November 16 Daily Discovery - Read Acts Chapter 6

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[1] And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
[2] Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
[3] Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
[4] But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
[5] And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
[6] Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
[7] And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
[8] And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
[9] Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
[10] And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
[11] Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
[12] And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
[13] And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
[14] For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
[15] And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

The Origin of NewTestament Prophets?

We know that the organization of the structure of the church of Jesus Christ would be: Christ as the cornerstone, the apostles and prophets as the foundation,  followed by evangelists and pastor-teachers as the super-structure's frame. Believers would fill in the entire structure to complete it. We know that in order to be an apostle, you had to have a personal vision of the resurrected Christ and be chosen by Him. This vision of the glory of God under the old covenant is what resulted in a prophet, the counterpart to this office in the new covenant is the apostle.

The old testament prophets sometimes had sons, that is assistants, that extended their ministries. The ministries of the sons of the prophets would continue as long as their father (the prophet) continued to live. I believe there is a mirror of this under the new testament.  The apostles could lay their hands upon people and endue them with special gifts of the Spirit. They (The new testament prophets) could perform apostolic gifts just like the apostle or the apostles that ordained them as long as the ordaining apostles lived.

The job of the prophet or apostle was primarily bringing the Word of God to the people by special revelation. They would be able to perform signs, wonders, and miracles as a proof of their calling. This pattern would prove to be true under both covenants.

Carefully read the following passages that provide the Scriptural witnesses for my previous statements.

Eph. 2:19-22

[19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
[20] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
[21] In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
[22] In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Eph. 4:7-13

[7] But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[8] Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
[9] (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
[10] He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
[11] And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
[12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
[13] Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

The Birth of a Son

The apostles laying their hands upon these seven men and praying for them made them their sons spiritually. They would have the same spiritual gifts at the apostles had. We don't have the histories of all of these men in the book of Acts but we do have two: Steven and Philip. Acts chapter 7 is a history of Steven, and Acts chapter 8 is a history of Philip,  and we see that they both perform signs wonders and miracles as well as preaching the word of God with boldness.

1 Tim. 4:11-14

[11] These things command and teach.
[12] Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
[13] Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
[14] Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

Paul often referred to Timothy as his son in the faith. Paul reminds Timothy to use the gift that he was given by Paul laying his hands upon him.  

The Absence of Grandsons

 Acts 8:14-17

[14] Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
[15] Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
[16] (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
[17] Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Phil went to samaria and preached many of the samaritans believed. In order for them to be able to receive the gifts of the holy spirit I had to send back to jerusalem and get some apostles to do this because philip was not an apostle he could not do it himself.

The Conclusion of their Ministries

The foundational ministries of the apostles and prophets for the new covenant would end when they had disseminated all of the revelations that they were given or they came to physical death. God would maintain their lives as long as the revelation that He had given them needed to be spoken or recorded. Shadows of these offices still remain in the church today but NOT the realities that existed during the formation and foundation of the church. We can still be sent by a call of God and that is the meaning of the word apostle- a sent one. If you are proclaiming the word of God,  in that sense you are a prophet. Beware of anyone who is claiming to receive direct revelations from God in our day. We we may not have all of the Scriptures  in the particular canon of Scripture that we hold in our hands, but there are no more Christ- chosen apostles or apostle-ordained prophets.

Jesus Christ promised to send prophets for one generation. Sometime about AD 70, if you follow the current timeline that prevails, that generation was over.

Matt. 23:24-36

[24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
[25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
[29] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,
[30] And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
[31] Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
[32] Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
[33] Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
[34] Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
[35] That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
[36] Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

The Continued Growth of the Church

One does not continue to build a foundation for a structure forever. O nce the foundation is completed, then you begin the building of the superstructure. We are still building upon the foundation of Christ, the apostles and prophets today. The church continues to grow and develop without the continued participation of apostlic and prophetic offices.  

We have evangelists (church-planting missionaries?) and pastor-teachers for church offices today.

--------------

Continue Your Search

From this chapter, do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method