No More Apostolic Succession But There Are 'Apostles' (Colossians 1:1)

“This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy” (Colossians 1:1, NLT)

Paul was qualified as one of the unique apostles, “chosen” and called by Jesus Christ (“the will of God”) personally and an eye witness of His resurrected majesty (read Acts 9:1-31). Paul was able to “proof that [he is] an apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12) and as well as being inspired to write most of the books/letters of the New Testament. In my own reading and conviction, God has NOT authorized any apostolic succession since Paul was called, so there are no new apostles living on earth today. Timothy was not an apostle but one of Paul’s converts and a fellow missionary.

Question: If there are no apostles today, is there then no representative of God for our times? Hey, yes! There are! In mission and evangelism, God always puts His witnesses in the world. The word ‘apostle’ means ‘a sent one, a missionary’, and certainly this calling has not ceased just because the initial, unique apostles during the time of the New Testament are now no more with us. The Bible says that every believer has been sent to share the Gospel to others - through living and preaching - which has now been given to us. All of Christ-followers are commissioned as messengers and missionaries for God. Our Lord Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere… to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Come Holy Spirit: Be Filled, Speak in Tongues and the Meaning of It (Acts 2:1-13)

“Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the Day of Pentecost had now arrived. As the believers met together that day, suddenly there was a sound like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on their heads. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speaking in languages they didn’t know, for the Holy Spirit gave them this ability”
(Acts 2:1-4, The Living Bible)

The Day of Pentecost was one of the feast days of the ancient Jews. It was held 50 days after the feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:16). Seven weeks, 7 x 7 = 49 days had gone by, so now is the 50^th day. What’s my point? The feast of First Fruits in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-23) and then He ascended to heaven. And 50 days later, the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was the day the Holy Spirit poured out on the believers. Before the Pentecost come, the feast of First Fruits must be celebrated; before the Holy Spirit could come, the Son must go.

The 120 disciples (Acts 1:15) were all together in one place when they heard the sound of wind, visibly saw tongues of fire, and began to speak in other languages which they did not know before. Wind, fire, speech; they heard, they saw, they spoke. To me, this experience of “filled with the Holy Spirit” is rich in its nature. I want to ask, how could the Holy Spirit come and dwell with men whose hearts had been tainted with sin? It would only be possible, in my understanding of theology, if those hearts had first been cleansed. Or in other word, the Spirit only can dwell in holiness, not sinfulness. What is sufficient to wash away the guilt of sin? When people read this text automatically they would answer the Holy Spirit, but no, THE answer is the blood of the Lamb. The coming of the Spirit shows how completely the blood of Jesus Christ washes away all our sin. If the Spirit dwells in our hearts, He will be grieved if any sin is permitted to dwell there too. Therefore, it is appropriate if we first get rid of our conscious sin and asked God to cleanse us by the blood of Jesus. Do this and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit!

Come back to the text. Jewish people had been scattered all over the world, but some of them came back to Jerusalem “for the religious celebrations” (v.5). Imagine the surprise of these people when they heard the disciples, “all from Galilee” (v.7), speaking in fifteen different foreign languages! (Read lists of languages they speak in Acts 2:9-11). These were known human languages, not nonsense or unintelligible or meaningless gibberish (Test time: When people says they are speaking in tongue, what languages are they speak? Is there any people with the gift of interpretation among them?). What were they speaking about? The people said, “We all hear these men telling in our own languages about the mighty miracles of God” (v.11). This is interesting. In John 16:13-14, the Scriptures said that the Holy Spirit would not speak of Himself, but would glorify Jesus. So, when a Christian is filled with the Holy Spirit, he or she will not talk so much about him/herself nor even about the Spirit, but about Jesus Christ and the mighty miracles of God.

