Leading New Testament Scholar Reveals How to Recognize False Apostles

Author's note: This is a guest column by my friend, Craig Keener, one of the world's leading New Testament scholars.

As I speak in various countries, there is increasing concern about "apostles" who compete with each other in rival miracle claims, followings and income. They view apostleship as a high-status and lucrative office to which they may be promoted if successful in lower roles. The complaint is not about using the title "apostle" simply for overseers, the way some churches use "bishop" or "superintendent." The complaint is about those who demand special recognition.

I do not deny the importance of genuine apostleship. Biblically, it is among the gifts that Christ's church needs to bring us to maturity (Eph 4:11-13). Although the Twelve Apostles are no longer with us, Paul clearly uses the term "apostle" more broadly than that (Rom 11:13, 16:7; 1 Cor. 15:5-7; Gal 1:19; 1 Thess. 2:6). He probably applies it to those involved in cutting-edge, sacrificial, groundbreaking evangelism that lays foundations in new spheres (see Rom. 15:20).

Yet Paul, an apostle, denounced false apostles (2 Cor. 11:13). Jesus commended an ancient church for testing those who claim to be apostles and calling out those who were false (Rev. 2:2). Similarly, Jeremiah, a true prophet, denounced false prophecy, clearly dissociating the true from the false. "'For what has straw to do with grain?' declares the Lord" (Jer. 23:28, NIV).

What are some criteria that can help us distinguish true from false apostles?

First, false apostles seek their own honor. They promote themselves more than Jesus. Paul's rivals in Corinth boasted in themselves (2 Cor. 10:17-18, 11:12), and indeed were flashier speakers than Paul (11:6). Yet Paul warns that these "super-apostles" (11:5) are false apostles (11:13), servants of Satan (11:14-15).

Paul also warned church elders that some of them would "arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30; see Mark 3:19). That they draw disciples after themselves, rather than after the Lord Jesus, reveals their deadly error. Jesus warns against seeking titles for ourselves (Matt 23:7-11); the truly greatest must be the servant (Mark 9:35; 10:43). Although true apostles are first in role (1 Cor 12:28), they appear last in terms of worldly status (4:9). As Rolland and Heidi Baker put it, "Our desired direction is always lower still. The apostle is in the lowest position of all."

It is true that we live in a world dominated by marketing. In most capitalist countries with freedom of religion, the religious "market" favors those with adequate promotion. It is right for true teachers to promote God's message that they bring, especially when needed to counter false teaching. At the same time, "we are not peddlers of God's word like so many" (2 Cor 2:17, NRSV); "we don't proclaim ourselves, but instead Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus's sake" (4:5; cf. 1 Pet 5:3). True apostles serve Christ and his people, not seek to dominate them. As Randy Clark says, "Biblical apostleship focuses on serving rather than ruling. Jesus said the greatest of all would be the servant of all."

Second, false apostles exploit the flock. In the Bible, some leaders were in it just for the money (Mic. 3:11), exploiting God's people for greed and forgetting the Lord who bought us (2 Pet. 2:1-3). God's servants must be different (2 Cor. 2:17, 1 Thess. 2:5).

In the late first or early second century, an early Christian writing called the Didache urges discernment of true and false apostles, adding: "if he asks for money, he's a false prophet" (Did. 11.6). Of course, funds are necessary; Paul raised money for the church in Jerusalem and welcomed support for his mission (Rom. 15:24, 2 Cor 10:15). But the Didache's criterion here seems to be an emergency response to a setting in which pretend apostles were taking advantage of God's people. God will punish those who exploit people (Ezek. 34:2-4, 10; Matt 24:45-51).

Some false ministers avoid even the hardship of saying something unpopular. In Jeremiah's day, false prophets comforted Israel with what they wanted to hear instead of confronting their sin (Jer. 6:14, 8:11). They assumed that because other prophets said it, it must be true (Jer. 23:30). Paul also warns about people following whoever tells them just what they want to hear (see 2 Tim 4:3-4).

