The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
33<br />
reaching out to o<strong>the</strong>rs with <strong>the</strong> good news <strong>of</strong> God’s love in Christ and <strong>the</strong> apostles<br />
were to spearhead this missionary outreach. Indeed only when <strong>the</strong> gospel has been<br />
preached throughout <strong>the</strong> whole world will <strong>the</strong> church’s task be finished, for <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong><br />
end will come (Mt. 24:14). Now on each occasion when <strong>the</strong> Great Commission was<br />
given it was given to <strong>the</strong> eleven apostles and to no o<strong>the</strong>rs. If <strong>the</strong>y only exercised<br />
<strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> apostleship <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y only were commissioned to spread <strong>the</strong> gospel.<br />
Indeed, such a conclusion has been held from time to time in <strong>the</strong> church’s history.<br />
Yet <strong>the</strong> continuing spiritual darkness <strong>of</strong> many areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world and <strong>the</strong> realization<br />
that many people have still to hear <strong>the</strong> gospel for <strong>the</strong> first time has caused Christians<br />
to recognize <strong>the</strong> continuing need for apostles, those who will go where Christ is not<br />
named, <strong>the</strong>re to plant Christian churches. Obviously, <strong>the</strong> Twelve and Paul were<br />
apostles in a special, unrepeatable sense, but cannot <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> apostleship be<br />
discerned in <strong>the</strong> activities <strong>of</strong> those who have been used <strong>of</strong> God in <strong>the</strong> extension <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> church into new areas for <strong>the</strong> past two thousand years? 3<br />
Significantly many Christians down <strong>the</strong> ages have recognized <strong>the</strong> continuing nature<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> apostleship both as regards <strong>the</strong> function <strong>of</strong> apostles in pursuing<br />
purity <strong>of</strong> doctrine and as regards <strong>the</strong>ir function in planting new churches. Thus<br />
even Calvin, who states quite clearly that apostles were temporary, in <strong>the</strong> same<br />
breath admits that God ‘still occasionally raises <strong>the</strong>m up when <strong>the</strong> necessity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
time requires’ and <strong>the</strong>n asserts that apostles had been necessary in his own day ‘to<br />
bring back <strong>the</strong> Church from <strong>the</strong> revolt <strong>of</strong> Antichrist.’ (John Calvin, Institutes, 4, iii,4.).<br />
Similarly outstanding Christian missionaries greatly used <strong>of</strong> God in carrying <strong>the</strong><br />
gospel into hi<strong>the</strong>rto unreached areas <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world have earned <strong>the</strong> title <strong>of</strong> ‘apostle’<br />
from <strong>the</strong>ir contemporaries and from historians. Thus, for example, Carey has been<br />
called ‘<strong>the</strong> Apostle <strong>of</strong> India’, Judson ‘<strong>the</strong> Apostle <strong>of</strong> Burma,’ Aidan is referred to as<br />
‘<strong>the</strong> Apostle <strong>of</strong> Northumbria.’” 4<br />
Sometimes <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> apostle has been especially recognized. Thus <strong>the</strong> English Baptists <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> seventeenth century appointed ‘messengers’ or ‘apostles’ with <strong>the</strong> specific task <strong>of</strong> pioneering<br />
<strong>the</strong> gospel and establishing new churches, caring for <strong>the</strong>m until <strong>the</strong>y were adequately pastored.<br />
<strong>The</strong> term is not currently in vogue, but are not modern missionaries specifically engaged in<br />
planting new churches exercising <strong>the</strong> gift <strong>of</strong> apostleship?<br />
While Bridge and Phypers correctly equate missionaries who pioneer, plant and care for<br />
churches with <strong>the</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice <strong>of</strong> apostleship, <strong>the</strong>y do not go far enough. For it seems to me, <strong>the</strong> bishops<br />
or district superintendents also engage in planting new churches and in overseeing <strong>the</strong>m ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
directly or indirectly through o<strong>the</strong>r pastors. In addition, some men who pastor churches are also