Who are apostolic?

Answer 1

The word 'apostolic' is used by a number of different churches to say that they source themselves back to the apostles. for example, some 'orthodox' or traditional churches claim to be able to trace their leaders' physical geneology back to New Testament sons of Peter, the so called first 'pope' and in this way call themselves apostolic.

But in my opinion, true apostolic churches (that often carry this title) are those who teach the doctrines taught and demonstrated by the apostles in The Bible. This is in contrast to many of today's churches that have left from the apostles doctrine without knowing it, and have been taught teachings that originate from peoples' minds and not from the bible at all.

We must be basing our doctines of the apostles teachings because

1) the church is based on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone

2) In Rev. the bride or church in heaven is described as having 12 foundations and in it the names of the 12 apostles of the lamb. Although Paul was not of the 12 Apostles, he was an apostle who was born 'out of due season'. He was an apostle to the Gentiles who wrote the majority of the new testament scriptures. Being an apostle gave these chosen men rights and authority like no other people since that day to cement doctine on which we base our faith. They taugh new docrines not taught or revealed through the mouth of Jesus, but teachings that were revealed to them by Gods' spirit. Without these teachings none of us could be saved.

3) Jesus, in the last chapter of Luke, opened up the apostles understanding so that they could comprehend the scriptures. The scriptures are a mystery until revealed because they are 'spiritually discerned'. He then sent them out

4) Jesus instruction to the aspostles what that if they reject you, they reject me.

5) The apostles taught people to hold fast to their doctrines. I think it was Paul who said, if I or an angel from heaven preach any other doctrine let him be accursed.

Paul warned 'Beware lest any man deceive you though philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men and not after Christ, for in him dwelleth the fullness of the godhead bodily col 2:9. The Spirit of God was warning that traditions and philosophy would come to deceive, even those who think they are following the ways of God.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THE APOSTLES DOCRINE BOTH IN EXAMPLE AND WORD

Thomas bowed bown to Jesus in revelation and proclaimed 'My Lord and My God' after he saw for himself

Paul proclaimed the God in nature is invisible (1 Tim 1:17; 6:15-16).

Jesus, is the image of that invisible God. Col 1:15. That means that God, being infinite and uncontainable even by the heavens of the heavens (1 Kings 8:27- referenced bu paul in Acts 17:24; 28) has only one visible image. The image that we see in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinth 4:3-6) is the only way we can see the invisible father.

If God cannot be contained, and therefore does not look like anything, why do we think the father is a separtate person or image.? This is not the apostles doctrine. paul preached 'He is the firstborn of all creation'. (Col 1:15). the first thing that god gave birth to, or brough into being, or fathered, was his son - his image. not another God, but an image by which we could see his invisible spirit. we should not say ignorantly lilke the apostles did before they had understanding, 'show us the father" (John 14). to which Jesus answered 'Have I been with you for so long and you have not known me? He who has seen me has seen the father.' [whom no man can see 1 John 4: 12].

So the apostled did not teach '3 in one' of 'trinity' which words are not in the bible. They taught an invisible God revealed in Jesus, who was fully man, and even prayed like a man in his earthly humbled state (Phil 2). But when he was Glorified, he took back on himself what he had before 'And now oh Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' and again when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he said, and let all the angels of God worship him [remember Jesus confessed to the devil in temptation 'though shall worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve]. Also, unto the son he saith thy throne, Oh God, is for ever and ever.'( Heb 1:6;8) So he was exalted back up to the throne of god to be heir to the worship and glory and praise and power and judgment and knowldge and wisdom that belongs solely to god. The fullness of the godhead dwells in Jesus bodily. Col 2:9. This was the apostles docrine.

Additionally, because they had revelation, and their understanding opened to the scriptures, they understood Jesus command in Matt 28:19 and they babtised people solely in Jesus name. Jesus, or the son, was the Father in visible form (Isaiah 9:6) and the Holy Spirit had no flesh and blood to die for us, and to fulfill the purpose of babtism (ie to apply Jesus blood in Baptism [Rom 6 ] except in the body of Jesus Christ. Acts 20:28 said 'feed the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood' since when did God have blood? only in the body of Jesus christ. The same applies to The Holy Spirit. since when did the holy Spirit of God have blood except in the body of Jesus Christ.

Jesus had been given a name above every name, and the apostles were commanded to baptize in 'the name' . Only one name has been ended by power above any other title of God to cast out demons and heal the sick, and to give the remission of sins through repentance and baptism. That name is Jesus (Phil 2;9-10). True apostolic churches will baptize in Jesus name after the apostles consistent example in Act 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:43;48; Acts 19:5; Rom 6:3.

The apostles also teach that people need to be filled with God's spirit, and that this has a manifestation, but it must be from the source of God 'as the Spirit gave them utterance' and not of a persons' own will or mind or zeal. Apostolic churches will teach this. Some, however, do not stick to the apostles teaching and behave themselves disorderly. Paul instructed the church in 1 corinth to behave themselves orderly 1 Corinth 14:23 and in a way that will edify the church and unlearned. This is love for new people who may be coming along. Admittedly, some of the apostolic churches still need to learn to behave orderly in church. The Spirit of God is still there even if people are not jumping around uncontrollably. some apostolic churches are better at this than others. Also, select apostolic churches have gone off track by allowing manifestations that are coming from peoples' zeal and not the Spirit of God. This needs to be watched out for to make sure that the source of the manifestation is God and not man. One thing to test this by is that the Spirit of God moves on you by his own will and choice and his move is not created by your will. If a person just starts and stops 'tounges' at their will or practices it, it is their own self, and an altered state of consciousness. It is not God's move. God will move on a person when he is good and ready and when he chooses.

Some example of apostolic churches that teach the doctine of the apostles is

the PAW or pentecostal assemblies of the World

the United Pentecostal Chuch

Mount Zion Apostolic church.

Some of these organisations claim their beginning at historical revivals, however, the apostles docrine has always been preserved in scripture, and I believe scripural example ie noah and the flood, sodom and gomorra, and the judgment of revelation tells us that God allways has his seed of truth at work in the hearts of some people in the earth regardless of whether or not they were large enough to be traced by historical record. Jesus said 'i will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. ' If ever truth ceased to exist in the earth then God's judgment of revelation would fall.

sorry for being so lengthy but I was having fun writing.

Answer 2

Of, pertaining to, or derived from the apostles or their direct teachings.

For example when the council of nicea chose the gospels for the new testament the criteria was that they held a universal truth, had similar narration and were apostolistic. Meaning the apostles themselves wrote them or someone scribed them based on first hand accounts from one of the twelve apostles.