Originally Posted by aron
A la Peter in Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know"
In contrast, thus far I have seen people like Todd Bentley who don't impress me, to say the least. There is power there, but I am not convinced it is of God. Swapping his wife for a newer model seems to be a confirmation of other forces at work.
Then I have seen over-reaching Bible teachers like Lee who somehow need to be "apostles" to maintain sway over the flock. Not impressed at all.
Not to mention all the false apostles and prophets and christs out there. Practically too numerous to name.
But, I have indeed seen power exhibited, and occasionally felt it myself. God has, thus, proven, or confirmed, or attested, His Son Jesus to us, again and again and again. Some of these manifestations may indeed have been through apostles. I am not going to name names, because I don't want to mar the point (okay, one: Billy Graham. I saw Graham deal with a very determined and intelligent and well-prepared opposer in a hostile setting, and Graham had the man purring like a kitty-cat in about 2 minutes. The hair stood right up on my arms).
But my witness to power does not confirm some need to have a delineated set of roles a la Ephesians 4:11 "And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers," or 1 Corinthians 12:28 "And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues."
The idea that formal, clearly delineated and universally-recognized positions are continually supported by these verses, to me, is to put God in a box. Watchman Nee's box labeled "The Normal Christian Church" is still a box.
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