Heart of the Matter: Meeting Apostles

LIVE! From the “Mecca of Mormonism,” Salt Lake City, Utah – THIS . . . is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. . . . “Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face.”

Show 4 Apostles – January 26th, 2010

And I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host.

If you have family or friends who cannot get Heart through television, give them a call and tell them to go to HYPERLINK "http://WWW.HOTM.TV" WWW.HOTM.TV. And they can watch through streaming video from anywhere in the world AND/OR watch any of our past 200 shows. That’s right, folks, tonight is the 200th hour-long airing of Heart, and we thank God, you, and all those who have ever been involved for helping this ministry get legs.

It would have been fun to do a highlight film – you know, four years in retrospect – but man-power prevents it. However, we invite anyone within driving distance to join us after the program at Squatter’s Pub on ______ for a reunion “Pastor in the Pub” get together. We’ll be in the back room. Should be fun.

And with that, let’s have a prayer.

Years ago I was invited by a good friend to have lunch in the LDS Church Headquarters cafeteria. We got our food then sat at a table and began to eat and talk, and suddenly the noisy cafeteria, starting from behind me, began to subtly get quiet. My friend kept talking, and then noticing the growing silence looked up, and there, walking across the floor was a man named Dallin Oaks – a man the LDS believe is as much of an “apostle” of the Lord Jesus Christ as was Peter, James, and/or John. My friend got all excited and said in a very low whisper:

“Do you see him? Do you see him?”

“Who?” I replied. And he motioned with his eyes over my shoulder. “Elder Oaks!” I turned and looked and watched as he contemplatively passed through a sea of silent, humbled admirers.

“Hey,” I said to my friend, “I’m gonna go talk to him.” My friend who works in the Church Office building grabbed my wrist.

“No!” he said, “don’t. We’re not allowed. Only if he speaks to us first.”

“You’re kidding, right?” I replied.

“Shawn?” he said sort of exasperated, “he is an apostle! An apostle of Jesus Christ!”

“Which is exactly why I want to talk to him,” I said. But the look on my friend's face pleaded against my determination. And so I sat down . . . left only to dream of what I could have said.

(beat)

Apostles of Jesus Christ

An apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ? Really? While I served my full-time mission for the LDS church, one of my favorite lines to prove the truth of Mormonism was the (ahem) FACT that Mormonism was the only church on earth that claimed twelve apostles – and that this made Mormonism just like the original church Jesus started! I mean, this was the thinking. And without knowing the Bible, the thinking makes some sense.

(beat)

In “The Seventeen Points of the True Church,” a pamphlet that promotes Mormonism as the Only True Church on earth, it reads:

“The True Church must have a foundation of Prophets and Apostles.”

The premise of this statement was taken right out of the Bible . . .taken from it, but completely twisted when we examine the contextual understanding of apostles in scripture. Let me explain.

(NOTE: Peter combined two phrases from Psalms into one to determine this was what needed to be done: Psalms 109:8 and Psalms 69:25)

In the Ephesians 2:19, which is in the New Testament of the Bible, it says that “the redeemed are of God’s household, and are built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone.”

Understanding Apostles and Prophets

I think it's important to consider the context of the passage. Speaking to the believers who were once sinful Gentiles, Paul writes:

Ephesians 2:11-20

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh–who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands– that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near.”

The Foundation of Peace Through Christ

by the blood of Christ.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. the enmity.

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The Unchanging Foundation of the Gospel

Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ built upon a foundation of apostles and prophets? Certainly! Read the Old Testament and the Gospels! This is the foundation laid! Now if you were to build a house, you would start with a foundation, and once it was laid and cured, you would begin to build your house upon it, right? How often would you go back and re-pour the foundation? NEVER . . . if it was poured right the first time.

How many times does the foundation of a household have to be laid? Once. It is the foundation! The building upon the foundation is forever growing. You might redecorate or remodel. You might paint or add aluminum siding to the building, but the foundation remains in place – unless it is faulty and cracked. Did Jesus lay a faulty foundation? No, He built upon the foundation He Himself laid. And He laid it with apostles and prophets, with Jesus Himself serving as the chief cornerstone! That is solid.

But there’s more – we KNOW that once the foundation was laid, it was laid permanently – once and forever, and we know this by looking at the Greek. The word used here – which is the participle – “epoikodo methentes” in proper syntax is translated “having been built.” Not continuing now that it was laid. Not being restored. Having been built! It’s an aorist passive participle, referring to a past action and in this specific case, it is an action that has been fully completed! It’s been done!

Qualifications of True Apostleship

My friends, the LDS church’s system constantly uproots and demolishes the early Christian foundation which Jesus laid permanently by replacing it over and over again with (now listen to this description closely) they replace the foundation laid with unqualified men. “What do you mean, “unqualified men? How could you say such a thing, you mean, mean man?” “Why,” the LDS proudly state, “our apostles are the most qualified men on earth! They are judges, and surgeons, and prominent life-long faithful members of the church! Educated! Articulate, and astute in the ways of the world!”