Then some of them were amazed and perplexed, “What can this mean?” they asked each other (v.12). While they still thinking, others in the crowd were mocking, “They’re drunk, that’s all!” (v.13). Peter, the leader of the apostles, defended against the accusation and denied that they were drunk of wine but was filled with the Holy Spirit [I’ll continue with Peter’s sermon in another article]. So, what does it all mean? John Stott rightly answer: “Nothing could demonstrated more clearly than this the multi-racial, multi-national, multi-lingual nature of the kingdom of Christ. Ever since the early church fathers, commentators have seen the blessing of Pentecost as a deliberate and dramatic reversal of the curse of Babel. At Babel human languages were confused and the nations were scattered; in Jerusalem the language barrier was supernaturally overcome as a sign that the nations would now be gathered together in Christ, prefiguring the great day when the redeemed company will be drawn ‘from every nation, tribe, people and language.’ Besides, at Babel earth proudly tried to ascend to heaven, whereas in Jerusalem heaven humbly descended to earth.” Amazing!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' New Apostle: Who Was? Who's Next? (Acts 1:16-22)

“[Prayer meeting] went on for several days. During this time, on a day when about 120 people were present, Peter stood up and addressed them as follows: ‘Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to come true concerning Judas, who betrayed Jesus by guiding the mob to him… So now we must choose someone else to take Judas’ place and to join us as witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection. Let us select someone who has been with us constantly from our first association with the Lord – from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us into heaven”

(Acts 1:16, 21-22, The Living Bible)

Judas’ life was very tragic. Judas was “chosen to be an apostle” (v.17) but he betrayed Jesus. After he “bought a field with the money he received for his treachery,” he then “falling headlong there, he burst open, spilling out his bowels” (v.18). But Matthew 27:5-7 explained that Judas “threw the money onto the floor of the Temple and went out and hanged himself… the chief priests talked it over and finally decided to buy a certain field…” Is this a contradiction account? No, I think when Judas hanged himself, his dead body fell headlong (head first). And when the Scripture said Judas bought a field it was actually the chief priests who bought it using Judas’ treacherous money because they cannot take back the ‘blood money.’ So, technically, the field bought by and belong to Judas. No contradiction. The point is: Judas betrayed Jesus, he then hanged himself, and his money was used to buy a field.

The apostle Peter realized that someone should be appointed to take the place of Judas, who had fallen into sin, and committed suicide. He remembered two verses in the book of Psalms and one particularly says “Let his work be given to someone else to do” (Acts 1:20, Psalms 109:8). Interpreted as someone should take Judas’ place as an apostle. For me, it is a terrible thing to do works for God in the beginning but because of sin – continuous sin without really repenting from it – God rejected him and have another take it over. May this will not happen to us!

So the apostles lead by Peter selected two men who had also been with the Lord Jesus from the beginning and were witnesses of His baptism, death and resurrection. Their names were Joseph Justus (also called Barsabbas) and Matthias (v.23). Then they “prayed for the right man to be chosen: ‘O Lord, you know every heart; show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas the traitor, who has gone on to his proper place’” (v.24-25). Then they cast lots and the lot fell on Matthias, who was therefore numbered with the apostles [although we never hear of him again]. Casting lots? No, we don’t need to do that anymore. Now that the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures has been given, we don’t need to cast lots to know God’s will. But we do need to know these, as a conclusion:

#1 Being an ‘apostle’ or as Christ’s follower in general, doesn’t guarantee good ending. Don’t be like Judas, who betrayed Jesus in the end. We need to keep believing in Him; #2 God already chose who would become our leader. It doesn’t mean we don’t need to pray but all the more this should encourage us to pray so that God’s will become our will’s [Note: Many people nowadays claim to be an ‘apostle’, these are the qualifications outline by Peter: 1) He must be someone who have accompanied the apostles all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them; 2) He must be someone who are there beginning from Jesus’ baptism to the day when He was taken up to heaven; and 3) He must be someone who witnessed Jesus’ resurrection. Now, are the self-claimed ‘apostles’ today fulfilled these criteria? Fyi, I believe in apostolic ministry] and; #3 Though you might not be the chosen leader, like Joseph Justus, in Christ you are chosen of God! Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Is the Embodiment of "God Is Love" (1 John 4:7-8; 13-16)

John the disciple of Jesus, was known as "the son of thunder" had become "the Apostle of love."
Love effects

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who love is child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love”

(1 John 4:7-8, NLT).

