Being Apostolic In the Modern World 13

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Being  Apostolic In The Modern World

The Church is Apostolic.  This means that the Church seeks a continuity
of its faith, life, and ministry with that of the Apostles.  The
Church's distinctive way of life, its spirituality, is Apostolic.  This
is the criterion by which all expressions of Christianity should be
judged.

Being Apostolic is not just a manner of  being a member of a religious
denomination, of believing a set of doctrines, of claiming Jesus as
Lord, of saying you possess the Holy Spirit, of manifesting spiritual
gifts.  Being Apostolic is living for Jesus Christ in a manner
consistent with the Apostles.  This is an encompassing spiritual reality
which cannot be restricted to a few areas of Christian existence.  The
Church which is Apostolic follows the Apostles in all areas of its life.

The Apostolic criterion answers the question, "How are we to judge what
is Christian and what is not?"  It is not enough to examine doctrines,
confessions of faith, church history, and spiritual experiences.  The
Christian faith must always be judged by one standard, the Apostolic
standard. 

The Church which is Apostolic  is receiving the Apostolic experience of
Jesus. The Church which is Apostolic is being discipled in an Apostolic
way. The Church which is Apostolic acknowledges the normative authority
of the Apostles for its faith.  The Church which is Apostolic listens to
the message of the Apostles found in the New Testament and is obedient
to it.  The Church which is Apostolic allows its faith to be questioned
by the Apostles.  The Church which is Apostolic knows and serves Jesus
Christ in an Apostolic way.  The Church is the true Church only to the
extent that it is Apostolic.  

Being Apostolic, therefore, is not a static, but dynamic reality.  Being
Apostolic is not a state arrived at by having a spiritual experience,
signing a Christian creed, joining a church, or embracing a theological
system.  Being Apostolic is a way of life, a way of living for Jesus
Christ which will not cease until the eschaton.  Being Apostolic is
being a living member of the community of Christians founded by the
Apostles who place their faith and hope in Jesus Christ and who continue
his ministry in the world.  Being Apostolic is hearing the Apostles
speak to us today through the pages of the New Testament.  Being
Apostolic is being part of the Apostolic movement which originated on
the day of Pentecost by the baptism in the Holy Spirit and which
continues until this day.    Being Apostolic is known by faith, faith
which leads to the experience of the Holy Spirit and the distinctive
Apostolic way of life.

Being Apostolic is not a manner of being able to prove the continuity of
ones faith through the annals of history. Such a criterion requires
neither the Holy Spirit or faith.  Being Apostolic is a manner of
showing that ones present faith, life, and ministry are continuous with
the apostles in the New Testament.

Being Apostolic is not a manner of being a member of a religious
denomination.  Such a criterion requires neither the Holy Spirit or
faith.  Being Apostolic means personally having faith, personally
receiving the Holy Spirit, personally following Jesus in an Apostolic
way. 

Being Apostolic is not a manner of the perfection of a theological
system.  Such a criterion requires neither the Holy Spirit or faith. 
Being Apostolic is hearing the witness of the Apostles to Jesus Christ
in the New Testament, and by inference the Old Testament.  Being
Apostolic is receiving Scripture as authoritative for the faith and
order of the Church.  Being Apostolic is allowing Holy Scripture to
speak its message without the prior constraints of doctrine. This means
that we are not the master of Holy Scripture, Holy Scripture is our
master.  We are not to control Holy Scripture, Holy Scripture is to
control us.  We are not to approach Holy Scripture with the arrogance
that we possess all knowledge, but with an attitude of prayer, humility,
and submission, crying out to God that we need to receive more truth
from his word.

The Apostolic community is not the creation of man but of the Lord Jesus
Christ through the Holy Spirit.  It is the Spirit who blows where he
wills, who is not bound by the doctrines, theologies, and religious
denominations of man who creates the Apostolic Church.  The Pentecostal
event is repeated, the Holy Spirit descends, and the Apostolic church is
created through faith, repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus
Christ, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit.   Through the Holy Spirit
the risen Lord is present in the Apostolic church continuing his
ministry.  This is the Apostolic church.