Who has instructed the mind... ?
September 16, 2013 at 2:58pm

I am a cautious person these days. If the churches today show anything it is that there is more agreement in heaven than on earth. But read all the way to the finish, for I am able to "end well."

If it is so: How do we know apostles and prophets have ceased? How do we know WHEN that happened? Their office provided two things which are very advantageous to those sheep inclined to receive them: the authority of the inspired word of the prophet and the authority of the apostle to command. Today we see much in the churches as in the days of the judges we all do what is right in our own eyes. For a truth so important as the end of the prophetic and apostolic gifts to the church, one would need a clear prophecy! And I note the word "GAVE" from Ephesians 4:11::

11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Who is to say God stopped giving? 

AND THEY WERE GIVEN FOR A PURPOSE! 

Ephesians 4:11:: 
12 for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;

Have we attained, have all attained? Are we full grown? Are we no longer children?

I fear it is that we have stopped receiving the gifts. It may well be in part because the prophet and apostle call us to surrender our pastoral authority and autonomy a bit more than we might like. 

I just do not see it. I may not be a prophet or an apostle, and all those called prophets and apostles today may be false, but where can we find FROM THE SCRIPTURES WHEN the giving of the apostles and prophets has ceased? Those who teach it must provide that answer. There is the additional problem that in 1 Corinthians 13 tongues and knowledge cease too! And there also no mention is made of apostleship ceasing.

Could it be that as a result of the dominating anti-semitism in the 4th and 5th centuries and with the church state marriage this teaching will be found to have come in? It makes sense to me that Rome's popes would find apostles and prophets truly uncomfortable fellows and very inconvenient! Perhaps the “closing of the canon of scripture” brought the idea that we have the scriptures and they are enough! Not everyone had the scriptures then, and even today not everyone has them! 

There are many peoples TODAY without Bibles in their own tongue. I sincerely believe apostles and prophets as well as tongues and knowledge to be essential for the people in those areas. The church sends out missionaries with the gospel to those never who have never heard it and are they not doing the same great commission as the 11 apostles did? 

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
20 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

It could be said He sent them out as teachers from this verse, and do we send out missionaries to teach? But the recognition of an apostle or a prophet  (OR evangelist, pastor and teacher too?) requires divine sanction, and would that not mean prophetic sanction? 

For the church’s sake it makes more sense for even all the gifts to cease after the Lord is seated on David's throne than before. The need for them to fulfill their purpose is far greater for the church today than it will be then. Yes? No?

Builders and architects say a foundation does not continue right throughout the building. THAT is a stronger point than any other I have heard. Yet it does not account for the truth that the church is a building like none other. Not only is it made of living stones, but it gets larger and larger by the day. For that reasoning the foundation must grow larger too! Yes? No? To bear the weight of the present day church with the specific ministry works apostles and prophets peculiarly perform. 

One thing I'm pretty sure of, we should not exclude apostles and prophets on the basis of that there are those who are now false apostles and prophets. I don't reject real money because there is some that is counterfeit, in fact I seek the real money all the more!
Philippians 1:14-15
American Standard Version (ASV)
15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

16 the one do it of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel;
17 but the other proclaim Christ of faction, not sincerely, thinking to raise up affliction for me in my bonds.
18 What then? only that in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and therein I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
19 For I know that this shall turn out to my salvation, through your supplication and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing shall I be put to shame, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.
So whether there be apostles and prophets today is in the end eclipsed by the preaching of the gospel and the receiving of the gospel, if not apostles and prophets also! 

Ephesians 4 
15 but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;
16 from whom all the body fitly framed and knit together through that which every joint supplieth, according to the working in due measure of each several part, maketh the increase of the body unto the building up of itself in love.