Ephesians Lesson 27 of 39 part 5

Remember, the work of the Lord's Last Supper and then the Cross with death of mans flesh (in which is found the sin nature) and He ascension back to His place in Glory which finished the whole plan of redemption for the Old Testament saints as well as for us today in the Church Age and all mankind to follow. This is the place of our beginnings through redemption’s work. If Christ has done everything that needed to be done, then who are we to say, "But I have to do this or that to complete salvation?" In so many words we are telling God, "You did not really finish it, and I have to put the frosting on the cake, regardless what it might be," and God will have no part of that. We have to rest on that finished work + NOTHING!" I know of many people who get trapped in the belief that they have to do, either works or to search for all truth's of scripture. Thinking that if they have enough truth or works of the flesh, then they will be qualified for entry into God's kingdom and heaven. But though this may sound appealing it is a lie, a deception of our own creation. 

We are to move on into a life that is a testimony, a way of life which is the witness of Christ's ontological essence being alive within, to the world round about us. A world which only knows and understands the external realities of man. We are to become His character, transparent in Truth, in Love and Grace through a Love unfeigned. Look at what God has now left for the Church today. It has to be in righteousness and true to God, which those caught in and by Religion are far from attaining. Remember that Romans and Corinthians was back there in Paul’s earlier revelations. From there we have jumped up into higher ground, and we do not have all the things they had back in Corinthians, because God has removed some of them, but look what we have left in verse 11.

Ephesians 4:11a

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;..."

At the time Paul wrote this there were still apostles and prophets. He claimed to be an apostle in Romans chapter 11. Let’s look at it because we do not want any doubt in your mind concerning Paul being an Apostle. A called out servant of God through whom, God the Master servant, of His own Love creation, serves. For in Christ is wisdom, the hidden wisdom of God heard and found. It is of this that the old saints spoke though in veiled language.

Romans 11:13

"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office."

So here we know that as Paul writes this letter to the Ephesians, he is an authoritative Apostle sent to the Gentiles in particular, and the whole world in general. He was called out of his Judaism and assigned to proclaim the revelation of Christ to the world. Not the Hebrews only but the world, the nations which God had divided when He separated Israel from them.The every ones He had promised Adam to redeem because His divine seed was then buried deep in mans soul and His voice heard through mans conscience as a still small voice. Paul here states that he renders glory to God, as His elected ambassador, to proclaim His Gospel of Grace through which God reveals His pure sweet Love unfeigned. It is man who spoils and pollutes this unfeigned Love with his own version of love which pales God's Truth in Love revealed.

Coming back to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11. So when Paul writes Ephesians this term, "apostles" is still valid, and there may have been more than Paul, but the Scripture does not reveal that. But today we know we do not have apostles any longer. This is something that has been dropped off and again we think it is because the Word is complete as we have it, and there is no longer a need for apostles. An apostle is one who has been set apart by God and then sent out with a particular message for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness in the edifying of churches. This person has to be living Truth and teaching all others to do the same. The church as we know it has very little truth within it or its teachings. Men have defrauded man by use of titles of self-exultation to gain popularity and false prestige of men. These men Peter speaks of in 2Peter 3 where he states this; "Paul also according to the wisdom given to him has written to you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction."

The same thing goes for prophets. If you will go back to Corinthians, when prophecy was the gift to be desired, it was because there was no printed New Testament. Even Paul’s doctrines were not yet in print. So until Paul’s letter and the rest of the New Testament came about, God had to have gifted men to keep the thing going from the time that the Church began until these Church letters appeared. These men were above reproach and held to the Truth at all personal cost. So it was a necessity that they had prophets who were capable of the gift of prophecy. But you see, that too is no longer necessary because we have the printed Word, and we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth to interpret the word for us or to aid us in our understanding the His Word. A true prophet knows God and hears His voice and does and speaks only as He is doing or is speaking and Jesus as a Prophet did just that. For he claimed NOTHING of His own. 

Those who claim to be a prophet, are nothing more than a fortune teller in most cases. For the same season which Peter states and is quoted above.

But the last three are still valid. Every local church that is true to the Word of God should have these kind of men functioning and active in that local Body of believers, and what are they?