DOMINION THEOLOGY’S EFFECT ON CHURCHES

MONTLY ARTICLE PART 2

DOMINION THEOLOGY’S EFFECT ON CHURCHES

Most Pentecostal charismatics in leadership avoid telling the truth in favor of their own version of the truth, which is ultimately a lie. Preachers, in plain English, are educating everybody who would listen to a bold face LIE! When we do not proclaim the truth, God will send us great delusion, causing us to believe a lie (2Th:2:11).

The Seven-Mountain Mission

What exactly is this falsehood, you ask? It is the fiction that things will improve in the world for not only America, Uganda, or Europe in general, but also for the church. It is the fallacy that the modern church, with all of its wrong beliefs and unscriptural practices, will emerge as a conquering church in the last days, goose-stepping across the world in an endeavor to redeem not only the sinner, but entire nations.

It is the myth that the modern church would infiltrate every aspect of social service and politics in order to establish itself domination in the globe, transforming sinful planet Earth into a Christian planet. Simply said, the globe is about to be taken over by the Christian church, not Islam, aliens, Hinduism, New Agers, or Buddhism. It is the new crusade that will dominate and conquer the world for Christ under this new global agenda. This doctrine is known as the 7 Mountain Mandate (Theology), and it is taught by certain very powerful proponents, one of whom is Dr. Lance Wallnau, as well as others who are loyal to President Trump.

According to proponents of the seven mountain (7-M) mandate, the Church must acquire control over seven essential parts of society, or “mountains,” before Jesus returns to earth. Education, Religion, Family, Business, Government or Military, Arts or Entertainment, and Media are the seven mountains. These seven mountains have been identified as society’s molders and shapers, influencing how people think and behave. The mountains are also known as pillars, shapers, and formers. molders, as well as “spheres.” Christians who follow this theology are intent on occupying or even invading these mountains in order to transform civilization.

On the contrary, Jesus told us to condemn the mountains in our path but not to control

them. 17:20, Math. “…Ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”

The 7-M movement instructs believers to seek control over civil parts of society as part of Jesus’ global kingdom. Some cite Isaiah 2:2 as a reference to the institution. the Lord’s temple on the highest peak. Some also believe that the return of Jesus to earth is contingent on them enacting moral laws and punishments based on the Old Testament. As self-appointed prophets and apostles offered their contribution based on dreams, visions, and other revelations they claim to have received, the 7-M movement expanded. The seven-mountain mandate is today advocated by so-called prophets and apostles affiliated with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), who claim to have received new unique knowledge or insights from God. The NAR has cut a broad and sweeping gash across the sleeping church. And the vast majority, the bulk of those riding the wave have no idea they are doing so. They place expectations of continuous advancement atop the mountains, making each more honorable to God, to focus on control—both of society in general and of their adherents. This explains their involvement in politics and other civil activities. However, the Bible states unequivocally that the world will deteriorate rather than improve before Jesus arrives. “All these are the beginnings of sorrows,” says Matthew 24:8. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold,” says Matthew 24:12. 1Tm: 4:1-1: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;”

The seven-mountain mandate, as practiced by Charismatic and Pentecostal churches, is unbiblical, harmful to Christian testimony, and confuses Christians who adhere to it.

The core doctrine of the 7-M movement included societal reform in addition to Jesus’ Great Commission to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20). The message continues that the Church, which is present in almost every country, has little influence on the culture surrounding it and that this must change. Change the way it works. Dominion Theology scholars overlook the reality that our faith is centered on a certain message. This message is precisely defined in the Bible: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… he was buried… [And] he was raised on the third day according to

the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus emphasizes “It is written” before ascending to heaven. When the Christian message and tactics are altered, the entire faith falls. This is why Christianity is losing ground over the world giving way to the vitality of Islam (see Part 3). Lance P. Wallnau has identified the seven spheres of society in which that influence must be increased, sometimes referring to them asgates of hell” that serve as portals over the kings or influence-shapers. Wallnau teaches that the Abrahamic Covenant, in which God promises Abraham a lasting inheritance, combined with Deuteronomy 28:12-14, which mandates Israel to lead nations, leads to the conclusion that the Church should claim that promise and fulfill that mandate. To usher in Jesus’ return, world systems must be transformed. These notions are spiritually linked to New Age ideology, making this instruction dangerous.

