I think Ephesians 2:20 covers that aspect of Jesus being "the chief cornerstone."
But what about these "apostles and prophets"? Would this be in reference to the OT Prophets?
My post #2 names several apostles and post #3 names several prophets from the NT.
What do you make of that?
"built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." - Ephesians 2:20 NIV
EPH 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
To me this verse sounds like the "
gifts" he gave to help fill the churches, were given AFTER he
ascended.
EPH 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Don't "
the churches" plural, still need '
to become perfect'? Don't we still need all CHRISTIANS to
minister? Doesn't the church of today need
edifying in these perilous times? I'd say YES! on all three counts. We still need the input of all FIVE of those souls.
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
And these verses sound like ALL "
the churches" are still in the Fundamental, Holiness, Pentecostal and Charismatic and FOUNATIONAL stages of spiritual maturity where they're all considered to just be
BABES, even as chapter 5 in Hebrews speaks to, leading into Hebrews 6:1-2. And until we're walking in the fullness of those fundamental doctrines, the body can't even go on to "
PERFECTION/MATURITY".
HEB 5:13 for every one who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a child.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their faculties trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.
And how do we get to the point where we are ready for
SOLID FOOD and
PERFECTION ?
HEB 6:1 Wherefore, having left the word of the beginning of the Christ, unto the perfection we may advance, not again a foundation laying of reformation from dead works, and of faith on God, 2 of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on also of hands, of rising again also of the dead, and of judgment age-during,
I recently heard a pastor say his "
church was being ministered to by the FIVE-FOLD ministry gifts that Christ still gives." That caught my ear. And these are 'soulish talent gifts' given to certain individuals of His body on earth at conception IMO. This pastor then went on to say;
"I am the 7th person to hold the mike today. And before me you also heard a prophet speak, as well as an evangelist, teacher and apostle."
His words stunned me. And 'my new spirit'...the born again holy spirit of Christ in me, spirit...bore witness to the truth of his words. I thought
of course the FIVE-FOLD could work that way. The church has morphed for 1,500 years after growing for the first 200-300. Then the church of Rome destroyed the five-fold.
Anyway, that's just my opinion, but I still appreciate the freedom to hear other's opinions....that I disagree with.