Finally, true apostles sacrifice for Christ. This often involves suffering for God's purposes (Matt. 10:2, 9-11, 16-39; Mark 6:8-9; Luke 9:3-4; 10:3-4; 11:49; 1 Cor. 4:9-13; 2 Tim. 1:11-12; Rev. 18:20). Although true apostles have signs (Matt. 10:8, Mark 6:7, 2 Cor 12:12), sometimes even false preachers have those (Ex. 7:11, Matt 7:22-23). When Paul wants to distinguish himself from the rival, false apostles trying to sway his converts in Corinth, Paul appeals to his sacrifices and sufferings for the gospel (2 Cor. 11:23-33). Paul had broken new ground, sacrificially reaching the Corinthians for Christ. His rivals, instead of evangelizing new ground or laying new foundations, tried to lure away his converts after themselves (2 Cor. 10:12-16; see Rom 15:20).

True apostles, like true prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers, are gifts to Christ's body to equip all members of the body for their ministries (Eph. 4:11-13). They must honor the body's head, Christ, with whom each member of the body has a direct connection (Eph. 4:15-16). By speaking Christ's true message, apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers must nurture the body to maturity so that believers are protected against false teachings (Eph. 4:13-14).

In sum, true apostles are sacrificial servants for Christ's body. Those who believe they fill this role today must serve Christ's body sacrificially. Sometimes this sacrifice must include protecting Christ's flock from false apostles.

Craig Keener is professor of biblical studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and the best-selling author of more than 25 books. His most recent book is Not Afraid of the Antichrist: Why We Don't Believe in a Pretribulation Rapture, co-authored with Michael L. Brown.

Prophecy: The Lord Is Getting Ready to Reconstruct Much of His House!

AMANDA SHIFLETT



Although I have shared this particular word several times since the original post in January of 2018, I felt led to share it again, and to focus on a different portion than I normally have. Although this word speaks of many earthquakes and volcanoes happening (which we have seen much), it also speaks of what that will symbolize prophetically.

The Lord showed me there would be some great deconstruction and then a "reconstruction" of much of His church. Some would be taken down to studs and some down to the foundation before they would be rebuilt according to His kingdom blueprints. In light of much of what we have been seeing in a lot of areas lately, I felt the Lord wanted me to highlight this word once again. We can never forget, everything He does for and to His church is ultimately for her good. May the master architect do what is necessary to reconstruct according to His plans!

Excerpt From Word, January 2018:

Many things not built on His rule and His kingdom, but on the kingdoms of man and on their thoughts and plans, will be brought down. This will happen in His church more than any other mountain, although it will happen in many other spheres of influence.

The Lord is getting ready to begin a reconstruction of much of His house! He will take many structures down to the studs, and others down to the foundation, before He begins to build again. Some things have been tolerated by the Lord for some time, but they were not His plan, and they are no longer serving His purpose, and some never did. Some were the traditions of men, and although many were fine and good in their own way, some were not, and they have become a stumbling block to His ultimate purpose for His ekklesia. These things will need to be brought down, as they are hindering the flow of His Spirit. If they are not brought down by leadership, the Lord Himself will deal with them and bring them down.

It is time for His Spirit to flow freely once again. If He has to tear everything down, and start again with just the foundation, then He will. Other structures within the kingdom are faulty even down to the foundation, and they will be completely brought to the ground.The plumbline of the Lord will be released in His house, and everything that does not line up with His structure and His purposes will be brought down or reconstructed by Him.

Many churches and ministries will falter, and some even fall apart this year and over the next several years, but this is not for utter destruction, but simply so He can rebuild according to His plans. For those who must go through this .. .do not get discouraged if you are one of these. Do not give up hope or vision.

The Lord is shaking everything out into the open, that it may be dealt with, and that His purposes may be revealed in and through His church. There are some things that have been compromised, but He is giving an opportunity for those things to be corrected, reconstructed properly and set in place according to His blueprints. Only those who will not surrender to His will and His reconstruction will be brought to ruin, but that is never His purpose. His purpose is for reconstruction and restoring, if they will repent, surrender and allow Him to do the work in them and their ministries.

Now is the time for the shaking and rebuilding that has begun to come to a pinnacle. He is doing a new thing, and His new wine cannot be contained in old wineskins, so we must embrace all that the Lord has purposed to do in this new era! Your kingdom come; Your will be done, Lord!" 

