
Throughout the Gospels & Epistles, Jesus is referred to as the ‘Stone’. (Acts 4, Ephesians 2, 1 Peter 2) This is in prophetic fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecies in Isaiah ch 28, and Zechariah’s words in his book – ch 4 & 10. It is also wonderfully foretold in Psalm 118.
The overall picture presented in the OT prophecies is that Jesus is both the foundational stone in the beginning of the building process, and Capstone / consummator of God’s house at the end. With Him in the NT teaching, Apostles and Prophets both historically (Eph 2: 20) and now by their present function (Eph 3: 5) fulfil a foundational role in what God is building for His glory, and the Spirit’s dwelling.
We see in Mark’s Gospel 11, 12 & 13 something of the fulfilment of the OT prophetic word conveyed. Jesus arrives in Jerusalem one week before His death and resurrection, and begins ‘ministering’ for a week at the temple. As he enters Jerusalem, the crowds cry ‘blessed is He…’ in fulfilment of Psalm 118: 15 – 29. It is significant because the cry of ‘blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord’ is directly related to the Psalmist’s prophetic declaration of the Capstone being rejected and it being the Day that the Lord has made.
After this event in Ch 11: 12 – 19 – the Lord clears the temple, and declares God’s intention for His people - that it is His house of prayer for all nations! The next day Jesus speaks of speaking to mountains, after cursing the fig tree, and using true faith in God. And then in ch 11: 27 – 33 – His authority is questioned. In other words to build something new, must require a fresh ground to work with; every obstacle removed and persistent standing in the face of opposition. What Christ has come to do is lay a new foundation stone in His mission and message. This is apostolic.
In Mark 12 He tells a parable of Tenants who reject the Son, and He quotes the Psalm 118 in fulfilment of the rejection of Him – the Stone, by the Jewish religious leaders. He then teaches in the temple for a few days. God has suddenly come to His temple!
Ch 13, the disciples marvel at the ‘stones’ of the temple, and the Lord tells them it will be destroyed.
It is evident that Jesus Christ, the Stone, is clearing the way, so to speak, for a rebuilding of God’s house, based upon Himself. It will demand a new understanding of what God is doing in the earth. What God is doing to a physical temple by destroying it, He will perform the opposite by building a new spiritual temple built upon His Son. This is in fulfilment of Zechariah 3 & 4 where the Stone would be laid to shouts of ‘grace / blessings’. Interestingly, Zechariah prophesies to the mountain of opposition that stands before Zerrubbabel and Joshua’s building work, by saying ‘What are you O mountain… you will become level ground.’
Zerrubbabel and Joshua were the commissioned builders against the will of the enemies of Judah (Ezra 4) and yet the prophet brings encouragement to build in the face of opposition. This historic account in the OT is also prophetic of the Lord’s glorious NT work.
So the OT prophetic type is the builder working with the watchman in the building of God’s house. In the NT, the apostle and prophet are foundation ministries for the NT people of God, built upon Jesus! In the both examples it is not by might, nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord!
Here we see an OT prophetic view & NT fulfilment of what the great apostle Jesus did in His ministry. He destroyed the temple, and rebuilt it in 3 days! Now we can understand why apostolic & prophetic ministry working together brings great disturbance to the powers of darkness, because it is the taring down of satan’s kingdom, and the laying of a foundation Stone - the message of the Kingdom of God, in Christ. It is a building of a new spiritual temple upon Jesus, the Chief cornerstone. Apostleship is front line ministry, rather than ‘managerial status’. It is rooted in the Man, Christ Jesus, and because of this it will bring commotion but come with great glory from God and to God! Upon Himself, with apostolic ‘building’ ministry and prophetic ‘watchman’ ministry, we can see God’s house built for God’s glory to dwell in by His Spirit.
Tags: apostle, Apostolic Church, art katz, Jesus, Kingdom, Paul, prophets, the church, the Gospel
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I mentioned, after this topic’s first posting, further raising other considerations on it for a larger examination of its questionable premise; an intention to drop back in here with more developed thought for deliberation on actual Apostle formation events, appointments, and related actual New Testament conveyance issues of this ministry was and is in mind. Andrew’s assumptions of present day application for such a ministry have largely not yet addressed other New Testament definitions of Apostle to date than the notion of one sent [out or forth apparently]. The church at large needs its own understanding expanded in view as is held from scripture as given in the first century to the 12 and some others so clarified as to this ministry by the New Testament.
Problems with a definition based on a view of a root word or a word use of simplist function alone as justification for carrying the ministry into the present, along with the other ministries listed of the Ephesian’s letter, remain rampant. This includes contextual issues not examined by the topical articles, with a minimalist definition/interpretation of scripture on the subject of its given indicators of being Apostles–as actually written as
founded.
Your premise here about “sent ones” as a definition, as to establishing an equivalency for a present day ministry application, continues with this posting to have significant historical-critical issues; also an essential unique knowledge based on experience of the Messiah’s first visitation carried of an inner circle linked of the nuclear chain is given of the NT Apostleship claims.