Five different ministries: History

The proponents of the NAR claim to be the modern church’s foundational Apostles and Prophets. This is precisely what Paul warned the Church about false apostles. The phrase “false apostles” appears just twice in the Bible, in 2 Corinthians 11:13 and Revelations 2:2.

False apostles are individuals who pretend to be equal to the original Apostles but were rejected by Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:13. The supporters of NAR go even further! They assert that they are GREATER than the original Apostles. Some claimed apostolic ministry after the end of the Apostolic Age (33-100 A.D.) with the same fateful results as the current apostles are.

Irenaeus, for example, portrayed second-century believers with the gift of prophecy, while Tertullian, writing of Montanist church gatherings, discussed in full the practice of prophecy in the second century church.

The teaching of Edward Irving and the establishment of the Catholic Apostolic Church in 1832, however, constitute the earliest recorded movement of what is often referred to as Five-fold Ministry. The church ordained twelve apostles and established distinct duties for prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. This trend gained traction in 1948, when

theLatterRainMovementreemphasizedthefivefoldministry,followedbytheCharismaticMovementandThirdWavemovements,ledbyfiguressuchasthelateC.PeterWagner,who was a leading figure in what he coined as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR),which emphasized the specific need for apostolic leadership in the Church, among otherfive-foldanointing.

APEPT is an abbreviation established by Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost to refer to Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. They changed the acronym in the revised edition of their work to APEST. Recently, Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost coined the abbreviation APEPT to refer to Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. In the revised edition of their book, they changed the acronym to APEST:

Montanus (135-177 A.D.)

Founder of Montanism, a schismatic Christian sect in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and North Africa from the 2nd to the 9th centuries. The prophetic movement grew into sectarianism, with believers referring to it as the New Prophecy, afterwards referred to by the name of its founder, Montanus.

Montanism has been compared to modern-day movements such as Pentecostalism (especially Oneness Pentecostals), the NAR, and the Charismatic movement. According to the 4th-century church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, Montanus experienced an ecstatic condition and began prophesying in the region of Phrygia, now in central Turkey, around 172 or 173. Montanus rose to prominence as the leader of the illuminati (“the enlightened”), which included the prophetesses Priscilla (or Prisca) and Maximilla. The members demonstrated the frenetic nature of their religious experience through entranced seizures and unusual linguistic utterances, as well as losing balance under the spirit and being drunk in the spirit.

Convinced by prophetic revelations that the end of the world was near and that the New Jerusalem mentioned in the Bible existed, Montanus established a rigoristic ethics to purify Christians and detach them from their material wants as the New TestamentA

(Revelation) was about to descend near the Phrygian hamlet of Pepuza. His forecasts were wrong, and the end did not occur in the same way modern apostles’ and prophets’ prophesies fail.

Mani, the ruling Apostle (216-274 or 277 A.D.),

Born in Ctesiphon, Parthian Babylonia (modern-day Iraq), he created the dualistic religious movement Manichaeism in Persia in the third century A.D. He claimed he was chosen by God to be the “Apostle of Light” and supreme “Illuminator” the same way modern apostles and prophets claim.

As the final Apostle called by Jesus, Mani preached across the Persian Empire from that point forward. Mani provided the final product message to his disciples and died (sometime between 274 and 277 A.D) in Gundeshapur, Sassanid Empire (modern-day Iran). Nothing he prophesied came to light.

In 1824, Edward Irving (1792-1834), came a Presbyterian pastor in Scotland, and began teaching that God told him to restore “the four-fold ministry”. His ministry maintained a hierarchy of angels, priests and deacons in his church. But was not considered sufficient to perfect the saints, but the spiritual ministries taken from Ephesians 4:11 were developed for this end. These were defined to be four in number (as against the interpretation of a fivefold ministry): Apostle or Elder, Prophet, Evangelist, and Pastor or Teacher. These were referred to as the “border” or Prophecy revealed the “color” of the ministry. It was prophesied that these ministry gifts had vanished from the church and would need to be restored.

