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RUAH KODESH APOSTOLIC AND PROPHETIC SCHOOL
This material is for the exclusive use of the school, for its edition the production of this material must be
done with the permission of the administrators of said school. Prophet DCG *
APOSTOLIC SCHOOL AND
PROPHETIC RUAH KODESH
PRESENTED BY: PROPHET DCG

Lesson 3
Apostles and Prophets
In the previous two lessons we have laid the foundation for understanding spiritual gifts.
We have studied the importance of knowledge and faith in relation to gifts. We have also
observed that our knowledge and faith determine and govern our experience. Now that we
have understood and related to the classification of gifts, we can begin to study the first one:
the gifts of ministry.
In this lesson we will study the scope and function of each of the gifts. We will study the great
role that each gift plays in the development of the body of believers.
You, as a Christian, will soon develop the ability to recognize the various gifts of ministry.
Also, by increasing your knowledge, you will be able to feel God's hand on your life.
Lesson Outline
He constituted some, apostles He
himself constituted some, prophets
44
Lesson Objectives
When you finish studying this lesson you will be able to:
• Describe the ministry gifts.

• Understand the role of each ministerial gift.
• Create awareness that ministry gifts can be developed.
Learning activities
1. Before beginning your study of this lesson carefully read Ephesians 4: 1-16 three times.
2. Copy Ephesians 4:11 in your notebook and underline the five ministry gifts.
3. Consult the list of word definitions at the end of this study guide if you do not know
the meaning of the keywords in this lesson.
4. Answer each study question you find in the lesson.
5. Take the self-test included at the end of the lesson. If you find that you did not give the correct
answer, do not proceed to the next lesson until you can answer correctly.
Keywords
inspiration exhibition
engraving revelation
ID
Four. Five
46 Spiritual Gifts
lesson development
HE HIMSELF CONSTITUTED ONE, APOSTLES

Objective 1. Mention the Giver of all spiritual gifts, and explain the role of the apostles.
Giver Identification
When a gift is given, they enter

Two parties are at stake: (1) a giver, and (2) a receiver. The importance of a gift lies inwho gave it and
in what consists. When the Queen of England visited the United States during the administration of
President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he presented her with a beautiful hand-engraved glass vase. He
paid a large sum to a New York stained glass company for the vase. We are sure that the Queen kept
it among her most precious treasures. There were two reasons: (1) it was a gift from an important
man, and (2) it was a beautiful gift, of great value.
The gift of apostles is important for similar reasons. First, bywho gave it and, second, at
what it is. We will consider this last reason later. For now we will study who "constituted
some, apostles"
In Ephesians 4:11 the Giver is identified simply as "he." We need to find out who it
refers to. Verse 8 of the same chapter tells us that the quote is taken from Psalm 68:18.
But in the previous verse, 7, it is clearly explained:
But to each of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ".
We conclude, therefore, that Christ is the Giver of ministerial gifts. We will study more
about Him as Giver in this chapter.
1 Circle the letter of each TRUE statement.
to Only part of a gift comes into play.
b The importance of a gift lies in the circumstances of who has given it and what it is.
c According to Romans 12 we know who gave the ministry gifts.
d Christ "ordained some, apostles."
Apostles and Prophets 47
Recipient disclosure
We have already studied in this lesson that two parts come into play in each gift: (1) a giver
and a (2) receiver. We have already discovered that Christ is the Giver of ministry gifts. In
this section we will find out who the recipient is.
The answer is twofold. If we consider Ephesians 4: 8 in isolation, we would
come to the conclusion that ministry gifts are given to men. "Climbing up high,
He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. However, we must consult other verses,
not just one, to discover the whole truth. This is a good lesson to remember for
understanding the teachings of the Bible. Perhaps a single verse presents only part of
the truth, as in this case. Reading the entire passage (Ephesians 4: 1-16) we discover that
Saint Paul was referring to the whole church, the whole body. In verse 4 he says:
"A Body". In verse 12 he refers towhole body. This explanation helps us understand
that ministry gifts are given to members of the body and are for the whole body.
Members have been given the

calling and the special ability to be apostles. The body has been given the apostles
themselves, for the purpose of developing their office. Read Ephesians 2:10 and 3: 5.
two To discover the correct meaning of a verse it is better to study

a) just the verse.
b) a whole passage.
c) at least two verses.
3 The apostles are
a) certain books of the Bible.
b) special men in the body.