This is the third (or more) time that the Apostle John brings up the subject of “love”. So it must really have been a great concern for him – especially God Himself. But each time John talks about love, he doesn’t just repeat himself but talks about love in a deeper way, that is why I love God’s Word because it is never boring. How John knows about “love” so much? Because John had lived with Jesus physically on earth and after the resurrection, Jesus lives in him (and all of us) thru the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the embodiment of God, love in action. So John can say with confidence: “God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love” (1 John 4:13-16). John is not talking about theory or principle, but the reality of love – John has seen Jesus and he knows that “God is love.”

From our previous studies we have already seen that love and hate are like light and darkness. And that we show people that we are God’s children by the way we treat other people. But here John ties the subject of love into the very essence of who God is – “God is love.” John says that love begins with God. Since the very beginning of time, God has cared about the world and people. The Bible says, “For God loved the world so much…” (John 3:16).

[Basically, there are three ways the word “world” is referred to: 1) the physical world, 2) the world's evil system, and 3) the people of the world. We are to love 3) and care for 1) but to hate 2) totally.]

Way back in the Book of Genesis, we read that God created people in His image – in the likeness of God (see Genesis 1:26). We are different from the tigers and monkeys, the pigs and the fish. We are special and different from everything else that God has made. And to be created in the image of God, we must love, since God is both the source and origin of love. It is just God's nature to love. Thus, by knowing Jesus we know God (John 14:7), we then learn to love; and by loving other people - especially our brothers and sisters in Christ - we learn to know God and His Son. It works both ways. The word “know” here is more than just a head or intellectual knowledge. To know God is to share our lives with God. It is the deepest kind of friendship or relationship – the best kind of all.

“Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God.

Anyone who love is child of God and knows God.”

And Jesus says, “If you had really known me,

you would who my Father is” (John 14:7).

Do you know who God is? Do you know what love is? Know Jesus.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Examine the Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection: 6 Most Significant Evidences

Investigative journalist Lee Strobel was once a critic of the Bible and a sceptic of the Resurrection. Through a series of circumstances, he began and all-out investigation of the truth of Christianity. He writes in his book, The Case of Christ:

“Setting aside my self-interest and prejudices as best I could, I read books, interviewed experts, asked questions, analysed history, explored archaeology, studied ancient literature, and for the first time in my life picked apart the Bible verse by verse.

            I plunged into the case with more vigour than with any story I had ever pursued. I applied the training I had received at Yale Law School as well as my experience as legal affairs editor of the Chicago Tribune. And over time the evidence of the world – of history, of science, of philosophy, of psychology – began to point toward the unthinkable.”

[Quote from The Case of Christ: A Journalist’s personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998), p.14]

Eventually, the evidence of the life of Jesus and the Resurrection so changed Lee Strobel’s life that today he is a Christian speaker, author, and filmmaker living in Southern California. What evidence did Lee Strobel and other investigators discover in their search for the truth of the Resurrection?

6 Evidences are the Most Significant Ones. Click title to Read:

1) The Empty Tomb (Click Here)

2) The Lives of the Disciples (Click Here)

3) The Historical Record (Click Here)

4) “Blood and Water” Flowed Out of Jesus’ Side (Click Here)

5) Eyewitness Accounts (Click Here)

6) The Change in the Apostle Paul (Click Here)

“If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”
(Timothy Keller, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Commissions the Twelve: Announce (Costly Message) and Give Freely (No Cost)

“Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (also called Peter), then Andrew (Peter’s brother), James (son of Zebedee), John (James’s brother), Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (the tax collector), James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him). Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: ‘Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep. Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!’”
(Matthew 10:1-8, NLT).

Many people followed and listened to Jesus, but the twelve listed above composed the inner circle and received authority and the most intense training. They had authority over the forces of evil, as well as the ability to speak the word to have God’s power to cast out evil spirits. They also had power “to heal every kind of disease and illness.” First verse above says they are “disciples” but verses after that call them “apostles,”* meaning “sent ones” or “the Messenger.” The fact that Jesus limited their ministry “to the people of Israel” doesn’t mean he opposed evangelizing Gentiles and Samaritans. In fact, Jesus himself had already ministered to both groups (for example, Matthew 8:28-34). But the message was to go to “the Jew first” (Romans 1:16). Another factor may be that the disciples weren’t ready to branch out beyond their own people. Eventually Jesus would commission them to go to “all the nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Jesus gave the apostles two tasks: They were to “announce” and to “give.” As Jesus’ representatives, they were to spread his message, announcing that “the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” letting everyone know that the Messiah, Jesus had come. Jesus also told them to “give as freely” as they had received, healing the sick, raising the dead, curing those with leprosy, and casting out demons. These four-fold miracles were exactly the ones Jesus had done and would demonstrate that the disciples had Jesus’ power.