“Please note: every new apostle claims to restore the lost 4 or 5 gifts under God’s instruction to bring the Last Great Revival and restore the church to the original state but they don’t show which year and how these gifts were lost. Even after restoring them, as they claim, nothing changes to the health of the church”

The four-fold ministry was exclusively male, based on God’s establishment of man’s

headship over woman in Genesis 3:16-19, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, and 1 Timothy 2:11-

15. All ministers had to be summoned to their positions by the word of prophecy. Angels from heaven also came to guide church services. The biblical prescription of church leaders’ qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, was ignored and relied extra- biblical sources like angels.

Mr. Irving is notable for popularizing several unique erroneous views that have proven to be vital to the modern Pentecostal charismatic movement and The New Apostolic Reformation. In short, the NAR and its five-fold ministry are not a new movement or a reformation according the dubious pedigree roots.

The restoration of these ministries, according to Irving, would usher in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ on Earth. However, even after they were established, the Millennial Kingdom did not appear. Irving established the Catholic Apostolic Church in 1832, and ordained twelve “apostles” who were to be the final days equal of the original Twelve whom Jesus anointed. Henry Drummond, a wealthy English banker, became the Church’s leader. Drummond himself was appointed “Apostle to Scotland.”

It was predicted that these “twelve apostles” would be the final ones. Before Christ’s return, the apostles will appear on Earth. (This is a reference to Mani of Persia in the third century, who referred to himself as the “Apostle of Light”—Jesus’ very last apostle.) Edward Irving taught that, while Christ never sinned, he had a sinful nature because a poor doctrinal basis creates more doctrinal mistakes. Only the Holy Spirit saved him from committing sin. In keeping with his Christ-centered teaching,

Edward came to place an increasing emphasis on new revelation understanding from the Holy Spirit rather than the Sufficiency of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:15-17). He said that because Christ was redeemed from sin by the Spirit, so could we. The conclusion of the end of the world was approaching, and the Holy Spirit was ready to be poured forth in spiritual manifestations such as prophecy and speaking in unfamiliar tongues.

Many in his ordered Presbyterian congregation were extremely upset by the unrestrained ravings of “prophets” that he allowed in his sanctuary. Edward was deposed by his elders because he refused to limit their speech. He was followed by approximately 800 people to a leased hall. The prophets, on the other hand, ruled over him. He felt compelled to

obey them because he had not acquired their “divine” talents. Even when his associates began to disengage or disclose themselves Edward persisted to his false beliefs about their spiritual gifts, despite evidence that they had been deceived or had purposefully performed frauds.

First, though his training as a Presbyterian pastor taught him that God had delivered a full revelation in the Scriptures, Edward Irving was willing to think that God was giving fresh discoveries. Irving believed this for many years and upheld the historical position. However, after he heard the utterance in a tongue and its translation into English, he became dogmatic in his belief that this was the genuine voice of God. He felt that the words spoken “in power” were inspired and formed a fresh revelation with the same authority as the Bible.

“The Scottish church condemned Edward’s beliefs on Christ and the restoration of apostolic government as heresy in 1830. The Scots robbed him of his ordination in 1833.”

“Because of their non-denominational independence, present proponents of fivefold ministry are free to exhale their heresy. There is no doctrinal responsibility to an authentic oversite denominational body.”

When Edward acquired tuberculosis, he was almost certain that God would miraculously heal him and vindicate him, bestowing upon him extraordinary powers. Instead, he died at the age of 42 while reciting the 23rd Psalm in Hebrew.

The Catholic Apostolic Church’s twelve apostles eventually died, the last in 1901. The Church in England died when they died.

However, in Germany, the Catholic Apostolic Church ordained twelve more apostles and adopted the name “New Apostolic Church.” Other Irvingian Christian denominations emerged as a result of division within the Catholic Apostolic Church; among them, the New Apostolic Church is the largest Irvingian Christian denomination today, with 16 million adherents.

Former Congregational clergyman John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907)

Dowie quit his Congregational denomination around this time and polished his religious structure, naming it the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in 1903.

(Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, Zondervan Publishing House, 1988, p. 249.)

Dowie founded the “City of Zion” in northeast Illinois in 1901, with 5,000 adherents. Dowie said, (like all previous claimants to the office of apostle), in 1904 that he had been divinely commissioned to be the “First Apostle” to the church. He then exhorted his disciples to look forward to the complete restoration of the apostolic fivefold ministry.

