Where am I going?

Steve Starcher (stevstar@prodigy.net)
Wed, 03 Mar 1999 17:12:33 -0800


Where is Brother Starcher going with this series of posts?  Being
Apostolic In The Modern World is a very broad subject so let me give a
little insight into my direction.  

The next few posts will be dealing very specifically with the normative
authority of the Apostles for the faith, life, and ministry of the
Church.  This authority will be developed exegetically from the New
Testament.  This means that I will presenting a whole lot of Scripture
to support the claim that the Church of Jesus Christ must be an
Apostolic Church. This makes for some very slow going because of the
wealth of Biblical data about the Apostles, their ministry, and their
authority.  

After establishing the authority of the Apostles for the Church I will
be discussing Apostolic doctrine, teaching.  This doctrine will focus
upon the gospel, the good news of the Kingdom of God present in Jesus
Christ through the Holy Spirit  and the salvation which it brings. In
the context of Apostolic doctrine I will once again be discussing
salvation.  Salvation will be presented as the holy calling of God in
Jesus Christ.  This is another way of saying that salvation is a way of
life, a way of believing in Jesus Christ and living for him in the
present world. 

The Apostles provide the norm for our understanding of salvation.  In
the book of Acts the earliest Christian conversion experiences, the
reception of salvation, are recorded.  These conversion experiences show
that following the proclamation of the Gospel and faith individuals are
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the baptism in the Holy
Spirit with the sign of speaking in tongues.  This was the Apostolic
conversion experience.  To be Apostolic in the modern world means to
receive this experience of Salvation.  And yes, this experience of
salvation should be considered the norm for all Christians.  As
Apostolics in the modern world  confronted by the diversity of Christian
belief and the pluralism of world religions we should not hesitate to
proclaim the Apostolic way of salvation.

Finally, being Apostolic in the modern world means to understand the
fullness of God in Christ.  If the Apostolic era is indeed
authoritative, then the authority assigned by Christendom to the
doctrine of the Trinity is seriously undermined.  The doctrine of the
Trinity as presented in the Nicene creed is not found in the New
Testament.  The theology of Apostolic Pentecostals is  more consistent
with the faith of the Apostles in the New Testament.  I hope to offer
several detailed explanations as to why Apostolics are not Trinitarians
building upon the fact that the Church must receive the apostles as the
authority for its faith.

This is where I am going!  I am affirming all of the essential tenets of
the Apostolic faith but presenting them in dialogue with contemporary
scholarship, greater Christendom, and the world.  I appreciate all of
the positive comments I have received about my posts both publicly and
privately.  I also appreciate my critics who struggle to understand the
Apostolic theology I am presenting.  Be assured that this theology is
written by an Apostolic with the intention of strengthening and not
undermining the Apostolic faith. 

God Bless!

Steve