Don.Finto.Latter.Day.Apostles.and.Prophets

A "good heart" without a good Spiritual sword arm makes one qualified to be a Vet but not a Shepherd.

On page one of the Belmont paper the following astonishing statement is made;

1. Historically, the first step was for one elder of a local assembly to see himself elevated above his brother elders as THE "lead elder."

While the term steward, overseer, shepherd, elder clearly seem to be the same worker performing his several responsibilitess, one of the first rejections of the NT pattern was to see one of the elders as "Bishop" or overseer of the flock or city and the "elder" (presbyter) as simply the shepherd of the spiritual affairs of the local church.

2. In time, an elder who had "missionary zeal" went out looking for lost sheep and to evangelize his part of the world and began to see himself as having "global" authority while the stay-at-home pastor-teachers or elders had authority over just the local assembly.

The Belmont writer fails to see that while men like Paul had the title of apostle, the work which he performed was to model the responsiblity of the evangelist who would continue long after the apostles were gone. In his work with Timothy and Titus he continually pushed them on to teach new churches, set them in order, and then move on. Titus, for instance, if he was to follow Paul's demand in the literal sense of "all" the cities of Crete had over a hundred churches to teach. His "function wider than just the local church" was not to "oversee" these churches but to complete the "work of an evangelist."

One of the early tests of a true evangelist in the post-apostolic period was that if he stayed over two weeks and asked for money he was a false preacher.

3. Later, one bishop began to see himself as the chief bishop or chief apostle of Christ with total church-wide authority. He had the authority to develop a "college of cardinals" as somewhat equals but he was "a bit more equal" than the others.

By reading the Belmont paper, it can be seen that the writer used the claim of supernatural revelation to lead the unstable to allow him to fire all of the existing elders and then appoint or approve the appointment of all new elders. He then builds his college of apostles who "can walk together" and a group of elders who will not have the problem of "the eldership at Belmont" which the writer sees as:

4. Being the chief-apostle, the pope began to be seen as the Vicar of Christ: meaning that "since Christ can't be with us, I will function on his behalf." The Belmont writer makes two astounding claim:

5. If one is THE leader and sees himself (however dimly) as "the leader in a husband-wife relationship" and even if he claims that he must be in submission, the apparent justification for such an astounding claim is the strange need to have power.

While the apostles never lead by domination, in order to be THE LEADER, one must elevate himself to the position of Christ. The pope did not see himself as being just Christ's ambassador but God's actual replacement of Christ upon the earth. As the "Vicar of Christ" the pope began to exercise domination over all of the other apostles (cardinals and bishops). This is shown from the following quotation:

The writer apparently feels that if he can establish that if there were more than twelve apostles then this extends the authority for the office down to the twentieth century.

However, the Holy Spirit, knowing that there would be false christ, false prophets, and false apostles, clearly prescribed the qualifications and powers of the apostles so that we can easily refute those who do not accept the original work of the apostles as adequate. These true apostles:

Narrative Theology and Post Modernism spewing out of the once-Christian colleges become secular universities would agree with Finto Totally. Since the Bible has been utterly Shelly Sifted through Greek philosophy and the personal agendas of men like John, and we are left with the CORE GOSPEL of only seven facts ABOUT Jesus then apparently there is a demand for latter day apostles to exercise their "apostolate" if we are gonna keep on the "professional track of seeing godliness as a means of financial gain."

A short review of the apostles show them to be a unique group of disciples personally chosen by Christ to ratify the gospel message and to be channels through whom the Holy Spirit would reveal God's will in an inspired form.

1.The term disciple is often synonymous with the term apostle and appears so in the following:

4. The promise of power was made to the apostles (John 20:22; Acts 1:2, 6-8, 11; Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-18; 19:1-6; Rom. 1:11; 2 Tim. 1:6)

5. The twelve apostles were specifically instructed (Matt. 10:5; Matt. 11:1; Luke 24:44, 45).

6. The twelve apostles were the ones given the authority (Matt. 10:1; Lk. 9:1; Mk. 16:20; The 70 had powers but when the apostles were sent out the powers were regiven showing that the power was for the duration of the mission.

7. The apostles were the ones Jesus specifically appeared to after His resurrection and gave further instructions (Acts 1:3; Mk. 9:1).

8. The apostles were the ones who were given commandment prior to Pentecost (Acts 1:2).

9. The eleven were the ones whom Jesus verifies as having been given commandment to wait in Jerusalem.

10. The eleven (later twelve) were the only ones promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:5).

11. The apostles, and not the masses, were given the promises (Matt. 13:11; Acts 2:33).

12. The apostles were to be the revealers of new truth and have divine memory (John 14:26; Acts 2:33).

13. The 12 were to be the unique co-witnesses of Jesus' life and resurrection along with the Holy Spirit because they had been with Him from the beginning (John 15:26, 27; Acts 1:2, 8; Luke 24:48, 49).