Dowie developed Zion, Illinois, where he privately owned all of the land and established numerous enterprises. The city’s operations have been described as “a carefully devised large-scale platform for securities fraud…”

In 1905, his subordinate launched an investigation into commercial activities and removed him as commander. As a member of the Dowie adopted a more extravagant lifestyle as Zion increased in size and fortune, building himself a 25-room home and dressed himself in costly clerical clothes based by those worn by Aaron, the high priest, as detailed in Leviticus.

The church faced insolvency as a result of this and other financial mismanagement. In 1906, his followers revolted, deposed him as leader, and chose Wilbur Glenn Voliva as the church’s new Apostle. A splinter group opposed the new leadership and left Zion; some of them went on to become significant leaders in the nascent Pentecostal movement. His anointing pierced the religious theocracies of his day. As a result of his love for his job, he misread various administrations. One of his passions was dominion in politics, business, and all fields of power. Dowie’s leadership was garnering a national following. So, seeing his potential and knowing his position, he runs for Parliament, believing he can influence and take over all other pillars of influence through the political arena. However, Dowie was soundly defeated in the elections. Untold sums were paid by politicians and the alcoholic beverage business to see him vilified and defeated. Dowie had harmed his congregation and humiliated his ministry following the election. Dowie was moved by such intense spiritual longings that he sought to satisfy them in the natural world. I can only surmise as to why he took this decision. It could have been because the

church world was not moving quickly enough to win the globe for Christ, as modern NAR followers think.

Dowie was a restorationist who aimed to restore the Church to its primitive condition. He believed in the restoration of spiritual gifts and apostolic and prophetic ministries to the Church at the end of time. He claimed to be God’s Messenger in 1899. In 1901, he claimed to be the spiritual return of the Biblical Prophet Elijah, referring to himself as Elijah the Restorer, The Prophet Elijah, or The Third Elijah, and presiding Apostle.

The community of believers in the City of Zion began to deteriorate in 1906. The fivefold ministry God commanded him to restore in the church did not function, as it continues to fail with the NAR Apostles today.

Dowie was a predecessor of Pentecostalism, and many of his followers rose to prominence in the early twentieth century resurgence. Dowie suffered the first of a series of crippling strokes in 1905, and died of another stroke on March 9, 1907.

“Much as he said he was commissioned to be the last Apostle to bring restoration of the lost 5 fold ministries so as Jesus returns, he died in shambles and Jesus has not returned up to now.”

Following the historic Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, California in 1906, the emphasis on restoring “the five-fold ministry” and “a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit just before the return of Christ” returned. A new generation of apostles arose. T.B. Barratt, Luigi Francescon (“apostle to Italy”), Ivan Voronaev (“apostle to the Slavs”), and others (“apostle to Europe”) were among them. To manage their organizations, Pentecostal groups in Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the United States elected and ordained colleges of apostles. The restoration of “the five-fold ministry” theology eroded over time when the Kingdom of God failed to arrive in the time frame predicted.

However, it resurfaced in 1948 with the resurrection of “the New Latter Rain-NOLR” at Sharon Orphanage in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and Canada. There is, according to the Latter Rain, an emphasis to imply a return to the five ministerial positions listed in Ephesians 4:11: apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. They felt that the essential responsibilities of apostle and prophet had been lost due to the Dark Ages after the period of the first apostles. They believed that God was restoring these ministries

now. These concepts are associated with the “prophetic movement” and the “New Apostolic Reformation.”

The Latter Rain Movement was separated from the rest of Pentecostalism by its belief in the restoration of the offices of apostle and prophet. The five ministerial responsibilities were considered as functions and gifts vested in the entire Spirit-baptized congregation at large, subject to the direction of the Spirit, rather than gifts that operated purely at the discretion of one gifted individual. In the spring of 1948, some Pentecostal denominational leadership openly opposed the revival and questioned the beliefs and practices being promoted.

Their condemnations got increasingly harsh as the revival developed. According to one author, “leaders of the Assemblies of God watched in horror” as the Latter Rain organization began to award ministerial licenses to unprepared preachers, and some of their beliefs were deemed divisive and damaging.

“For example, the 1949 General Council of the Assemblies of God USA said in Resolution #7: “We disapprove of those extreme teachings and practices that, being scripturally unfounded, serve only to break the church.”