We are given a fairly flat notion of functional characterization in the thrusts so far, where merely being “sent ones” out from a church body today lacks having certain vital elements for the Messianic NT beholder definition standing. This is of first importance of a supposed Apostle lacking in nuclear chain linkage in present day possibility. An assumption of such a limiting definition as somehow equivocating NT Apostles transfering to a present day sent one by a primary functional action equivalency simply does not wash in the light of what the NT says on the subject of the 12, and so of some others.
Most translators of the NT and its uses of the NT Greek words on Apostle stand apart quite differently (by offering different translations than that of Apostle in certain word use instances) from what is asserted above as to an implied equivalency. This qualification carries too in the face of present winds of promoting an implied usage for the office: as to the thoughtfully conveyed composition and ministry defined meaning laid by the New Testament Canon authors. When I return from a necessary trip, God willing, I will expound on this in evidenced detail and why one would not wisely readily buy in to a new or limited version of Apostleship as the Lord Himself established it.
Certainly Yeshua fulfilling prophecy and he himself building his church is an unquestionable reality of his ministry and mission. It was introduced, as such, in the prophetic “fullness of time.” It is other aspects of his discipleship and Apostle appointments as are recorded in the New Testament than “sent ones,” while including being so sent, which grant a larger picture of his foundational intention for those so chosen which scripture further qualifies.
Jabez,
whilst not agreeing with your first comments, your second point certainly for me partly shows us that we are still living in a time of fulness and fulfillment. Christ is both the cornerstone and capstone of the House He is building. Therefore, in a functional sense, He will continue to raise up ‘building ministries’ to accomplish this Apostolic mission of God’s! As long as Christ pours out HIs Spirit to this end, that aspect of His ministry will continue to be poured out, as well as other aspects, else the house is already completed, and His people are not His body in the Earth. If so, we are in trouble indeed!
The writer of the Acts of the Apostles (or, as some like to call it, of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles, where in fact the history there is a record of both working in concert together) is very clear that the first century Church at Jerusalem, and other emerging churches of necessity pursued “the Apostles’ teaching;” this was and is, in short, an irreplaceable part of what constituted the Apostolic in regard to its vital definition of the Great Commission’s establishment through the New Testament. Having now returned from my trip, after Andrew’s part three, I will scholarly expound the concerns raised of my first statements found here after his articles one and two on this subject, which are openly of disagreement with his position. These articles own inherent shortcomings on understanding the unique purposes of the Messiah in so assigning a special mission to the New Testament Canon Apostles will be discussed in detail. If their contribution was transferable to such a ministry for future generation their unique estabismenys noe found of the word might be displaced.
In wishing to expand and reveal the Kingdom to those who have not heard or heeded its prevalence and essential interface with human history, offering hope for anyone’s so allied future, let’s be very careful not to defocus our vision by the set in place NT authors’ scripture lens defining the matter of Apostleship granting its unique revelation and vision as indeed assigned by the Lord Jesus as held throughout the Age of the Gentiles; such holds as active as is recorded through the Apostles’ teaching alone until the Kingdom’s literal establishment as is stated to be made by God’s Actions alone as is revealed at the end of the Age in Daniel’s final word on the subject.
In the book of Daniel we are given promises about the coming Kingdom of Righteousness, as were made from the witness of God’s faithful while living among ancient corrupt and vain Kingdoms of this world: as to the outline of all kingdoms affecting Daniel’s people as prophetically given to Daniel. The nature of those kingdoms is contrasted by Daniel with this coming Righteous Kingdom. The establishment of the prophetic after the earlier Tenach promises given the people of God about a future Prophet like unto Moses being sent for His redemptive intention to Israel (as was completed both by Joshua and Jesus), was interwoven thereafter into the word of God. It came into focus once more in redemptive promise coming in the distant future through a faithful Jewish lineage as was given to David as to the future of his own Kingdom’s throne (being promised as to be one established forever on his throne), as was introduced into the basic conflict between the Kingdom of God or Heaven, to be set up in that writing’s last chapter by God himself, and those of this world. We must be very careful to stay faithful to the vision for implementation of this future literal and present day mystery reality which Jesus himself ushered in, and carefully chose who would bring the establishment of this important message of the NT canon to Israel and the Gentiles (non Jewish nations, who had little if any reference to the Hebrew Bible and Law of Special Revelations, given the chosen Nation to help God’s redemptive purposes.). Although the chosen Nation would be officially religiously at odds with what Yeshua Ha Meshiach introduced in the fullness of time “for the rising and falling” of many among the chosen Nation with his coming, and return, we must always deliniate between the fulfillment and completion of the redemptive intentions and plan of God’s Kingdom in conflict with the present world, and as introduced through the chosen Nation’s Messiah’s Apostles to it through what became the reference of the written word. One essential aspect of the Apostolic was to establish the word’s resulting witness–something no other selected group than those so elected of the first century can do as was established among the chosen Nation and the nations by divine design.
The problems and solutions of what constitutes the Apostolic mission, in its complete divine assignment, and resulting definition, will be taken to task with the present functional analysis definition Andrew is upholding over the more complete New Testament view, God willing, I will highlight after the third article appears here.