An evangelist "goes" and "brings" good tidings. My Websters says that he is: "A traveling preacher."

"To convert and baptize the people according to the teaching and examples of the Apostles. To collect the converts into such congregations as may be found most convenient for their own improvement and edification, and to watch over, edify, and instruct them until they are capable of sustaining themselves, when Elders and Deacons should be appointed, and the Evangelist relieved from his local work" (Milligan, The Scheme of Redemption, p.310).

"Theodoret (on Eph. 4,11) describes the evangelist as travelling missionaries. Chrysostom, as men who preached the Gospel, but without going everywhere; by which he probably denotes a restricted sphere to their labors, in contrast with the world-wide commission of the apostles."

"Eusebius gives prominence to the idea of itinerant missionary preaching. Referring to the state of the Church in the time of Trajan, he says, 'Many of the disciples of that time, whose souls the divine word had inspired with an ardent love of philosophy, first fulfilled our Saviour's precept by distributing their substance among the poor then travelling abroad and deliver the Scriptures of the divine Gospels.'"

That task was temporary and demanded that the people be individually trained so that THEY could resist the NAVIGATING THE WINDS OF CHANGE being huffed and puffed to blow Christ's house down.

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive; Eph 4:14

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: Eph 4:15

Christ defined his "Sonship" roll by speaking ONLY what He heard from the "Father." Paul as an apostle and evangelist spoke only what he heard from Christ the Spirit. Paul demanded that the churches use "that which is written" to teach one another.

Therefore, the demand that one is a Spirit-Gifted Evangelist, and he speaks that WHICH HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN and exercise command authority the he is anti-Christ and not Christ.

A located evangelist is like a "located traveling salesman."

Don't miss the point that this list includes apostles and prophets. But, whoa! No preachers! The elders are the pastor-teachers of the local flock.

Rubel Shelly: He gave those gifts and challenges to George Miller, Ron Joyner, and Mark Thompson.

Rubel Shelly has the supernatural gift:

If he had wanted them to do what I do, he would have given them different gifts and life tracks.

If he had wanted you to have the gift of evangelism, he would have given it to you.

If you have that gift, it is our responsibility to help you surface it and to help you find a place in the life of this church to use it for God's glory.

But, an evangelist is a herald. He is a Paul Revere and not "administratator of the cult of the social gospel."

Why would God predestinate one to be an evangelist without letting them in on the secret? What about all of those people who never had the Cult-like "gift discernment course?"

Rubel Shelly: Evangelism as with every other spiritual gift ranging from healing the sick and raising the dead in the first century to showing mercy to the sick today
        is a gift that God bestows by his sovereign grace.
        It is not everyone's gift, not everyone's calling,
        not everyone's assignment in the church.

This is the buzz word of Blackaby and King who believe that one can get their own personal assignment and more power than a Moses or a Jesus who HAD their assignment for their day. They speak like those who believe that they are the end-time "manifest sons of God."

Too Bad "Father god family member" didn't know that when He (a Shelly Joke) and the spirit god let little son god get tricked into dying for the sins of the world.

"There is, in our day, a marvellous idolatry of talent; it is strange and a grievous thing to see how men bow down before genius and success. Draw the distinction sharp and firm between these two things-goodness is one thing, talent is another.

It is an instructive fact that the son of Man came not as a scribe, but as a poor working man. He was a teacher, but not a Rabbi.

When once the idolatry of talent enters the Church, then farewell to spirituality; when men ask their teachers, not for that which will make them more humble and God-like,

but for the excitement of an intellectual banquet, then farewell to Christian progress.' (F. W. Robertson, Hastings on 1 Cor. p. 10).

So, family, what do you do when a Koresh attacks you because they can claim to be Christs and Apostles and at the same time scatter the flock?

What do you do when people cower you like craven worms by the use of music and hand clapping which has always been a way to mobilize the troups into "daring to go where no Christian has gone before?" The smirks from the musical agents and the hand claps are just hissing you as you abandon your home bought with the widow's mites and the grand gifts now being stolen from under your nose like crows stealing my sweet corn?

Why, you bail out and say: "I think I will go fishing." Shame for being defeated by superstitious fear that these people are supernatural agents.

I have typed out only a few quotations but isn't this enough to grasp that this is the end product of efforts which received too much aid and comfort from Madison many years ago and the agents are all still in high place even though Jubilee as one jab dies down and another attack is mounted. They will never give up trying to facilitate the resurrection of the end-time Babylon Harlot religion.

When you see the singing, dancing, handclapping and other signs of sporting or "rising up to play" you know that the "dogs" have taken over but not for long. This is the sign or MARK God imposes on those who reject the Word:

And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. Re.18:14

And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; Revelation 18:22

And the light of a candle (the Word of Christ) shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. Revelation 18:23

Home Page

> Search Our Entire Site .<

E-Mail questions or requests

Don Finto Latter Day Apostles and Prophets