Further Analysis.

And He Himself appointed some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ, until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-13). In Verse 13, the word “till” is used as a preposition or conjunction to mean “up to “the Present. Did We All Truly Come to Faith Unity?

Yes, …contained in ordinances, in order to make in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He may reconcile them both to God in one body by the cross, therefore putting to death the enmity.

Now you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and

prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself as the chief corner stone

in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:26-27). New Ministries Have Been Established Since We Have Attained Unity of Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God.

The purpose of the newly founded ministries is to promote the cause of the accomplished oneness and understanding of the Son of God. And these new offices or ministries are as follows:

1. Office of Elders: For this reason, “I left you in Crete to put things in order and select elders in every city, as I commanded you (Titus 1:5). So, when they had appointed elders in each church and prayed with them, they referred them to the Lord in whom they had believed while fasting (Acts 14:23). What was missing was the appointment of apostles and prophets to positions of leadership.

2. Teachers’ Office: A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good demeanor, hospitable, and capable of teaching (1 Timothy 3:2).

3. Office of Evangelists: “But you, be alert in all ways, bear afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, and complete your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). The Offices of Apostles and Prophets Were Excluded From The New Ministries, Unlike the Offices of Elders, Teachers, and Evangelists, Which Have Recurred in The New Ministries.

Why Wasn’t the Ministry of Apostles Included in the New Ministries?

Because the Apostles’ work of creating the foundation of the church and writing down the oral scripture God gave them (which was the entire counsel of God Acts 20:26-27) had been completed, God called them one by one through death. To be an Apostle, one had to be chosen by Jesus himself and taught in person, not by men or through men (Galatians 1:1). Anyone claiming to be an apostle of Christ in these last days is a false apostle because all of the apostles have died.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, posing as Christ’s apostles.” And it’s no surprise! Because Satan changes himself into a light angel. It is therefore no great thing if his ministers likewise change themselves into ministers of righteousness, for their end will be determined by their acts” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Why Hasn’t the Ministry of Prophets Been Included in the New Ministries? The reason for this is that God has not spoken to us through the prophets in these days? God has spoken

to us in these latter days via His Son, whom He has named heir of all things, and through whom He also created the worlds (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Another argument is that we have already heard everything we need to hear from God.

“God willed to reveal to them the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We preach about him, warning and teaching everyone. All understanding, so we may present everyone complete in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:27-28). But we speak of God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom that God designed before the ages for our glory, which none of this age’s rulers knew; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. God, on the other hand, has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit investigates all things, including God’s deep things (1 Corinthians 2:7-8,10). Furthermore, all we need in these final days for life has been provided to us through the knowledge of God’s son. Grace and peace to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue (1 Peter 2:2-3).

The Scriptures include information about the Son of God.

“And a man of God will be a perfect man through the use of scripture.” …which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is valuable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good job (2 Timothy 3:14- 17). And when we have reached maturity or the full stature of Christ, we will no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine. That we may no longer be children, swayed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful planning, but may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ (Ephesians 4:14-15).

This signifies that the five offices bestowed by the Lord Jesus Christ were to exist until we all reached the oneness of faith and knowledge of the Son of God. But if we have all come to the oneness of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, then the five offices will

cease to exist because their function has been fulfilled.

Why do I oppose the five-fold ministry?

Five-fold ministry is a concept derived from a single New Testament chapter (Ephesians 4:11-13, written around 62 A.D.).

There are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and for those who believe in the five-fold ministry model, this list reflects both a hierarchy of gifts and a list of important gifts that must be present in every church for health and growth. Let me first explain why I disagree with the five-fold notion. (To follow my presentation, see Appendix A on the last pages.)

First,noneofthespiritualgiftlistsinAppendixAareexhaustive.Itisimpossibletodiscernwhich gifts are more valuable than others without a thorough list. Furthermore, the listofthegiftsisneverthesameindifferentplacesinScripture.So,howcanweknowwhichpresents are more valuable than others? This is due to the fact that Paul originallyprovided us a different list to the Corinthians when ministering at the Ephesian Church(53-55 A.D), approximately 7 years before the Ephesians. And he wrote to the Romans(57 A.D.) while serving at the Corinth church, about 3 or 2 years after writing to theCorinthianchurchand5yearsafterwritingtotheRomans.YearsbeforehewrotetotheEphesians, he made lists that are significantly lengthier and in a different sequence thanthe Ephesian list.