As you can see, Jesus had quite a diverse collection of disciples, especially the Twelve – fishermen, tax collector, zealot (freedom fighter), and so on. Yet, he entrusted his message and mission to them. Through this small band, the word would go forth, the Kingdom of Heaven would be introduced, and the world would be changed. Imagine what those men must have thought as Jesus gave his final instructions, especially considering their specific tasks. This was a significant and intimidating assignment, but Jesus had confidence in the apostles as he sent them out.

Think about this: Jesus told the apostles to announce a specific message of hope and salvation. He also told them to act with mercy. And the principle guiding their actions should be “Give as freely as you have received.” The disciples had received salvation (fully revealed in the Cross of Christ) and the Kingdom without cost; they were to give their lives under the same principle. Because God has showered us with his blessings, we can give generously to others of our time, love and possessions. Maybe each of us should ask ourselves this question: What can I do to give more “freely” of what I have received from God?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

*What is an apostle? www.gotquestions.org responded: “This specific type of apostle is not present in the church today. The qualifications of this type of apostle were: 1) to have been an witness of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1); 2) to have been explicitly chosen by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15); and 3) to have the ability to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The role of the twelve apostles, laying the foundation of the church, would also argue for their uniqueness. Two thousand years later, we are not still working on the foundation” (Read more at: http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-an-apostle.html). 

Jesus' First Element of Discipleship: "Be with Me" (A Reflection on Mark 3:13-19)

“Then Jesus went up a hill and called to himself the men he wanted.

They came to him, and he chose twelves whom he named apostles” (Mark 3:13-14, GNB).

After rejection from the religious teachers, healed many people and exorcized evil spirits, Jesus went on in action to choose twelves men to be his advocates, that is – the Twelve apostles. These were the ones that Jesus had shared so many meals and experiences together. It was they who became the first leaders of the Christian movement after Jesus’ ascension. They were the men on whose training much of His attention would be focused, and on whom the continuation of His mission would depend. “I have chosen you to be with me,” Jesus told them. “I will also send you out to preach, and you will have authority to drive out demons” (Mark 3:14-15).

Three specific reasons why Jesus chose them: to be with Him, to preach and to drive out demons. Here I notice that the last two – preaching and exorcism – are specific activities Jesus want them to do. The first element in discipleship, a purpose that took priority over these two activities, is “to be with [Jesus].” They were not first called to be martyrs and not to kill people in the name of god like pagan religious does; they were called to be with a person – Jesus Himself. Their relationship with Him was the secret of their effective discipleship. I want to focus on these three words: “Be with me.”

“Be With Me”

Jesus called them (and us) to be something before He commissioned them to do something. Being is more important than doing. Preaching the Good News and casting out demons were and are important tasks. But first Jesus wanted a relationship of closeness and intimacy with Him. In the midst of our activity-based of doing Christian ministries today, I perceive that we have missed the first requirement for Christian life – to be with Jesus. Often we are so wrapped up in what we need to do for Jesus that we miss the primary joy of being with Jesus. I don’t care if our preaching or Bible studies or worship or practise of exorcism are producing fruits, what we need to ask ourselves first is: “Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus?”

Jesus invites us to be with Him. But I wonder, who exactly can “be with Jesus” since He is the Holy One of Israel, the Son of God? If this invitation is based on my goodness, then I am automatically disqualified! (You too okay!) But rejoices! His invitations were and always will be based on His mercy and grace. Just read who Jesus appointed as His apostles (Mark 3:16-19). They were ordinary men like most of us. They were mixed of people like everyone of us. They were sinners just like all of us. Truly, the Good News from God about Jesus Christ is for all and to all who are willing to repent of their sins, believe in Him, follow Him, and “be with Him.”

This is the first element in discipleship: “Be with Jesus.”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.