In the first place, the qualifications of these LDS men who call themselves apostles are NOT anything like the qualifications of the apostles the Lord Jesus chose. He could have chosen learned successful men of His day. Authorities, religious leaders, scholars, and businessmen. But NOOOOOOO. Who did Jesus choose for His apostles when He was on earth. Common fishermen. Hated tax collectors.

I would LOVE to see a fisherman sit down around the table with the so-called apostles of the LDS church. Can you imagine the disconnect? (D’ Arrrrgh, matey. Ow you doin over there, Holland? You gonna eat that toast and jelly Boyd-y-buddy or nibble on it, ya pantywaist?” Well I guess fishermen aren’t pirates but you know what I mean) Anyway, it was not to their worldly stature or successful lives that qualified them as true apostles. Besides their humility and desire to follow Jesus, it was a number of other factors.

In first Corinthians 9:1 Paul writes:

Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?

There is the first qualifier of being an apostle – being a first hand eye-witness of Jesus. When the apostles sought to replace Judas with someone to continue on as a personal witness – which was prophesied should occur and is in part why they did it – they looked for an individual which (it says

Apostolic Qualifications in Early Christianity

Biblical Foundation for Apostles

In Acts chapter 1:

“…had companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.”

So Jesus established His Church upon apostles who, as Luke said, “have seen Him,” as “He went in and out” and as Peter said, were “witnesses of His resurrection.”

(John 15:27; Acts 1:21,22; 1st Corinthians 9:1; Acts 22:14,15).

So the first BIBLICAL rule for being an apostle is they…

1. Apostles must be first-hand witnesses.

Additionally, 2. Each of the apostles of the Lord received their call to that office by Christ.

Luke 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.

In the calling of Paul, the same was true:

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

3. Apostles must be infallibly inspired.

1st Thessalonians 2:13

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

You see, it was essential that these apostles were infallibly inspired. As such, they secured against all error in their public teaching, whether by word or writing.

This is why Jesus gave them in-person training when he established His church. No passed down office from man to man who are qualified in the ways of the world!

Role of Miracles in Apostolic Authority

The final biblically established qualification for an apostle was,

4. The power of working miracles.

Listen to what the word says about the apostles after Jesus ascended into heaven.

Mark 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.

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

Luke said of Paul in Acts 19:11

Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Speaking of Peter, it says in Acts 5:15

“Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

As a result of all of these factors, and within the context of scripture, the true apostles of the early church could not any more have had successors than there needed to be a successor to Jesus Himself!

They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders.

Modern Considerations for the Term Apostle

So, in light of all this, I want to know a few things about the Mormon apostles. Ready?

1. Of the 100 or so self-proclaimed LDS Apostles since Joseph restored the church to earth, have ANY of them admitted eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ and His resurrection?

And in reality, the truer question is HAVE ALL OF THEM LAID CLAIM TO SEEING JESUS PERSONALLY?

2. Have each and every one of them received their call to that apostolic office by Christ Himself?

3. Have all the LDS apostles professions been infallible as to the whole of the Word?

4. What miracles have been done from the hands of these businessmen become apostles?

I think it is important to realize that the word apostle and the Office of Apostle have two very different applications.

Apostle, the word, just means a person sent, or a messenger.

This word is even used twice as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, who was “Sent of the Father.” (Hebrews 3:1 and John 20:21).

It is, however, generally used as designating the body of disciples to whom he entrusted the organization of his church and the dissemination of his gospel, "the twelve," as they are called, who held the OFFICE of Apostle (Mt 10:1-5; Mr 3:14; 6:7; Lu 6:13; 9:1).

Twice in the New Testament (2nd Corinthians 8:23 and Philippians 2:25) the word "messenger" is used but it is the same Greek word as Apostle.

The Role and Witness of Apostles

“apostle."

Now remember – and this is important – as first-hand witnesses, of the Lord Jesus and His resurrection, none of the apostles ever hesitated in proclaiming their special witness. “We have seen Him. He lives. I testify of this!” And they all – except John the beloved – were martyred for their very verbal and vocal testimony of what they witnessed with their own eyes!

LDS Apostles and Their Testimony

Now how many LDS apostles stand and state that they have “seen” the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes? This is an essential of filling the Office of an Apostle! No, they walk about looking holy and unapproachable allowing this inferential guessing game to exist amidst their followers. Make me a fool, Holland, Oaks, Packer, tell the world that Jesus came to you, showed Himself, and called you personally to your office. Don’t play nuance games with us. Don’t wink and say “we really know.”

