Cessation of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers after The body of Christ was built up, reached maturity and completed by 70AD
by Tuese
As a former Christian School Bible Teacher/ Minister, the following passage would be sited at my yearly ordination. It was used to proclaim modern day Christian teachers being “gifted” by The Holy Spirit to teach and build up the Body of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-14 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness indeceitful schemes.
In one sense, it is through The Holy Spirit that man moves and breaths and has his being. Today there are many capable skilled believing and non-believing teachers, speakers, preachers… It is good that there are Christian teachers and preachers but this passage does not support these modern day offices. Just think, would the Holy Spirit have tons of His people teaching contradicting doctrine? Is The Holy Spirit, The God of confusion?
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SEE IN THE SUPPOSED CHRISTIAN WORLD, DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED VIEWS (TONGUES/ NO TONGUES, PROPHESY/ NO PROPHESY, MIRACULOUS HEALERS/ NO HEALERS….).
In another sense, this is NOT correct because The Body of Christ, The Temple of God, The House of God was under construction during the writing of Scripture up until 70A.D. when God destroyed the old physical temple and made His home in The New Temple, His People. Remember, Scripture was NOT written TO us or FOR us in 2014. There were certain specific historic events taking place in the writing of each NT book/ letter. The audience relevance pertains to whom the letter was written TO and that was peeps like Timothy, Titus, the church in Rome, Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus... and not us in the 21st century!
My point is that the offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers were for that specific transitional time between covenants (30-70AD) and ended at the completion of bringing the church (ekklesia) to maturity, completion in 70AD when Christ returned for His Bride.
This is your classic hero’s journey story, like a fairytale of the princess placed under a spell of sin by the dragon, dragon allegedly kills and defeats the Prince. Prince resurrects and destroys the dragon and then marries His Princess (the church/ ekklesia) in 70AD.
And they live happily ever after.
Bible ends in 70AD.
The end.
1. Colossians 1:28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyonewith all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
2. Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus,greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fullyassured in all the will of God.
3. Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
4. Hebrews6:1-2 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and offaith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands,the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
5. Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
6. Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
7. 1 Corinthians 14:5 Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church (ekklesia) may be built up.
8. 1 Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
The ekklesia (called out ones; assembly/ congregation of God)
Is mistranslated into the German word church (Kirche).
It was built up and reached maturity by 70AD. This is when she was married to Christ in the Father’s house. Therefore, there is no more church (ekklesia) on earth, just folks that have been misled to believe that they are Christians & the church (ekklesia).
The Gospel Great Commission was for fishing out the lost sheep of the house of Israel from the nations that they were scattered into. Thus, the name ekklesia, The called out one! This came to completion by 70AD.