Before we look at the other two lists, let us state unequivocally that Paul did not intend for his list in Ephesians to be regarded as the exclusive model of church dynamics. If this is true, it indicates that what Paul wrote later to the Ephesians overrides the revelations he received 5 to 7 years earlier to the Corinthians and Romans. So, in order to gain a good context of what Paul intended in Ephesians, we must avoid misunderstanding Paul’s messages by applying the contextual interpretation principle, comparing scripture to other scriptures by the same or other author, and the law of non-contradiction of scriptures. Using the following study tools will assist us in weeding out the Word of Faith and NAR movements’ common presumptuous contextual, Hermeneutical blunders when treating Scripture.

If Jesus through Paul presented different lists to different church members, it implies he wasn’t attempting to be dogmatic about it, and that he was speaking loosely about the numerous talents that God distributes into the body of Christ for growth, power, life, and godliness. In any event, keep in mind that he assured the Corinthians that he taught the same things in every church: “For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.” (1Corinthians:4:17)

The church was formed by apostles and prophets. Then came the evangelists. They are the ones who introduced new believers to the faith. Then, under the watchful observation of the pastors and teachers, these newcomers became members of the congregation. However, nothing in this paragraph indicates the proportional worth of each of these positions. Are we to believe that evangelist is a more important gift in the church than pastor or teacher because it is stated first in this passage? The Book of Ephesians emphasizes the apostles’ and prophets’ fundamental function because they laid the foundations in terms of doctrine and practice – not that their gift was greatest. Again, this list does not appear to provide us with the relative worth of each person who exercises the talent. Despite the fact that the NAR teaches continued apostolic activity beyond the Biblical apostles, Jesus commends the Ephesian Church for rejecting people calling themselves Apostles (Re:2:2) about A.D 95.

Around 53-55 A.D., he gave “The Eight-fold Ministry” to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 12:28)

Wisdom is stated first in First Corinthians 12:8-10, followed by knowledge, however prophecy is listed sixth and tongues last. What does this tell us about the significance of prophecy?

Let us now examine the other lists, beginning with the one in 1st Corinthians 12:28, written roughly between 53-55 A.D. while Paul was ministering at the Church of Ephesians (Use Appendix A), in which Paul says: “first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracle, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and diversities of tongues.” So, while Paul begins the same way in Corinthians as he does in Ephesians with

Apostles and Prophets, he oddly promotes instructors to third place from last in our Ephesians list. Then comes the introduction of miracle workers, healing, guidance, or wisdom, and tongues. This could be referred to as the eight-fold ministry because Paul enhances his list by (3) three. We would assume that God’s purpose is all about this Corinthians order of gifs to lead the church if we were unaware of the other lists in Romans and Ephesians. Pastors, Elders, musicians, and Evangelists may be considered lower class citizens based on this list, as they are not listed at all in the eight-fold ministry. We may also argue that Paul’s list is hierarchical because he enumerates them by saying “first of all… second… and third… and so on.” This obviously shows that the first one is superior.

Actually, before Paul wrote to the Romans nearly two years later (57 A.D.), this list must have been common knowledge. While serving at Corinth, Paul wrote to the Romans. And, because his sequence in those other circumstances differs, we may reasonably believe that when Paul states, he is speaking chronologically rather than hierarchically. The Apostles were the first to be sent forth by Jesus, and once the gospel was preached and people reacted, they needed more individuals to prophecy, teach, and serve until the entire Canon was completed. God’s commands, not Paul’s, were given to the Corinthians. “If any man thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord,” states 1Corinthians 14:37-38. But whoever is uninformed, let him be ignorant.”

Around 57 A.D., he offered “The Seven-fold Ministry” to the Romans

Now consider Paul’s essential list of gifts in Romans chapter 12:4-8 (See Appendix A): “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others, and we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, prophesy according to your faith; if it is serving, serve; if it is teaching, teach; if it is encouraging, encourage; if it is giving, give generously; if it is leading, lead diligently; and if it is showing mercy, show mercy cheerfully.”

