Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
We can note that the appointments of elders in each church was God's, through the apostles, and the apostles sending were God's, through the church. The appointments were not by theological qualification or democratic election. The appointments were not Paul's own desires but God's.
Could it be any clearer that God has not authorized "just anyone" to start a church based upon their own thinking and feeling?,
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But who decides who are the apostles? And the question remains are there any apostles in this day? The Bible says plainly in 1 Cor 12:12* that real apostles have a "sign" which includes the ability to do miracles and wonders. Do you know anyone who has such a sign? I don't know of any. So therefore there are no apostles of the kind in the first generation of Christians; and Nee and Lee weren't apostles, because they didn't have the sign.
So since there are no apostles, does that mean churches cannot be established? Such a conclusion is silly.
So actually "just anyone" potentially can start a church. Because God is going to commission someone to do it, and none of us can judge whether God has commissioned someone else in that way or not. We, you, can't know if their decision to start a church was just "their own thinking and feeling." All we can do is look at the fruit, and that's all we should do.
* "The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles." NASB