Amanda Shiflett is the founder of Prophetic Reformer and co-founder of Kingdom Life Ministries along with her husband, Darin. She is a prophetic minister who heard the Lord's call from a very young age. She is a heralding voice of truth, holiness and purity within the prophetic and calls others to stand in a place of no compromise in their callings. She longs to see reformation come to the prophetic movement, as well as the other parts of the fivefold within the body of Christ. Along with her calling as a prophetess, Amanda also flows in a powerful worship and healing anointing and is a gifted teacher and writer as well. Darin and Amanda live in North Texas.

The Myth of Generosity by Frank Viola

In the business world, entrepreneurs constantly teach people to be generous BECAUSE that’s the way to increase sales.

Mantras like “give, give, give, give, give, and once you’ve given 15 times, then ask and people will feel so blessed by your generosity that they will be generous toward you and buy your product or write a positive review about it.”

Not a few Christian teachers have passed this same idea on.

There is a problem, however.

Beyond the selfish motive that’s often involved (giving in order to get), the problem is that very few people – I’m speaking of Christians and Christian leaders – reciprocate when someone is generous to them.

Many (if not most) Christians and Christian leaders are takers. They have Ph.Ds in taking, but earn an F in giving back.

I won’t rehearse examples, for there are so many.

What’s even more disturbing about this is that generosity and reciprocation is better understood and practiced by non-Christians.

Recently, I was listening to a well-known secular podcaster (we’ll call him George) who interviewed another well-known personality (we’ll call him Tom) earlier this year on his show.

A month later, Tom reciprocated and had George on his show. This sort of mutual generosity is very common among non-believers.

You’d think it would be common among Christian leaders, who should be leading the way in generosity and reciprocation, but it’s not.

In fact, this kind of mutual blessing is exotically rare among Christian leaders today (I previously wrote about why here).

What’s my point?

The point is NOT to stop being generous.

The point is to learn how to LOSE and do it without becoming bitter.

That’s right.

LOSE. And LOSE again.

Those who have joined the Insurgence understand that when Jesus talked about “losing your life,” He wasn’t restricting that statement to physical death.

He was talking about living a lifestyle of losing, laying your life down, letting go, surrendering, and bearing the cross in daily life (= dying to self).

God will honor your generosity. But it will rarely come through the actions of those to whom you’ve been generous.

We have a generous God living in us. So be generous – especially toward those who are unable to reciprocate.

And always be armed with an attitude of losing.

In a scene ripped from the pages of my latest novels, leaders of Russia & North Korea meet in Vladivostok to forge anti-American alliance. Here’s the latest.

April 25, 2019By joelcrosenberg in Epicenter

(Jerusalem, Israel) — North Korea’s “Dear Leader” Kim Jong Un arrived yesterday in the far-Eastern Russian city of Vladivostok to hold his first-ever summit with Russian Czar Vladimir Putin, having made the lengthy journey onboard a bulletproof train.

The reason for the meeting: to forge a far closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, complicate U.S. efforts to bring about peace between North and South Korea, and ostensibly for Putin to persuade his colleague to “denuclearize.” The prospects of these two powers drawing closer should be worrisome to anyone paying attention to Putin’s efforts in recent years to build a far broader and more aggressive anti-American and anti-Western front.

What struck me in particular was that the headlines of the last 24 hours seem ripped right out of the pages of The Kremlin Conspiracy and The Persian Gamble, in which a Russian-North Korean military and political alliance plays a central role.

Consider the following excerpt from Kremlin:

It quickly became apparent where they were heading—Vladivostok, site of Russia’s largest naval base, located on the Sea of Japan at the extreme southeastern corner of the Russian Empire.

Defense Minister Petrovsky explained that he had ordered his staff to arrange the trip on the premise that he would be conducting a surprise inspection of the submarine fleet that constituted the bulk of Russia’s ability to project power into the Pacific. Petrovsky would, in fact, do just that, accompanied by Zakharov. But the real purpose of the trip was something entirely different.

Once in Vladivostok, Russian President Alexander Luganov, FSB Chief Nimkov, and senior advisor Oleg Kraskin would be driven to a secret military facility where they would have dinner with the reclusive leader of North Korea, who would be arriving by train.

