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The Apostolic Church

Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.’”

The Great Commission:

The Great Commission is apostolic because it was given to Apostles: “sent ones”. This is the basic definition of the word apostle. It is taken from the Greek word apostolos, meaning a delegate, an ambassador of the gospe1, officially a commissioner of Christ, and a messenger, he that is sent.

Before Jesus used this word the Greeks and Romans used it to describe special envoys that were sent out for the purpose of expanding the dominion of the empire. These Greek and Roman apostles were usually Admirals or Generals who had proven themselves in battle. The went to establish the Greek or Roman culture in the region they were sent to. They were also responsible for teaching and training the new subjects in the laws and culture of the kingdom.

 These people were sent to certain territories and charged to subdue, conquer, convert, instruct, train and establish the new subjects in the culture of the empire. 

Jesus commissioned sent the first apostles into all the nations of the earth to bring them into the kingdom of God. To commission means to authorize, appoint, charge, empower, dispatch and entrust with a mission. They were given power and authority to accomplish the task. They were responsible for teaching, training and instructing the new believers, and making them productive citizens of the Kingdom. After the early apostles died, the com­mission remained. It has yet to be totally fulfilled and will remain in force until the day it is fulfilled.

The Apostolic Spirit

 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).

 The Ho1y Spirit is called a teaching Spirit here. He is also an apostolic Spirit because the Father has sent him. He is also a prophetic Spirit, for when He comes the sons, daughters, servants and handmaidens will prophesy (see Acts 2:17,18). He is an evangelistic Spirit because He convicts and draws sinners to Christ (see John 16:8,9). He is a pastoral Spirit because He appoints overseers for the saints (see Acts 20:28).

 Jesus said to his Apostles: “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21,22).

Jesus compared the sending of the apostles to His being sent by the Father. He then breathed on them that they might receive the Holy Spirit: the apostolic Spirit. The attributes of a sent one should be found in every believer.

An Apostolic Church

 Ephesians 4:7 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.”

 According to Ephesians 4:7 all believers have received aspects of the fivefold ministry giftings. Naturally, those believers called to the pulpit ministry will have a greater dimension of the Holy Spirit’s anointing in the gift to which they are called. The apostles will have a greater measure of the apostolic dimension upon their lives to impart and stir up this anointing in the saints just as the prophet will have the greater dimension of the Office rather than the “gift of prophecy” which the Apostle Paul says every believer should desire. But, everyone has a deposit of the apostolic gifting in them.

 A characteristic of the apostolic spirit is an awareness of being sent. There is a sense of purpose and destiny that results from the apostolic spirit: a focus on fulfilling a divine commission. Although all ministers are sent by the Lord (see Rom. 10:15), the very heartbeat of apostleship is the concept of being sent.

 When the Church loses this dimension, it loses its sense of divine purpose and mission. Whole denominations dry up and decline because of the absence of the apostolic anointing. After the death of the early apostles, the Church became administrative, institutional and ceremonial. The apostolic spirit is necessary for the Church to fulfill the Great Commission to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation.

Apostles have the anointing to release and stir up the apostolic anointing through teaching, preaching, prophesying and the laying on of hands. This is called “activation”. When saints become aware of and begin to walk in this dimension of the Spirit, they will manifest the power, authority and characteristics of a sent one becoming an Apostolic Church.

 If you look at the Church in the Book of Acts you will see it was first and foremost an Apostolic Church! Many have believed the commission is an evangelistic commission. Although evangelism is an important part, the com­mission is essentially apostolic, incorporating evangelism to fulfill it. Our work consists of much more than to simply evangelize.

 The early Church understood that they were essentially all “sent ones”. They knew that they were authorized to carry out this mission. We are here now to help fulfill the Great Commission today! That’s what makes us an Apostolic Church!

Note: I want to thank Apostle's John Kelly and John Eckhardt for the inspiration they have given me.