Question
Some people of other churches believe
that they have Apostles living today in their church and that they have the power to heal by touch or using a garment that they, the so called Apostle have worn.they us Eph.4:11 as there reasoning what do you think and is there any verse in the bible to back up or to prove otherwise
Answer
Yes, although some groups claim this, it could not be further from the truth. The apostles of Jesus had a unique, one-time mission that was not to be duplicated by any future successors. Not only did they have a unique mission, but they also had to possess unique qualifications in order to be apostles.
First, their missi9on was to be special witnesses of Jesus and to preach and reveal the gospel to the world. Not only did the Holy Spirit provide them with the words they were to speak, but also He gave them miraculous powers so they could perform miracles to confirm that their word was from God.
ACT 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.
ACT 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
ACT 2:3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.
ACT 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
ACT 2:5 ¶ Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
ACT 2:6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were bewildered, because they were each one hearing them speak in his own language.
ACT 2:7 And they were amazed and marveled, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?
ACT 2:8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
HEB 2:1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
HEB 2:2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense,
HEB 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard,
HEB 2:4 God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
As to qualifying as an apostle, one had to be an eyewitness of Jesus’ ministry from the time He was baptized by John to the time that He ascended to Heaven.
ACT 1:21 “It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–
ACT 1:22 beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us– one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection. ”
In short, no one today either qualifies or has been given the same mission as the apostles. After the Word was completely revealed and confirmed, there is no need to re-reveal and re-confirm the Word. They did their job completely.
By Gary Hunt