“Why by train?” Luganov asked.

“He is petrified of flying, Your Excellency.”

“How far is that journey?”

“Almost five hundred miles.”

Oleg stopped writing for a moment and looked at Petrovsky. Five hundred miles by train? he wondered, though he said nothing….

Oleg could have written a book about the absolutely bizarre eccentricities of the North Korean dictator he observed during the two-hour meeting between the two leaders, from what he wore to what he ate to how he expressed himself. But what truly disturbed Oleg was how close Luganov seemed to be to this madman. Oleg had never participated in—much less created a transcript of—a single call between the two leaders. Yet the evidence suggested the two men had spoken dozens of times over the past few years. They clearly had a history together, and they were using a personal shorthand to build their framework for an entirely new bilateral relationship.

At first, none of it computed. On the plane, Petrovsky had advised Luganov on ways to persuade the North Koreans to end their nuclear weapons program and enter into a new round of six-party peace talks with South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, and the United States. Luganov had acted as if he fully agreed with his defense minister. But once Petrovsky left the room, it became obvious that defusing the North Korean threat was not Luganov’s objective at all.

As Oleg took notes during the meeting between the two heads of state, it was clear that Luganov was trying to clandestinely flip Pyongyang’s allegiance from Beijing to Moscow. In so doing, he seemed willing to help Pyongyang become a regional powerhouse ready and able to intimidate and even dominate Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, and everyone else in the Pacific Rim. To accomplish this, Luganov offered to cancel North Korea’s $11 billion debt to Russia and provide some $2 billion in new Russian grain shipments. That’s why, Luganov said, he’d persuaded five oligarchs to be prepared to invest upward of $25 billion in developing North Korean natural resources like coal and iron ore over the next decade. That was also why Luganov was offering Moscow’s technical assistance with helping Pyongyang build ballistic missiles capable not only of carrying nuclear warheads but of reaching the continental United States.

Luganov’s chilling offers were immediately accepted, but there was more to the conspiracy the two leaders were concocting. They agreed that to throw the West—as well as Beijing—off the scent, Russia would publicly and forcefully condemn Pyongyang’s ongoing nuclear weapons tests. They even wrote the press release together. What’s more, they agreed that Russia’s Foreign Ministry would actively support additional economic sanctions against North Korea at the U.N. Security Council meeting later that month.

It would all be a show. The “Guiding Star” couldn’t have made himself more clear that he eagerly sought to be the Pacific arm of a “rising new Russian Empire.” He agreed to fully share the results of North Korea’s ICBM testing with scientists from Tehran in order to help the Islamic Republic of Iran become the Middle Eastern arm of the new Russian Empire. Then, in the final minutes of their time together, the two men lowered their voices and somewhat cryptically agreed to be helpful to each other on “additional projects of mutual concern.” Oleg wasn’t sure what they meant. Nor was he certain he wanted to know. But he dutifully wrote down every word he heard through the official translator and kept his mouth shut….

Iran is facing the worst locust attack in the past 40 years: Biblical invasion threatens crops and food security

By

 Strange Sounds

 -

Apr 23, 2019

A locust outbreak in the Arabian peninsula has been spreading to Iran, threatening crops and food security in large areas of the coastal province of Hormozgan, an official said. Director of a department at Horkozgan’s agricultural organization told Tasnim that Iran is facing the worst locust attack in the past 40 years.



Officials said several swarms of locusts have come from the Arabian peninsula to Iran over the last 10 weeks, some of which have penetrated into farmlands of the province as far as 200 kilometers from the coast.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in February that a locust outbreak in Sudan and Eritrea was spreading rapidly along both sides of the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

The FAO also noted that good rains have allowed generations of locust breeding since October 2018, leading to a substantial increase in locust populations and the formation of highly mobile swarms.

The UN agency had also highlighted the control measures in Iran after at least one swarm arrived on the southern coast at the end of January.

Adult locust swarms can fly up to 150 km a day with the wind and adult insects can consume roughly their own weight in fresh food per day.

A very small swarm eats as much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a devastating threat to crops and food security.



The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances.

Plagues of desert locusts have threatened agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for centuries. The livelihood of at least one-tenth of the world’s human population can be affected by this voracious insect. In 1961, desert locusts attacked agricultural lands in Iran and damaged nearly 2.5 million hectares of farms across the country.