c) all in the body.
48 Spiritual Gifts
4 The ministerial gift of an apostle

a) is given to a person for his own edification. b) was only for the original
twelve apostles.
c) given to a person to build up the church.
Function exposition
The ministerial gift known as the apostle is one of the most important offices in the body.
Office means a place of responsibility, or duty. This gift is mentioned at the top of the list,
perhaps because it relates to the establishment and supervision of churches.
There are two kinds of apostles. At first a select group of disciples bore this title. There were
only twelve. When one of them, Judas, betrayed his Lord and lost his place as an apostle, he was
replaced. “And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matias; and he was numbered with the
eleven apostles ”(Acts 1:26).
To get to the position of apostle, certain qualifications had to be met. Luke, author of the
Acts of the Apostles, declares: “It is necessary, then, that of these men who have been
together with us all the time that the Lord Jesus entered and left among us, beginning from
the baptism of John until the day in that from among us he was received up, one be made a
witness with us of his resurrection ”(Acts 1: 21-22). However, we are not sure that the Lord
has demanded such a replacement. Maybe it was just an idea that all eleven agreed on.
Today we are faced with a very difficult question to answer. Was Paul an Apostle
like the Twelve? Some questions are very difficult to answer. As students of the Bible
we must be aware that we will not know the answers to some questions until we get
to heaven. However, this does not mean that we should stop looking for the
answers. Research sharpens our minds. It makes us better servants of our Lord.
Let us now return to the subject of the Apostle Paul. From the testimony that he himself has left
us we deduce that he considered himself an apostle. Here are some quotes in which Paul clearly
ranks among them.
1. "For I think God has exhibited us apostles" (1 Corinthians 4: 9). When using the personal
pronounU.S Saint Paul indicated that he considered himself one of them.
2. "Do we not have the right to bring with us a sister per woman as well as the other apostles ...?" (1
Corinthians 9: 5). In this case the use of the word "other" indicates that he belonged to that group.
3. "For I am the least of the apostles, not worthy to be called an apostle" (1 Corinthians 15:
9). The key phrase in this case is: "the smallest", with which it obviously ranks among
them. He could not be "the smallest" if he had not been part of the group.
Some Bible students believe that the group that met in the upper room made a mistake in
selecting Matías. They believe that Paul was rather the one selected by the Lord to take the
place of Judas. But we cannot be sure. Many wonder what name will appear on the twelfth
foundation of the wall of the new Jerusalem. Will it be Matías's or Pablo's? “And the wall of the
city had twelve foundations. and above them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the
Lamb ”(Revelation 21:14). We'll see when we get to that city.
The twelve apostles performed a function that no other member of the body of Christ will
perform. They participated in the establishment of the church of Christ in the world.
Some of them also wrote books that have been preserved and today we have them in the
New Testament.
But although the twelve apostles

