Author : Keith Sharp
The story goes that a fellow had been told to find how to be saved by simply letting the Bible fall open where it may, reading the passage that he first saw, and following it. So he let his Bible fall open, and the first verse to catch his eye stated, “Judas … went and hanged himself.” The surprised seeker decided this was surely a mistake and tried again. This time he read, “Go and do likewise.” Taken aback, he tried one more time. This time the passage commanded, “What you do, do quickly.” Shocked and disgusted, he gave up and concluded he couldn’t understand the Bible.
The Bible study habits of many professed believers in the Bible are little better. Many pay absolutely no attention to the context of passages. It is especially important to note to whom the Lord is speaking in a verse. The Lord plainly commanded, “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood…” (Genesis 6:14). Have you built a 450 foot long, three story barge yet? Why not? You realize that the Lord directed this charge to Noah because a universal flood was coming and that later God promised never to destroy the earth by water again. You understand this command doesn’t apply to us.
I believe that many passages about the work of the Holy Spirit that professed Christians apply to themselves in reality apply exclusively to the apostles. What was the mission and work of the Holy Spirit through the apostles?
What Are Apostles?
The term “apostle” primarily means “ambassador, delegate, messenger” (Arndt & Gingrich. 99). The New Testament mentions several classes of apostles. Jesus is God’s apostle to the world (Hebrews 3:1). Christ selected twelve to be His apostles whom He sent “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” under what is usually termed the Limited Commission (Matthew 10:1-7). Eleven of these, plus Matthias, He later sent as His apostles to the world through the Great Commission (Mark 16:14-16; Acts 1:1-4,8,15-26). Still later Christ added Paul to this group as the special apostle to the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 15:8-9; Romans 11:13). Other men besides the apostles of Christ were apostles of the churches, i.e., they were sent out by congregations (Acts 13:1-3; 14:14,26-27).
What Was Their Mission?
Our study pertains to the third of these classes of apostles, those of the Great Commission. These apostles had a unique mission.
They were to bear witness of Jesus to the whole world through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:1-3,8). To be qualified for this work, they had to have accompanied the Lord throughout His personal ministry and to have seen Him after His resurrection (Acts 1:21-26). Bearing witness was not telling some subjective conversion experience. It was relating what they had seen and heard as credible evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 10:40-42; 1 John 1:1-3).
Once a wreck occurred in front of my house late at night while I was asleep. I went out, saw a man crawling out of an overturned van, made sure he was alright, and called the police. When the police arrived, I asked them if they needed me to stay outside. An officer asked, “Did you see anything?” When I said, “No,” he told me I could go back to bed. Unless you have seen the raised Lord, you cannot witness for Him.
Further, they were His ambassadors to deliver with authority His will to the world. Paul, in connection with his work as an apostle, called himself an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 6:17-20). Earlier in Second Corinthians, Paul had asserted that God had “shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (4:6). Paul declared of His gospel, “For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11-12). His message was not “the word of men… but… in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Upon the basis of this claim to divine inspiration, the apostle described himself as an ambassador. An ambassador officially represents and is the spokesman for his government. This gives authoritative weight to His message. The apostles were the official spokesmen for the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. “The authority of the message rests on the fact that Jesus Christ Himself speaks in the word of His ambassador” (Bornkamm. 6:682).Thus the apostle Peter placed “the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior” on an equally authoritative footing with “the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets” (2 Peter 3:1-2).
An ambassador is given credentials to prove his authority. Thus, Paul and the other apostles demonstrated their right to speak for Christ by exercising ” the signs of an apostle… in signs and wonders and mighty deeds” (2 Corinthians 12:12).
Paul was the last apostle of Christ, the final witness of the resurrected Savior (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). His was an exceptional case, “as … one born out of due time” (Ibid), since he had not been an earthly companion of Jesus. Paul was specially selected to witness and represent Christ to the Gentiles (Acts 26:15-18; Romans 11:13).
How Were They Equipped for Their Work?
Immediately following the Last Supper and just before going to the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus engaged in a long, private conversation with His faithful eleven apostles to prepare them for His impending death (John 13:1-4, 21-30; cf. Mark 16:17-21). He promised them:
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever– the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you (John 14:16-18).
The word “Helper” ( KJV, “Comforter,” Greek, “Parakletos“) was used outside the New Testament of “a legal adviser or helper or advocate in the relevant court” (Behm. 5:803). Twice in the New Testament it has this sense (John 16:7-11; 1 John 2:1). John is the only inspired writer to use the term. The other three times he uses the word, he uses it to mean “a helper, succorer, aider, assistant” (Thayer. 483). Jesus employees this word four times of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7) and John once of Christ (1 John 2:1). All four times the Master called the Holy Spirit the “Helper” occur in His conversation with His apostles after the Last Supper. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit in His role as “Helper” to none save His apostles.
The work the Holy Spirit as Helper would do for the apostles makes this clear. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things….” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit as “Helper” did the work of revelation, making known to them all the truth of the Gospel.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; … He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you (John 16:13-15).
He also inspired their memories, so they could recall infallibly what Jesus did and taught. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will… bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26). Thus, writing perhaps close to sixty years after the events recorded, the apostle John recalled the details of lengthy conversations of the Lord. In this way they were able to testify (bear witness) of Christ.
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning (John 15:26-27).
He would even reveal future events to them, so the apostles of Christ, as the prophets of old, could infallibly foretell future events. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, … He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13).
Anyone who claims to have the Holy Spirit as Helper should be able to do what the apostles did. He should have a perfect knowledge of the Gospel, remember infallibly all that Jesus did and taught, unerringly foretell future events, and perform mighty wonders and miracles, even the raising of the dead.
Their Work Accomplished
The apostles with the Holy Spirit as their Helper accomplished all the Lord promised they would be able to do.
They received, revealed, and wrote down for us all the truth of the gospel (Ephesians 3:1-7). This is a once-for-all-time revelation, never to be repeated (Jude 3), is not to be altered in the slightest degree (Galatians 1:6-9), and is completely sufficient for our spiritual needs (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:2-4). There is no room for modern revelations.
They bore witness to Christ (Acts 2:32), and their testimony is recorded for our use (John 20:30-31).
They prophesied the future (e..g., 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4). Their teaching and testimony were miraculously confirmed (Mark 16:17-20; Hebrews 2:1-4) and has been preserved for us (1 Peter 1:22-25). Once God’s Word was in inspired men, the apostles and prophets; now it is in an inspired book, the Bible.
Conclusion
The apostles with the Holy Spirit as Helper completed the work the Lord gave them to do.
The result of their work is the New Testament, our complete rule of faith and practice, and all the
guidance we need to please God and go to heaven. Anyone who would alter this inspired standard is accursed of God. Do not listen to those who claim further divine revelation. Do not seek a subjective experience as evidence the Holy Spirit is speaking to you personally. Make the standard of faith the Lord gave to us through His apostles by the help of the Holy Spirit, the New Testament, your guide and stay. It will safely lead you to the heavenly home.
Works Cited
Arndt, W.W. and F.W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
Behm, Johanes, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed, Geoffrey W. Bromiley
Bornkamm, Gunther, TDNT.
Thayer, J.H., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.
