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What We Believe and Why
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1986
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

THE COMPLETION OF THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY

We believe the Apostles were "Baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:5) which resulted in the gifts of the Spirit being bestowed upon them. Heb. 2:4. These gifts, which are not the same as the fruits of the spirit, are definable. Every Apostle was endowed with all of the gifts (II Cor. 12:12) and could bestow the gifts to others by the laying on of hands. Acts 8:18. We believe also, and shall see, that only the Apostles had the power to bestow these gifts to others.

We believe these gifts of the Spirit were given to a specific group (the Apostles and those upon whom they laid their hands), during a specific time period (the completion of the Bible), for a specific purpose (to edify and perfect the saints and confirm the words of God's men to be Truth). We refer to that age of time, and the functions of the Apostles and those upon whom they conferred gifts, which were functions of delivering the word of God and edifying the saints therein, as the Apostolic ministry.

We believe that when the Bible was completed, there was no longer a need for the special Apostolic ministry. It had served its purpose. We contend that when the purpose ceased, the Apostolic ministry was completed and ceased. Thus, we believe that no one since the completion of the Apostolic ministry has had the gifts of the Spirit. We believe the gifts of the Spirit, which enabled the possessors to perform mighty signs, wonders, and miracles, was limited to the Apostolic ministry, which ceased with the death of the Apostles and those upon whom they laid their hands.

THE MIGHTY WORKINGS OF THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY

I. The gifts of the Spirit, by which the mighty and supernatural works of the Apostolic ministry were performed, are catalogued in 1 Cor. 12:8-10:

A. The word of wisdom which involved a supernatural power to reason.

B. The word of knowledge which provided insight or illumination of things not known through study.

C. Faith by which a man could perform works of such scope as to prove his miraculous power.

D. Gifts of healing by which the possessor of the gift could restore one instantly to health, regardless of the degree of his ailment or lack of faith by the ailing.

E. The working of miracles or powers to perform the impossible by a human or natural ability or power.

F. Prophecy or power to tell forth the mind of God prior to its being set forth by any other in any way, and prior to its fulfillment.

G. Discerning of spirits or the knowledge to discern at once whether the spirit prompting any speech or authoring any action was of God or not.

H. Divers kinds of tongues or the ability to speak in a language unfamiliar to his audience.

I. The interpretation of tongues or the ability to interpret to an audience what one who spoke in a tongue was saying.

II. The power, which made these gifts work and by which the many mighty works of the Apostolic ministry were performed, was the Holy Spirit:

A. I Cor. 12:4 says, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."

B. Again, after naming those gifts, the Holy Writ says, "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit. ." I Cor. 12:11.

C. Jesus told the Apostles in Acts 1:8, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you... "

D. None of the mighty works of the Apostolic ministry were performed apart from the mighty power of the Holy Spirit.

E. And, as the development of this lesson will show, while many exercised various of these gifts, they received their power to perform them only from the apostles, who alone could administer the Spirit.

III. The New Testament is heavy laden with descriptions of the mighty workings of the Apostolic ministry:

A. The Apostles themselves went about doing mighty works:

1. The Apostles are named in Matt. 10:2-4:

a. Acts 1:25 shows Judas Iscariot fell from Apostleship (not eternal life as he never had that, John 6:64) so that he was no longer numbered as an apostle, Acts 1:20.

b. I Cor. 9:1-5 shows that Paul was numbered with the Apostles.

2. Of those Apostles, Mark 16:20 says, "And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following: "

a. Vs. 14 shows this text applies only to the Apostles.

b. Vs. 19 shows Jesus spoke and then was taken up and Acts 1:2 records the same event saying, "He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom He had chosen."

c. The signs that were to follow these apostles are stated in Mark 16:17-18.

d. As to the statement of vs. 17 "These signs shall follow them that believe," notice that vs. 14 says, "Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen."

e. The "believe" of Vs. 17 refers directly to those apostles who believe He is risen, as in the case of Thomas. John 20:25-29.

f. That it does not refer to belief in Christ as personal Savior (as most contend) is evidenced by the fact that those signs (vs. 17-19) did not in Bible days, nor do they now, follow all believers. But, they did follow the eleven. Vs.. 20.

3. Again of these apostles Heb. 2:3-4 reads, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them (Apostles) that heard Him; a requirement for Apostleship was that they had seen the Lord. (Acts 1:21-22, 1 Cor. 9:1) God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?"

4. Remember that Paul said to the Corinthians of the Apostolic work which he performed (Actsl4:3), "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." II Cor. 12:12.

5. Jesus Christ came doing mighty works, John 5:36, and He prayed to the Father, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them (particularly the Apostles) into the world," (John 17:18). They went forth with the same mighty power confirming their words that Jesus had to confirm His words.

6. Two of the Apostles, Peter and John, went up to the temple and raised up a lame man. Acts 3:1-11; 4:14-16, 22.

7. Acts 4:33 says, "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord..."

8. Acts 5:12 says, "And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people."

9. Paul referred to himself to the Galatians as one that "worketh miracles among you," Gal. 3:5.

10. And, Paul wrote to the Romans in Rom. 15:18-19, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God..."

11. It is in view of such miraculous power in the Apostles that Paul, one of them, could speak for them and say, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." I Cor. 2:4; 1 Thes. 1:5.

B. Those upon whom the Apostles laid their hands also performed miraculous works:

1. In Acts 6:5-6 the Apostles laid their hands on Stephen, and the result is seen in Acts 6:8, "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. "

2. Hands were also laid on Philip in Acts 6:5-6 and he did mighty deeds. Acts 8:5-13.

3. Gifts were bestowed on some, other than Apostles in Acts 8:18, Acts 10:44-46.

C. There were indeed mighty workings during the Apostolic ministry; but never apart from the ministry, either directly or indirectly of an Apostle.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"