In Romans 12, for example, the gift of prophecy is listed first, followed by mercy. Are we to believe that mercy is the least of all possible gifts? Personally, I prefer this list to the other two because it places service, teaching, and encouragement at the very bottom, just ahead of mercy, and it places leadership at the very top, next to mercy. This is the kind of list I like! However, Christians in Rome could easily have deduced from this list that Apostles, Evangelists, Elders, musicians, and pastors are unnecessary in the church, and that what really matters is prophecy ranking first, service ranking second, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy, etc. But, once again, they would be incorrect. What fascinates me is that, even though we have all three of these epistles in front of us and they didn’t, we have a tendency to accept one of those lists as authoritative while rejecting the other two. There is no evidence that the churches in Ephesus, Rome, and Corinth considered Paul’s teachings to be exhaustive and exclusive of the others.

When Paul attests [in Acts 20:27] around 52-55 A.D., he declares to the believers and Ephesian elders, to whom he makes this daring assertion, that he accomplished this remarkable feat in only three years. In other words, he must have meant that he taught the burden of the whole of God’s revelation, the balance of things, leaving nothing out that was of primary importance, never avoiding the difficult bits, and assisting believers in grasping the whole counsel of God so that they themselves would become better equipped to read their Bibles intelligently.

He must have taught them the list of gifts that he presented to the Corinthians about 53- 55 A.D. by emphasizing that he did not flinch from teaching them anything they needed to repent and give them the complete counsel of God. So, before they received the epistle of Ephesians, which he composed while under house arrest in Rome in the year 62 A.D., Paul had already given them the entire counsel of God. All of Paul’s letters were read to all churches, according to Col: 4:16. So what he said in Ephesians 4:11 was not a thumb rule to supersede other lists of gifts elsewhere. “And when this epistle is read among you, cause it to be read also in the Laodicean church, and that ye also read the Laodicean epistle.”

Examine both Appendices A and B carefully

Paul’s teaching was consistent, according to 1Corinth: 4:17: After all of this, let me explain that, yes, I believe there are folks today who are sent out, referred to as church missionaries in the church today, whose purpose is to go out and preach the gospel, start churches, recognize gifts in the body, and so on and so forth. What I reject is the notion that there are only five main gifts in the church today, or that these five should be elevated above all other gifts mentioned in the New Testament, as if they are more special, more vital, or more crucial than any of the others. At first glance, the message of the “You matter”, according to the New Testament. Your gifts, whatever they are, are required.

All of the gifts are equally valuable

All spiritual gifts are equally valuable. Paul likens the church to the human body. The head is Jesus Christ. Each component is extremely important for the body to function properly. The following is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

Even yet, the body is made up of many parts rather than one. If the foot were to say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not cease to be a part of the body. And even if the ear said, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not cease to exist as a result. Portion of the body. Where would the sense of hearing be if the entire body were an eye? Where would the sense of smell be if the entire body were an ear? However, God has positioned all of the organs of the body exactly as he desired (1 Corinthians 12:14-18 TNIV).

This Paul artwork appears to be indicating that all parts of the body are equally important for the body to function properly. Only the head, Jesus Christ, is absolutely necessary. As a result, one could argue that all spiritual gifts are equally important.

Spiritual warfare

Christians participate in cosmic battles with supernatural evil forces, including Satan himself. The NAR emphasizes strategic-level spiritual warfare, which contradicts Daniel 10:12-21 and Jude 9, which attribute spiritual battle against territorial spirits to Michael and the angels rather than to humans. They believe in a Theocracy, which means that Kingdom-minded people live in a location where they have collectively defeated evil and cleansed the region. The issue is that the world and everything in it already belong to

God. On the Cross, Jesus reclaimed the keys to Death and Hell and exposed the devil and his minions, thereby destroying them forever. While we are on this planet, we are IN it, but not OF it. We are only here temporarily as tent dwellers (Philippians 3:20). What is the point of a theocracy then?

Extra-biblical revelations

Some of these groups think that the Bible must be supplemented by modern-day revelation since God reveals His will outside of the texts. There is just one point in the Bible where such a revelation will occur, and that is when the sealed scroll of Daniel is opened during the 7-year Tribulation period. What more revelation do we require? Isn’t the Holy Spirit present in every Believer? Doesn’t He declare that if the Holy Spirit is in us, we need NO MAN to instruct us?