Where did all the apostles go?

[4enlightment]

Hi Rachel, not exactly what I meant. I am talking about new disciples. At the time after Jesus there were new disciples like Timothy learning the way then all of a sudden they stop and no new disciples are around.

I've been hearing a lot of people has been saying that there's been a spiritual awakening that has been going on lately, like an increasement of knowledge; people isn't holding on to the old traditional way of teaching or perceiving the word of God, but maturing rapidly in it. And so the Holy spirit is preparing the way for someone, because this someone is about to come.

Spiritual awakening can refer to quite a few phenomena and there are varying degrees of awakening. It is possible for a person who has done no spiritual work to have a spontaneous awakening. This type of awakening occurs as a result of a raise in consciousness where the individual becomes aware of realities and parts of themselves that were previously hidden from consciousness. This raise in consciousness can be due to things such as reading something of a spiritual nature that reminds the person of something they have forgotten or have been disconnected from. When something is read that resonates with a person’s soul and their higher knowledge, this higher part can be activated and incarnated. http://www.alchemyrealm.com/spiritualawakening.htm

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

 

[RachelBibleStudent]

I've been hearing a lot of people has been saying that there's been a spiritual awakening that has been going on lately, like an increasement of knowledge; people isn't holding on to the old traditional way of teaching or perceiving the word of God, but maturing rapidly in it. And so the Holy spirit is preparing the way for someone, because this someone is about to come.

i'm not seeing it...if anything i'm seeing a decrease in knowledge...biblical illiteracy is as high as it's ever been since before the reformation...

 

[Atwood]

The Apostles? They went into all the world, methinks; making disciples of all nations; then died and went to Heaven.

Apostles were in the foundation of the Church. We are no longer in the foundation, but we are built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles.

 

[Allin]

The Apostles? They went into all the world, methinks; making disciples of all nations; then died and went to Heaven.

Apostles were in the foundation of the Church. We are no longer in the foundation, but we are built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles.

Can you explain what you mean by "Apostles were in the foundation of the Church. We are no longer in the foundation, but we are built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles"?

I have heard for many years that apostles and prophets are no longer for today, and I've simply told people, "Be like the Bereans and do your work to find the real truth." However, just because I was a Berean didn't mean everyone else was. Now, I think it's time to put forth and defend what the Bible actually says about apostles, prophets, and all the ministries relevant for today. I already asked notuptome about this; now, I'm asking you. Where do you get the concept that apostles are not for today because they 'were' (past tense) in the foundation of the Church.

(Before you answer this question, re-visit what you said in that sentence and look closely at the word 'Church'. Small 'c' implies church on the corner; big 'C' implies the overall church or 'the Body of Christ'. This living Body-- made up of living apostles at its foundation-- is built of living human beings. Read that italicized portion and remember that the 'Church' is human beings... then ask yourself if the 'Church' yesterday is the 'Church' today... then ask yourself if the 'Church' yesterday was made up on a foundation of apostles yesterday, isn't the 'Church' today made up of apostles today.)

Before you answer, do some homework, because I'm now ready to address the error that certain ministries were cut off (as if God cut of several of His fingers) and we were left with just a few.

 

[RedTent]

I've been hearing a lot of people has been saying that there's been a spiritual awakening that has been going on lately, like an increasement of knowledge; people isn't holding on to the old traditional way of teaching or perceiving the word of God, but maturing rapidly in it. And so the Holy spirit is preparing the way for someone, because this someone is about to come.

Spiritual awakening can refer to quite a few phenomena and there are varying degrees of awakening. It is possible for a person who has done no spiritual work to have a spontaneous awakening. This type of awakening occurs as a result of a raise in consciousness where the individual becomes aware of realities and parts of themselves that were previously hidden from consciousness. This raise in consciousness can be due to things such as reading something of a spiritual nature that reminds the person of something they have forgotten or have been disconnected from. When something is read that resonates with a person’s soul and their higher knowledge, this higher part can be activated and incarnated. http://www.alchemyrealm.com/spiritualawakening.htm

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

I feel sure this is post is speaking the truth. I have been so curious about why our church has traditions so different from the ones told of in the bible that I searched and searched until I found out why.

Christ was born in a world made up of gentiles who lived one way and Jews who lived in a very different way. Gentiles thought of Jews as those strange people with strange ways of living, and Jews thought of gentiles as even eating things that weren't food at all, but were almost savages. Some Jews saw the gentiles with all the parties and fun as being a good way to be and joined them, some gentiles saw the God the Jews knew as a very good thing and there was some crossing over, but mostly they were not together at all. It was going to be a tough job to make them into one people. The first thing to do was to take out the rituals and traditions and show the nitty gritty of what Christ was and what Christ stood for.

