Why do some say that there are no more apostles and prophets today for the church?
Why do so many believe today in the traditional churches that there are no longer need for the apostles and prophets? The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 4:11: God has placed some apostles and some prophets , evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the working of the ministry.
Ephesians 4:11
ESV - 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.
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Asked August 25 2014
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Anonymous
For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Beatrice Picon
The fact of the matter is that today there are so many people missing the point, because their taking the title of Apostles, prophets,and making that title of importance when the main focus is Jesus Christ because it is Him who is all that the Lost souls need to have an encounter with He's The Savior, He's The Eternal Life, He's The Perfecter, we are all chosen to be voices for a deaf world that is perishing, that is blind we are not the important ones for it is by Grace that we can take the message.Because of What God has done we've done nothing but accepted the fact that we we're in desperate need of The Lord Jesus Christ for the penalty that was against us that for sure we could not pay saving us from the Wrath God is going to pour out on those that have rejected the One and Only that is Important, not the messenger. It's who the gospel reveals. John 3;30 says it loud and clear, hopefully everyone realizes Jesus Christ should be Exalted no one else.
Jennifer Rothnie
Understanding that the Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts for the building up and edification of the church (I Cor 12:11) does not mean that people are pulling the focus from Christ. Indeed, the whole purpose of spiritual gifts is to build the body of Christ up into the head, which is Christ Himself! (Eph 4:15, I Cor 12, Eph 1:22, Col 2:10).
Certainly, people should not brag about their gifts:
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." I Cor 13:2
Beatrice Picon
Yes ma'am I'm not denying facts in scripture it's just that today a lot of new believers are being misled and the true gospel is not being taught to them. They are following the title given, not the giver.
Jennifer Rothnie
While it is true many gifts are misused, that doesn't mean that those gifts should be forbidden or that those gifts have ceased. One can combat misuse in the church without banning the work of the Holy Spirit in the process. For an example of a different oft misused gift; after listing all manner of abuses of the gifts of tongues in I Cor 14, Paul concludes with "do not forbid speaking in tongues. But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." (I Cor 14:39-40).
As such, church groups should not be in the habit of forbidding gifts (tongues, apostleship, prophets, etc) simply because those gifts are often misused or some groups (like the hyper-charistmatic) take them to extremes even in unbiblical ways. Rather, they should be on the lookout for misuse of gifts and be prepared to intervene if a person or Pastor is elevating themselves above Christ or preaching things contrary to scripture.
Ronnie Fenezia
There are no more apostles. The canon of Scripture is complete.
Those who teach the restoration of the office teach that the men who claim to be apostles and prophets should never be spoken against, should never be questioned, because the person who speaks against them is speaking against God. Yet, the Apostle Paul commended the people of Berea for checking what he said against the Word of God to make sure he spoke the truth (Acts 17:10-11). The Apostle Paul also stated to those in Galatia that if anyone, including himself, should teach another Gospel, that person should be "accursed" (Galatians 1:8-9). Paul kept pointing people to the Bible as the final authority. The men who claim to be apostles and prophets today make themselves the final authority, something Paul and the Twelve never did.
It should also be noted that Scripture refers to these men in the past tense. 2 Peter 3:2 and also Jude 3-4, state that the people should not stray from the message the apostles gave (past tense). Hebrews 2:3-4 also speaks in the past tense of the those who performed (in the past) signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Requirements Cannot Be Fulfilled by Anyone Today
An Apostle Was an Eyewitness of Jesus’ Resurrection
The Gift of Apostle Was Accompanied by Miraculous Signs
They Had Unique Authority to Receive Special Revelation
Paul Was the Last Person Jesus Appeared To & Commissioned