In Search of Truth

I found your website because I am searching for an answer concerning
apostolic teams. Perhaps you can help me.

We are have become "house parents" of a single house churche in our area. A founding team made up of one couple (who also leads one of the house churches), two young men who are members of two of the house churches, and one retired pastor of a local church who still attends their services and has nothing directly to do with our house churches now state that they are an "apostolic team" and wish the house parents and their co-leaders to confirm this and "accept" them as such.

What is the difference between "apostolic team" and "apostles", and what - if that is a valid office in the church (five-fold ministry) would be their authority or the limit thereof over our house church?

Thank you in advance for your reply. May God bless you.

There is no Bible authority for such a bold claim. I would object to their presumptuous assertion based on the following reasons:

1. No reference to "apostolic teams" can be found anywhere in Scriptures. This is a creation of a new role or office in the church. The burden resides on the presumers to provide authority and justification for the creation of this new office. We are to act on Jesus' authority (Colossians 3:17). Anything outside of that is presumptuous and destructive (II John 1:9; Galatians 1:6-8). More on this point and the related topic of establishing Bible authority can be gleaned from the following articles on our site:
   
   "Do All Things According to the Pattern"
   "Do All in the Name of the Lord"
2. If the intention is misunderstood, and really the claim for apostleship is made, then they should meet the qualifications of apostles!
   

   Luke, recording by the Holy Spirit, wrote:And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said, "Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry." ... "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place." And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:15-26)

   The qualifications for apostleship include:
   1. Personal selection by Jesus - cannot be self-appointed or church-appointed
   2. Eye-Witness of both Jesus ministry and resurrection
   3. Working miraculous signs
   Many may claim to have been appointed by Jesus as an apostle, but how many can claim to have been present during his earthly ministry? Part of being an apostle was to be a witness for these events. One cannot witness to events that transpired almost 2000 years before his own birth!
   
   Plus, the apostle Paul was the last of the apostolic line, AND he was the last eye-witness of the risen Lord. Nobody has seen Jesus directly since Paul; otherwise, this inspired statement made by Paul has no significance:
   

   Paul by inspiration wrote:For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time." (I Corinthians 15:3-8)

   This expression, "as by one born out of due time", refers to a family having an unexpected child late in life - maybe a "surprise" or an "accident". The birth occurs beyond the window of time when people normally plan to have children. However, if Christ continued to appear to men for thousands of years beyond Paul, and if He continued to select apostles beyond Paul, then how was he possible "born out of due time"? The expression has no relation to Paul, if he was actually the beginning of many more apostles and witnesses of Christ. If that was the case, would not his vision and selection be a normal occurrence? Clearly, this passage denies the possibility of modern day visions; therefore, there cannot be any modern apostles, since they must be witnesses of Christ and personally selected by Him.
   
   This claim is not anything new. Paul's second letter to the Corinthian church is primarily written in response to false apostles, who were plaguing the church in Corinth. Such people are very deceitful and should be rejected:
   

   Paul the apostle wrote:"For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted -- you may well put up with it! For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. ... But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ[/u]. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works." (II Corinthians 11:1-15)

   
   Establishing oneself as an apostle could provide a false teacher with leverage to gain additional financial support, social respect, and political power within the church - or, so they thought (). It is no surprise that some would seek an exalted position among you, just as many did long ago.
   
   You have a responsibility to "test" those who make such extraordinary claims and seek your acceptance of them (Revelation 2:1-7; I Thessalonians 5:21; I John 4:1). If these people demand to be accepted as apostles, then let them manifest the undeniable, miraculous "signs of an apostle", which should include the miraculous laying on of hands to impart the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, so others can work miracles (Acts 8:14-24; II Corinthians 12:12; II Timothy 1:6). If they cannot, then you must reject such false apostles, as did the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:1-7).
   
   You may want to read the following article on apostles for more information on apostles and their qualifications:
   
   The Apostles

Thank you very much for your kindness and for taking so much time for an in-depth answer. We will very prayerfully consider how to proceed in this situation. We don't want to hurt the individuals involved, however, we cannot accept their apostolic claim.

May the Lord bless you and your congrgation.

I am thankful that you found the response profitable. False teaching is a very troublesome thing. Ideally, false teaching should be rectified by the kind response of a brother; however, that is often not the case. How does one deal with false teachers and false teaching?

In all things, one must speak kindly (II Corinthians 10:1):

Paul wrote:"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." (Colossians 4:6)

However, many will take correction as offense, no matter how kindly, lovingly, or graciously they are approached. Regardless, correction must be made, yet always in a Christian disposition:

Paul wrote:"But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." (II Timothy 2:23-26)

Why make correction? From the verse above, we learn that love, concern for the false teacher's soul, is a primary motivation for correction. Truth can never compromise with error, even if it is for the sake of peace.

"For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." (James 3:16-17)

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 1:3)

"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia -- remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm." (I Timothy 1:3-7)

"Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 1:13)[/quote]
Why is this so important? Not only will false teachers lose their own souls, but if they permitted to continue, they will destroy the souls of others!

Paul by the Holy Spirit wrote:"... holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth." (Titus 1:9-14)

"Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'" (II Timothy 2:14-19)

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, ... having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was." (II Timothy 3:1-9)

"And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." (Galatians 2:4-5)

Ultimately, we must separate ourselves from those who refuse to accept the truth. Sometimes a public rebuke is even required. Sometimes this public rebuke must be given to those we love - those who normally do not profess error:

"If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself." (I Timothy 6:3-5)

"Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear." (I Timothy 5:19-20)

"Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?" (Galatians 2:11-14)

Despite what some would have us think, when we press for the truth, sometimes even separating ourselves from false teachers, we must understand that the false teacher is the source of division. His condition and its consequences are a product of his own choices - not our choices:

"But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned." (Titus 3:9-11)

Hopefully these Bible principles will be of some help to you as you wrestle with how to deal with this false teaching.

May God bless you in your efforts to serve Him