A person recently started a thread on Facebook asking why we identify our calling in the government of God: whether apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher. This question is shared by many as the church observes God again raising up His spiritual government. I thought that a teaching on the subject would be helpful.

First of all, I understand that some do not want to be a part of the restored church. If that’s you, I wish you well on your continued search for the truth. The restored church is not on that journey, neither do we desire to be on that journey, nor is it the will of God for any to be on that journey. If you are seeking for truth, know that you do not have it.

That statement isn’t meant to be judgmental, but rather a wake-up call. The journey in search for truth is not part of God’s plan for you if you are converted to Christ. He doesn’t want you searching for truth. God wants you to partake of His truth.  The two are not the same.

When God restored the apostolic calling He also restored the original foundation of truth –the exact same foundation knowledge the first century apostles built into the hearts of believers.

For the first time in nearly two thousand years the apostle is again a sanctified calling. The apostle is again an authorized, living steward of grace rather than a word written in the Bible that people struggle to understand.

God sanctified the apostolic calling with the blood of Jesus to provide a leader for His people to lead them back to the new covenant in Jesus Christ, to teach them how to use the spiritual things that God provided in Christ to separate them from the world to Himself, to care for them, to love them, and to provide for them.

The ability to teach the doctrine of Christ from God’s perspective (nothing of man added and nothing of Jesus missing) is exactly what the first century apostles were empowered to do when the Body of Christ was first formed from Jesus’ side. As Eve was taken from the rib of Adam and presented to him to increase his house, so also are we. Jesus, as the second Adam, provided a new birth for us in Himself. God took from Jesus to form a bride for the increase of His house. This is why we need His knowledge, His covenant, His tools, His name, and His virtue. (Rom 5:15-19)

Converts in the early church were not just coming OUT of the world, they are coming INTO Christ – into the new covenant to be joined to Christ, and they needed to be taught how to build a relationship with God, how to serve Him acceptably according to His terms and not man’s terms, how to work with the Holy Spirit for fruit to be born in their heart, how to hear the voice of the Spirit themselves to steward the grace of God within the Body to each other, how to grow in the grace of God.

All these “how-to’s” required that they receive instruction in the doctrine of Christ (2 Jn 1:9). Believers were not simply let loose to read the text for themselves and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them. You will notice that apostles wrote the epistles and that is because God gave them authority in doctrine (Acts 2:42).

Apostles were not merely present at the beginning of a convert’s instruction in the doctrine of Christ, they were present to continue to oversee the development of their faith and were thus called the “fathers” of the faith.

Apostles were active in their calling to redirect faith when false teachers arose to lead believers back into bondage. Apostles were active to confirm into the government of God those whom God had called, thus lettering believers know who was authorized to teach and who was not, making it possible for believes to defend the faith, which was delivered to them (Jude 1:3).

We see apostles functioning in this manner (to make distinction, to redirect, to teach, to correct) in each of the epistles they wrote.

Apostle John: “They are of the world… we are of God.” Apostle John was writing to those under his stewardship, not to those who picked up his letters two thousand years later and apply his words to themselves.

1 John 4:5-6
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Apostle Paul: “You are removed from the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” Apostle Paul was writing to correct believers who were being brought under another teaching. God gave the calling the authority of Christ to be His voice to direct faith.

Galatians 1:6-7
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  

Those are just two examples of how Jesus uses His apostles. Believers today, in the restored church, are again receiving the same kind of apostolic oversight and, therefore, they are again active in their priesthood. This happened because they received teaching about the altar of Christ to learn why God commanded that the stones of the altar be whole, why God commanded that we offer spiritual sacrifices to Him, why God commanded that we steward the grace of God, why God commanded that our soul reflect the likeness of Christ.

Believers in the restored Body of Christ learn the doctrine of Christ and thus benefit in many ways now that truth is their filter. Here are just four examples of the many benefits believes now receive.

1. Believers are equipped to discern the kingdom of the flesh from the kingdom of God and understand why God does not use the tokens of the flesh to save and redeem them. This discernment is important at all levels, but especially in a believer’s growth cycle because the fruit that one bears reflects the knowledge and tools of either the kingdom of the flesh or the kingdom of God. God holds us responsible for our choices.

2. Believers are equipped for their task to separate their faith from the world unto God.  Apostles have taught them how to use the law of grace and truth to govern their faith, and thus walk in the liberty of the Spirit. We see this testimony of Christ in the spiritual sacrifices offered by the saints. They testify of this power of Christ they daily experience.

3. Believers are carefully equipped in each of the 12 foundation stones of Jesus to choose the peace of God over their principle. Therefore they know the connections that God makes to the spiritual tools He provided in Jesus Christ for their peace to be made manifest and complete in Him. This happens daily, and Jesus rewards their choice of faith with many gifts of His propitiation, which again is evidence of their hope.

4. Believers, being equipped with truth and the spiritual tools of Jesus Christ, can reciprocate to God in kind as Jesus mediates the covenant. This breaks the chain of dependence to reciprocate on the level of the fleshly kingdom where the aspiration and imagination rule the mind. We hear this testimony of Jesus in the daily spiritual sacrifices of the saints.

God equips believers through apostolic stewardship, and thus the apostles are the eyes of the church. Without the apostolic stewardship the church does not have truth, and without truth believers are blind.

From the restored Body of Christ God called more apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who now function in their calling with the measure of grace that God gives to them. The government of God is again visible, which is a sign of the blessing of God for the people who love God and desire to serve Him with their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Believers can once again defend the faith.

God wants you to know those whom He sanctified, authorized, and elected to stand in the office of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher.

1 Thessalonians 5:12
“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you.”

2 Timothy 3:14
“But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.”

If a minister claims to be a prophetic minister and teaches prophetic ministry, prophetic art, prophetic dance, or teaches how to make prophetic declarations, they are not part of the restored government of God. Jesus does not know them.

If a minister claims to be an apostle and does not teach the restored foundation of truth, they are not part of the restored government of God. They cannot rightly divide the word according to the covenant, and therefore cannot show believers the path of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Jesus does not know them.

If a minister claims to be a pastor and does not teach the new covenant terms, conditions, tools, and priesthood God sanctified by the blood of Jesus, they are not part of the restored government of God. They have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge (Rom 10:2). Jesus does not know them.

If a minister claims to be an evangelist and does not bring converts into the covenant of Jesus Christ to be joined to God, they are not part of the restored government of God. Jesus does not know them.

If a believer claims to only follow Jesus (meaning that he isn’t following an apostle, or prophet, or evangelist, or pastor, or teacher), and he is ignorant of the terms and tools of Jesus’ new covenant, they are ignorant of their own salvation. Don’t follow their example.

Use the links in this article to learn how you too can become equipped with the things of Christ to put on the new man and to walk according to the righteousness of Christ. We are in prayer for you and are ready to serve you.