Tell us plainly that you have seen Jesus Christ. Or . . . perhaps even more importantly, if you haven’t seen Him, would you please admit this? Please. Because if you haven’t seen Him with your eyes (He still has His Body, you know) you have been deceiving millions of people with your charade.

(beat)

But not being an actual witness is only one reason the LDS apostles are not true apostles. Now the LDS defenders use the fact that Judas Iscariot was replaced by Mathais as evidence the Jesus Church must always have a perpetual quorum of twelve apostles. Joseph claimed to have restored Jesus original church back to earth, the LDS have had a revolving quorum of twelve men who have referred to themselves as actual apostles of Jesus Christ.

The Office of Apostle According to Scripture

Now the first “apostles” within Mormonism were not called of Jesus personally, nor claimed to witness Him in body, but came about by way of a revelation to the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon who then chose the first “replacement twelve apostles” of the LDS restoration. And they weren’t called until five years after Joseph formed the church. One of the FIRST things Jesus did in establishing His church was call His apostles. Think my friends! And then what did Paul say in 1st Corinthians 4:9:

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.”

It is clear from this passage that the office of apostle was a one time situation (that they were last) and that they were “appointed unto death” (meaning they would die for the cause) and that they would be made a spectacle before the world, and angels, and men through this sacrifice to launch the church Jesus established out into the world FOREVER! Does this in any way match the way an LDS apostle is seen today? As a “spectacle unto the world” . . . appointed unto death.” Instead of allowing Jesus true apostles to stand last, bearing their witness by their blood, Mormon apostles try and continue on! Instead of being appointed unto death, they are protected by limosines, body guards, and luxury! Instead of being a spectacle, they are revered! People stand when they enter rooms!

The Twelve Apostles and the Book of Revelation

Then there is the simple numbers to consider. If LDS apostles are the same as the apostles Jesus chose, explain that in the Book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events. (21:14) why it states that the wall around God’s heavenly city is supported by “twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb.”

Wooops.

Hey, Holland, is your name on one of those pillars? How about you Eyring? Think your pillar is right between Peter and James? Even the foundation of heaven – not just the Church of Jesus – but the foundation of heaven! is built upon twelve pillars named after the twelve apostles of the Lamb!

Now, the LDS argue that if there are “only Twelve apostles,” why did the first apostles get together and call someone (Mathias) to replace Judas when he killed himself? First, and as I already mentioned, to fulfill prophecy. Peter states this when they called the replacement man Mathias. Second, they had a mission to fulfill – to “kick-start” the gospel so to speak – and God initiated twelve men – representing the twelve tribes – to do the work. Once it was kick-started, the work was done. The apostolic witnessing was done – and they sealed their witness in blood. Additionally, the apostles, under impetuous Peter’s lead, called Mathias after limiting the candidates to just

The True Nature of Apostleship

Two men. All of this occurred by their own will and prior to the arrival of the holy spirit – which Jesus told them to wait upon.

I believe God had another idea – Paul – who He called later upon. I base this not on anything more than the fact that we never hear from Mathias again. But Paul?

Finally, there is no continuing office of apostle as Timothy gives us no qualifications for the position, as he does for a bishop, deacon, an elder, etc.

Are you beginning to see the mockery of Mormonism’s continuing “revolving” door of apostles? Can you see what an insult these men are to the twelve who gave their everything for see people come to the cause of Christ? Rather than GAIN everything?

My friends, the twelve of Jesus ate the dust of the earth. They were mistreated, they suffered, and they gave their all – even their very lives – to share Jesus with the world. In the narrow sense (or, the “office of Apostle,”) they were hand chosen by Jesus Christ, were witnesses of Him, and performed great miracles in His name. The LDS apostles meet none of these conditions for apostleship.

The Term "Apostle"

Now, I mentioned that there is a wider sense of the word, apostle, and it means “one sent.” There were many ones “sent” in the Word who were known as “apostles” like Barnabus, Andronicus, Junia, etc. But they did not fill the office of apostle as far as we know. But if they were first hand witnesses called of Jesus, they could have.

False Apostles

Finally, in relation to apostles, why do you suppose no “Bible-believing, Bible studying, truth-seeking Christian church” with all the denominations they have established over the years have not instituted twelve apostles? There are some of the world’s greatest scholars who understand biblical exegesis and interpretation who have never said:

“We need twelve apostles! We need twelve apostles!” Why? Because they know what being an apostle means, what their purposes were, and the narrow and broad context in which the word is used in the Bible today and how ludicrous having twelve more is in light of the Bible.

In conclusion my friend, I think it interesting that the New Testament does speak, however, of false apostles. In 2nd Corinthians 11:13 it describes them:

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.”

So ask yourself something: “Where on earth is there a Church that has deceitful men who appear to have been “transformed into apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ?” I can only think of one.

(beat) ?

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Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next week – if not tonight – here on Heart of the Matter.