Recently, Iran was hit by the largest flood disaster in 15 years, killing at least 80 people so far.

Maybe, next there will be some frogs?

UNDYING FAITH - TRUST IN HIM NO MATTER WHAT!

10 Dietrich Bonhoeffer Quotes That Taught Us About ‘Life Together’

By Carrie Kintz April 8, 2018

April 9th marks 73 years since Dietrich Bonhoeffer was killed in a Nazi concentration camp. However, through various biographies and writings, his legacy has lived on in church history. Prolific on many subjects relating to Jesus and the church, Bonhoeffer not only wrote about total submission to the will of God, he lived it.

As the church continues to reap from the bounty of his writings, like The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics, there is one particular book that gets lesser attention but is equally important to the church and church leaders.

Life Together is a slim volume, unimpressive in its length, yet deceptively packed full of truth about communal living in the church. In this book. Bonhoeffer not only explores what life together in the body looks like Scripturally, but practically. He shares how Christians can and should interact, the dangers of too much community and being too solitary. His writing on the subject is a must read for any Christian wanting to understand the beautiful tapestry God weaves together through His children, and how one matures in that community.

As we remember the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his contribution to the church, here are 10 things he taught us about community in Life Together.

1. Accountability is an absolute necessity among brothers and sisters in the body.

“Nothing can be more cruel than the leniency which abandons others to their sin. Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe reprimand which calls another Christian in one’s community back from the path of sin.”

2. The kingdom of God is to live in the midst of its enemies and His children must be ready for what that means for their lives.

“Jesus Christ lived in the midst of his enemies. At the end all his disciples deserted him. On the Cross he was utterly alone, surrounded by evildoers and mockers. For this cause he had come, to bring peace to the enemies of God. So the Christian, too, belongs not in the seclusion of a cloistered life but in the thick of foes. There is his commission, his work. ‘The kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with the bad people but the devout people.”

3. The church is best served when we all recognize what we are and aren’t afraid to admit our sinfulness and humble ourselves.

“If my sinfulness appears to me to be in any way smaller or less detestable in comparison with the sins of others, I am still not recognizing my sinfulness at all. … How can I possibly serve another person in unfeigned humility if I seriously regard his sinfulness as worse than my own?”

4. Community is not something attained but created through the mutual love and respect of its members.

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

5. A community that doesn’t pray for one another won’t be transformed spiritually and will eventually collapse and die.

“A Christian fellowship lives and exists by the intercession of its members for one another, or it collapses. I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me. His face, that hitherto may have been strange and intolerable to me, is transformed in intercession into the countenance of a brother for whom Christ died, the face of a forgiven sinner.”

6. God will constantly test us through interruption and the needs of others. We must be ready to discern and answer those interruptions.

“We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.”

7. We often minister to others more through listening than through many words spoken.

“There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say. It is an impatient, inattentive listening, that despises the brother and is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person. Christians have forgotten that the ministry of listening has been committed to them by Him who is Himself the great listener and whose work they should share. We should listen with the ears of God that we may speak the Word of God.”

8. We are called as the body of Jesus to mutually bear each others burdens faithfully, prayerfully, and practically as Jesus did for us.

“The Christian, however, must bear the burden of a brother. He must suffer and endure the brother. It is only when he is a burden that another person is really a brother and not merely an object to be manipulated. The burden of men was so heavy for God Himself that He had to endure the Cross. God verily bore the burden of men in the body of Jesus Christ.”

9. We must endeavor to be faithful in the small things of life, or else the great things in life will not be entrusted to our care.

“Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?”

10. Thankfulness is the foundation and the strength of any community rooted and grounded in Jesus.

“If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measure and riches which are there for us all in Jesus Christ.”

Carrie Kintz

https://twitter.com/CarrieKintz

Carrie Kintz is a freelance writer and communication strategist. She works with ministries and individuals across the country, helping them figure out what to say and how to say it in the digital space. Carrie has also spoken at conferences such as the Best of Social Media Summit and That Church Conference. When she's not writing (or tweeting), she enjoys hiking, time with friends and a good cup of coffee