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 his time, we are going to study about the spiritual family. Whether we like it, or not, there is such a thing as a “spiritual family”. That is why there are men who are being called, Father or Papa, and there are women who are being called as Mother, or Sister. And of course, there are also children.
We are going to study the different families of believers in our time. We are specifically referring to the present, not the past. Nowadays, there are many families. There are families which are headed by an Apostle; there are families which are headed by a Reverend; there are families which are headed by a Brother, like our group for instance. Our members call me Brother. But which among these groups is correct? Which of those families, which are supposedly families of God, is the real family of God? But you see, the devil, also, has a family. John 8:44 says, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do …”
The devil has a family. Satan is the father. And his children do what their father is doing. What is their father doing? “… He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” Therefore, there is a family of lies and liars. Their leader is satan, also their father. According to Christ, satan is the father of all lies.
This is the reason why we are going to study the different religious groups, which are supposedly families of God. We will try to find out the requirements set by the Bible for a religion to be considered that it is of God. First, let us resolve if there are still apostles in our time. There are about three religious denominations who believe that their leader is an apostle. That is why they address him as Apostle. Let us make a general study. Let us find out if there is such a thing as a “living apostle” in our time? Living in the sense that he is still existing today with his body, soul and spirit. We can consider the apostles, like St. Paul, as living up to now. But what we are after is a person, or a preacher, in an organization who considers himself as an apostle. But let us find out from the Bible if there are still apostles in our time. Our first question is, Are the apostles needed in the church? Let us read I Corinthians 12:28-31. This is what St. Paul says, “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles …”
Therefore, the apostles are needed. In fact, they were the first to be set in the church. God set some. That means He did not make millions of apostles. The true church started as a small group only. And when it started, God set some apostles there. More or less, there are about 16 of them. Now, what did God set next? “… secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.”
Are all apostles? No! Are all prophets? No! Are all teachers? No! Are all workers of miracles? No! If all are workers of miracles, for whom will the miracles be performed? Have all the gifts of healing? No! Do all speak with tongues? No! Do all interpret? No!
“But covet earnestly the best gifts:”
God set different offices and functions in the church. First were apostles, followed by prophets, teachers, workers of miracles, gifts of healing, governments, helps, and diversities of tongues. These are the entire composition of the church.
We are not discounting the fact that, even to this day, up to the end of the world, apostles are still needed. But that does not mean that God will name other apostles for different nations. Yet, there are religious organizations, which, in their belief that apostles are needed, have regarded their respective leaders as apostles. To our question if whether, or not, apostles are still needed today, the Bible said, yes. But until when will they be needed? Definitely, as long as the church exists, the apostles will be needed. Remember they were the very first to be set by God in the church. Ephesians 3:6 says, “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:”
We are classified as Gentiles because we are outside Israel. All of those who are outside of Israel are called Gentiles. The Bible said that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and members of the same body. Now, let us find out first, what is that “body” that the Gentiles should be members of? Colossians 1:18 says, “And he is the head of the body, the church:”
The body is the church. And we, Gentiles, are not supposed to build our own church. We just have to make ourselves members of the existing church, which was established by our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us go over Ephesians 3:16 once again: “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.”
Therefore, the Gentiles must join the body, or the church. The Gentiles may become partakers of God’s promise of salvation thru the Church and thru the Gospel. We will join the Church thru the Gospel; we will not build our own church because there is already a church that exists. And God doesn’t want a second church. As mentioned in Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body, and one Spirit …”
There is only one body, or church. And since the church is just one, and God doesn’t want to make it two, we should not build our own church. Instead, we will just have to make ourselves members of the church that is already existing. How? Thru the Gospel! Ephesians 3:6,10-11 says, “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Jesus Christ our Lord:”
So, as long as there are people who want to serve God, the church will continue to exist. And if the church exists, it follows that the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the teachers, and the pastors also exists. Therefore, the apostles are needed; the evangelists are needed; the teachers are needed; languages and tongues are needed.
But the question is, if the church is needed, does it mean that we need to build our own? No, God does not allow it. This is what Psalms 127:1 says, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it:”
Now, what is that house that only God has the right to build? I Timothy 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how though oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.”
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Bible
Apostleship
and the Rightful
