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power and authority"---for what? To GOVERN? To RULE the Church?
Notice carefully! Let us have a BIBLE REASON for all we accept and
do! ... "...and gave them power and authority over all devils, and
to cure diseases. And he SENT THEM to"---He sent them to WHAT? To
rule and govern? To have supervision over the spiritual affairs of
an organization? Notice it, IN THE BIBLE! ..."He sent them to
preach the Kingdom of God, and to heal the sick."
The word "apostle" means "one sent." The definition in
Cruden's Concordance is "one sent forth. Used as referring (1)
chiefly to one of the 12 disciples of Christ; or (2) to any of
various other followers of Christ who did evangelistic work."
An apostle does not mean one IN authority, but one UNDER
authority---one SENT by the authority of another! The only
power and authority Jesus ever gave even His original twelve was to
heal the sick, and cast out demons. And He SENT them, not to rule,
but to PREACH---not to BEAR authority, but to MINISTER, to serve!
Nowhere in the Scripture do we find the slightest hint that
the twelve constituted a higher-up church board, and nowhere were
they ever given power to rule, or govern, or decide what doctrines
the other disciples must believe.
WERE THE 12 CONTINUED ON?
Is there any Scripture giving plain instruction that the
TWELVE were to continue on perpetually as a Church board? There
is none!
Yet many have been led honestly to suppose that the apostles
were to be continued exactly twelve in number, because a
successor was ordained to replace Judas Iscariot. So let us
SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES on this point, whether this is so.
What was Jesus' PURPOSE in ordaining twelve disciples? Let
the Scripture say:
"And He ordained twelve, THAT THEY SHOULD BE WITH HIM, and
that He might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal
sicknesses, and to cast out devils." (Mark 3:14.)
Not that they should rule the spiritual affairs of an
organization. Jesus ordained the twelve in order "that they should
BE WITH HIM!"
Now notice WHY He wanted them to be with Him---and WHY a
successor was appointed for Judas!
Judas' successor had to be a man possessing a certain
qualification---because he was "ordained to be a witness with us of
his resurrection." (Acts 2:22).
Notice the necessary qualification. Not ability to govern,
nor talent to discern and vote on right doctrine. Look at it in
your Bible: "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us
all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was
taken up from us, must one be ordained TO BE A WITNESS WITH US OF
HIS RESURRECTION. (Acts 1:21-22).
Do you grasp it? Do you see plainly revealed here the PURPOSE
of the twelve?
First, Jesus ordained twelve "that they should be with Him."
Later, after His ascension, one of these was replaced. And it had
to be ONE WHO HAD BEEN WITH HIM, along with the others, thruout His
entire ministry, beginning with the baptism of John!
Why?