performed a very special role as such,
one of the ministerial gifts is also
known as the apostle. They are not the
same, although they look alike. The
place of the twelve apostles in the body
was very special. It should never be
repeated again. But the ministerial gift
called "apostle" would be in effect
throughout the entire edification
period of the church, or body.
The apostles are given by Christ to his body for a special work. The human being does not
decide that he will be an apostle. just as the clay does not decide to become a pot. True apostles
don't even know they are. They may never think they are apostles. Their
50 Spiritual Gifts
works identify him to others as such. Those who name themselves apostles, or who have been
commissioned by other men as such, may not really be. "And you have tested those who claim
to be apostles, and they are not, and you have found them to be liars" (Revelation 2: 2). (See
also 2 Corinthians 11:13.)
The meaning of the word apostle It will help us understand who the apostles are and
what their true role is. The wordapostle means “send away” or simply “send”. Both Matthew
and Mark use this term only once (Matthew 10: 2; Mark 6:30). In each case the word refers
to a certain kind of special work: missionary work. In this sense it applies equally to the
twelve apostles and to the gift of apostle.
Therefore, an apostle is one who has been sent by the Lord to take the gospel to new
places. His work is to lay the foundation for a new part of the body. Also included in such
ministry is the edifying and supervising work of the body. "To perfect the saints for the
work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12).
For example, Ken Gates went as a missionary to the Northwest Territories of Canada.
Before he left, many people tried to convince him not to go. Some of his teachers told
him that he could never be a preacher. He never thought of himself that he was an
apostle. The people to whom he went to minister did not
received amicably. They tried to kick him out of those places. But Ken was convinced that
God had sent him, and he stayed there. Today there are many believers in those places,
and many churches. Ken Gates established the church. He helped many believers to grow
and develop. He also oversaw the Lord's work as a householder. He would never think of
appointing himself an apostle. But those who know him and his work know that he is truly
an apostle of the Lord.
5 The difference between the original twelve apostles and those of today is explained as
follows: The original twelve apostles
a) constituted themselves as apostles. b) they only participated in missionary
work.
c) wrote New Testament books.
6 The apostles' role today is to a) write more books for the New Testament. b) taking
the gospel to new places and overseeing the development of God's work there. c)
study hard to become good preachers.
Explanation of development
Apostles are no longer born apostles. They first become believers. They may feel
a strong divine calling upon their lives, but generally they have no idea that they are
going to become Christ's special gift to the church.
When God chooses a person to be an apostle, He generally gives them time to grow and
become qualified for the task. Paul did not develop the office of apostle
immediately after converted. However, God gave him the feeling in his heart that he had a
special work for him. “The God of our fathers has chosen you so that you know his will, and see
the Just, and hear the voice of his mouth. For you will be his witness to all men of what you
have seen and heard ”(Acts 22: 14-15).
It is true that Paul was a special apostle, but the way he prepared for it is very
similar to the way the believer prepares today.
These are the preparation steps.
1. Suffering. Some believers cannot become apostles. They are not willing to
suffer, as may be necessary in the preparation of the apostle. Paul was warned the same even
before he became an apostle. "Because I will show you how much you need
suffer for my name ”(Acts 9:16). Suffering prepares people in a special way to be
leaders in the body of Christ. Those who have not been through suffering cannot
minister as well as those who have. Those who are unwilling to suffer are not
prepared to take the gospel to new places where they may have to suffer greatly.
Suffering prepares people for further suffering.
two. Increase. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, when He was preparing for His
ministry, had to experience growth. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in
grace
52 Spiritual Gifts
toward God and men ”(Luke 2:52). When we talk about whatgrew up in his ministry, we mean he
added something. Therefore he grew in wisdom and stature. It added something to wisdom and
stature. If such growth was necessary for Him, is it not even more so in the case of the
preparation of an apostle? Paul experienced the same. "But Saul [another name of the apostle]
tried much harder" (Acts 9:22). The termstrove in this verse it means
a spiritual force. The apostle must experience the power of God in a very real way. If
the great apostle Paul needed this kind of preparation, so will all the other apostles.
3. Learning. This is very important to every believer. It is most important to

apostles because they are leaders in the body of Christ. Let's think about Pablo again. He offers
us a good example. Before he became an apostle, he had to spend a long time learning in the
desert. (See Galatians 1: 16-18). At the end of that period, Paul was prepared to begin to bear
an effective witness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

to Men are already born apostles.
b Those who are called to be apostles need prior preparation.
c Saint Paul became an apostle by accepting Christ as Savior.
d Suffering may be necessary in the preparation of an apostle.
HE HIMSELF CONSTITUTED ONE, PROPHETS Objective 2. Explain the function of

a prophet.
Giver Identification
We have already learned that Christ is the Giver of all ministry gifts. That is why all
gifts are important. What is true in relation to the gift of apostles is also true in the case
of prophets, or other ministerial gifts. Each gift is given by Christ to his body. The ability
and the calling to exercise such a gift are given by Christ to certain members of his body.
We can say that He gives ministers to his body.

Not all are called to be apostles or prophets. The Bible says that He Himself constituted
some, apostles, and prophets. The wordsome clearly stated that no everyone they are apostles nor
everyone they are prophets. He only calls a few for each trade. This truth reminds us of Paul's question: “If
the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If everything were heard,
Where would the smell be? " (1 Corinthians 12:17).
Think of the Giver. In 1 Corinthians

12:28 it says: "And God put some in the
church, first apostles, then prophets." In
Ephesians it says that God is the Giver.
But later in the same epistle it says that
the Giver is Christ. How is it explained? In
a simple way. Christ is God, since he is
one of the three persons of the Trinity.
Trinity means three in one: Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. Second, all gifts are given
by God through Christ. Read James 1:17
and Ephesians 4: 1-11.
8 Write a C in the space that

precedes the sentence if it is CORRECT, and an I if it is INCORRECT.
.... to Every member of the body must be a prophet.
.... b Only some members of the body are called to be prophets.