Even today, people read about this and say that everything at all Jewish must go, and they don't stop with physical circumcision instead of spiritual one, or no pork instead of being clean in thought word and deed, they throw out anything if it can be traced to Jews. Perhaps it was the only way, back a hundred and more years ago, it could be done. But it wasn't right.

Many things have happened to point us to being one nation in Christ, not Jews and gentiles. We watched Hitler kill Jews, and we all knew that wasn't right. We watched God give the Jews back their land He had given them before they accepted idols like scripture said God would. Scholars put together the dead sea scrolls and we learned a lot about how the world was that scripture tells is about. Those scholars are beginning to teach in our colleges and some of it is sifting down to us. Someone put a label of "roots" to this so those against it all are using that label to get rid of any of this information, but it seems to be from God so they are not able to be successful in erasing what is of God.

Something powerful is happening. I am thrilled at watching it unfold.

 

[Maynard]

Sorry but I do NOT follow the traditions of the catholics or their organzation.

Certainly you do not. If you did then you would not be asking the question "where did the Apostles go?". You would already know the answer and would be present with them at the Mass.

 

[john832]

The apostolic age ended with John and the book of Revelation......!

Does that mean that we should not do as the Apostles did?

 

[john832]

But there has been a gap between the last Apostle until the end days.

Hosea 6:2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

It has been two days (2000) years since Christ last walked the earth and God willing he will revive us soon and raise us up in third day (millennium).

That can be read in more than one way (and correctly), Israel will be punished for 2-1/2 years but will repent at the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

 

[john832]

all the apostles went to heaven

Nope, none went to heaven...

Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

They are in their graves asleep, awaiting the resurrection.

 

[notuptome]

Nope, none went to heaven...

Joh 13:33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

They are in their graves asleep, awaiting the resurrection.

Only their bodies rest in the earth. Their soul/spirit is with God. Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[RickyZ]

Let me explain it to you this way. Have you ever watched fireworks? Well it starts off one here, one there for a long time, then there is the grand finally and a whole bunch go off all at once, then there is just a fading of the last ones as they fall toward the ground- and that's it, show's over. The "one here and one there" represents the miracles of the prophets to show that God really was speaking through them. The "grand finally" represents Christ doing many miracles unlike no other. The "fading lights" represent the apostles doing a few last miracles- proving they were Christ's apostles. And with the completion of Revelation and the 12 apostles be gone from the earth, everything that needed to be proved was proven. Everything that need to be said (bible) was said. There are many steps in planting a farm, but once it is done you just have to wait for the harvest (judgement day).

You have obviously never farmed...

 

[john832]

Only their bodies rest in the earth. Their soul/spirit is with God. Paul said to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

No, that is not what the scripture says, it says they are awaiting a resurrection from the dead...

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

God gives a new body at the resurrection...

1Co 15:35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
1Co 15:36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
1Co 15:37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
1Co 15:38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

There is no scriptural evidence for going to heaven and then being reunited with the old body.

 

[RickyZ]

If Christ was not reunited with His old body, then it must still be in a grave somewhere, right?

 

[iwant2serve]

If there are no more Apostles then there also are no more Pastors, Prophets, Teachers or Evanelist. The scripture tell us that these ministries were given by Jesus. I think this is still going on today for if it was not there would be no need for gathering for worship.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, [SUP]12 [/SUP]for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [SUP]13 [/SUP]till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [SUP]14 [/SUP]that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [SUP]15 [/SUP]but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— [SUP]16 [/SUP]from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

 

[Allin]

If there are no more Apostles then there also are no more Pastors, Prophets, Teachers or Evanelist. The scripture tell us that these ministries were given by Jesus. I think this is still going on today for if it was not there would be no need for gathering for worship.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, [SUP]12 [/SUP]for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, [SUP]13 [/SUP]till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [SUP]14 [/SUP]that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, [SUP]15 [/SUP]but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— [SUP]16 [/SUP]from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

I'm still waiting for someone to produce from the Bible where they get the notion that apostles and prophets are not for today so I can produce from the Bible and sensibility (which is plain hard to deny) that apostles, prophets, and all the other ministries are all required until the very of the time (or till the Saints are made perfect). You are a pastor, so this may resonate with you more readily than others:

1. Pastors aren't pastors because they got degrees or went to seminary or hold pastoral positions. God chooses pastors as He does every one of the five-fold ministers. If God is the One who chooses pastors, that means that many pastors today are not pastors of God's choosing.

2. It's my contention that most Christians don't realize the above (that "God makes men what they are" and is the One who chooses a true minister) and that the more we realize that genuine ministry calling is actually from God, the more readily we can see that all five ministries in Eph. 4:11, since God's calling alone ratifies a minister's authenticity, are in fact all together relevant for today. In other words, they are one ministry in five parts.

 

[Eva1218]

There are still Apostles today. GOD is still fulfilling HIS Prophecy.