Moving in the Apostolic

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Moving in the Apostolic

amount of opposition it receives. This characteristic is easily overlooked and misunderstood by the Church. The Church seems to believe that ministries that are unopposed and accepted must be blessed, and that ministries that are opposed by others must have something wrong with them. Quite the contrary is true. Those ministries that lead the way in power and renewal will also find great opposition from the enemy. 1 These five scriptural characteristics of apostolic ministry provide the Church a means of measuring claims of apostleship. Simply claiming that God has placed us in the office of apostle is not proof that this is so. Although apostles may differ in their style of ministry, they will demonstrate these five characteristics. Many who fail the test will disagree with some or all of these characteristics, but the Word of God is our final measuring line. These characteristics of the early apostles are found in the Word. We cannot settle for anything less if we are to believe in restoration. The Apostolate For it is written in the Book of Psalms: "Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let no one live in it"; and, "Let another take his office" (Acts 1:20). The apostolate is the office or duties of an apostle. Too often we look at an individual but fail to recognize the office that individual occupies. It is important to understand that the apostolate is an office. Paul referred to his ministry as an office (see Rom. 11:13, KJV). How can people fully discharge the duties of an office if they don't understand the office and its duties? Revelation of the apostolate is necessary in order to walk fully in the authority and power of this office. I am convinced that many apostles have never operated fully in their calling because they do not fully understand the office. As I have already stated, much of the Church has taught that the ministry of the apostle is no longer for today. The belief has been common that there were no more apostles after the death of the Twelve (plus Paul). But what many have failed to see and understand is that although the early apostles died, the office of