.... c God gives ministry gifts through Christ.
Receiver relationship
In a way, the recipient of this
gift, the gift of ministry called a
prophet, is the body of Christ.
But also, in another sense, the
person who is called a prophet
is a recipient. The prophet is
called and also prepared to
become the gift of Christ to the
body.
54 Spiritual Gifts
What is a person's part to become a prophet? Does God select people for this high office
or place of service for no reason? God has the right to do it. "Will the clay vase say to the
one who formed it: Why have you made me like this?" (Romans 9:20). But there is a
difference between a believer and an earthen vessel. The believer
it has a will of its own. That is, the ability to choose. What happens to a believer is
partly the result of his own decision. Your inner attitude is also related to
divine choice. A glass of clay cannot assume any attitude. Only the human being.
Attitude means: "Internally expressed disposition of mind", "ways of thinking, acting or
feeling". God knows our will. Also our way of thinking, acting or feeling. Take all of this
into consideration when choosing prophets.
David was a king whose story is told in the Old Testament. He was also a prophet. The
Old Testament prophets were very different from those in the New Testament. But we can
learn a lot by thinking about why God chose David as a special gift to his people, Israel. As
we read the story in the Old Testament, we see that David was not chosen because of his
age, his place in his family, his experience, or his outward appearance. In those days the
Hebrews could well have chosen Eliab, their older brother. It was customary to choose
older siblings to fill managerial positions. But even though David was younger, God chose
him for a high position of leadership. Why? It was good
it seems, but it was not chosen for that reason. Not because he was young. The answer is
found in Acts 13, 22 .: "I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do
everything I want." He was chosen by God to be a king and also a prophet because of his will
and attitude.
Prophets and other ministry gifts are prepared and given to the body of Christ because
God sees the inner qualities. Read 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 and Acts 22:14.
9 According to 1 Samuel 16: 1-13, David was chosen for a reason special. Circle the letter
that precedes the correct reason.
a) The prophet Samuel chose him.
b) He was the youngest son.
c) He was good-looking.
d) He had the inner attitude that pleased God. e) He had experience in herding sheep, so
he would be a good leader for God's people.
Exhibition of the function
The ministerial gift known as prophet It has two main functions: (1) prophesy, which means "to
predict distant or future things by virtue of the gift of prophecy," and (2) to "announce" or "proclaim"
something. The prophet speaks by inspiration. That is, he speaks as if the Holy Spirit had breathed out
what he should say. In addition, it exposes God's message to the people.Expose
means "declare, interpret, explain." Someone speaks as a prophet when he explains
the meaning of the divine message as given to him by the Holy Spirit.
The prophet also predicts. The term "predict" means "to announce something to
happen." The Old Testament prophets repeatedly announced events before they
happened. They then explained the meaning of God's message to the people.
The role of the New Testament prophet is very similar. It also announces God's message to the
people and explains its meaning. But there is a difference. The words of the Old Testament prophet
were generally not found in the Word of God already written at that time (although they did not
contradict it). Only occasionally did he quote something already written. However, the prophet of the
56 Spiritual Gifts
The New Testament often presents both challenge and encouragement based on truths it has already
received. The ministry of Judas and Silas narrated in Acts 15:32 offers a good example. Therefore, the prophet
brings a special message from God by his Spirit to meet the needs of the people on a given occasion.
Also sometimes the New Testament prophet receives a message from God that predicts the future. In Acts a
man named Agabus is mentioned, who was a prophet. "And while we were there a few days, a prophet
named Agabus came down from Judea" (Acts 21:10). Twice it is said that he predicted future events. “And one
of them, named Agabus, stood up, and gave to understand by the Spirit that a great famine would come in all
the inhabited earth; which happened in the time of Claudius ”(Acts 11:28). Read Llechos 21:11 where the
second occasion is narrated.
The prophet who predicts can be tested to see if his message is from God. If his prophecy is not
fulfilled, he simply announces his own message. But the “prophet who prophesies of peace, when the
word of the prophet is fulfilled, will be known as the prophet that Jehovah truly sent” (Jeremiah 28: 9).

Peter is a good example of the New Testament prophet who predicts. He was one of the
twelve apostles. But he was also a prophet. Sometimes God grants more than one gift to
certain people. After the Holy Spirit descended, as described in Acts 2: 1-12, a large crowd
gathered to see what was happening. "What does this mean?" they asked. Then Saint Peter
spoke as a prophet. He announced the message of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit reminded him of God's Old Testament prophecy. Saint Peter did not have time to
prepare his speech. He just started preaching. The Holy Spirit also gave him the ability to
explain the meaning of the message.
The most important role of the prophet is described in Ephesians 4:12: "To perfect the
saints for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ." The person
who announces God's message, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, accomplishes both
purposes. First, it helps God's people prepare for Christian service. When people feel that
the Spirit of God rests on a teacher they learn a lot. They learn by what is said. They learn
by the Spirit, by whom the message is given.
10 Circle the letter that precedes each statement that completes the sentence
correctly. The role of a prophet is to
a) walk proudly among the people.
b) be known as a great leader.
c) give the people the divine message.
d) explain God's message to the people.
Explanation of development
Generally, God's gifts work best through people who have prepared well. Think
back to Peter's message. Was prepared by being filled with the Spirit
Holy. In addition, his knowledge of the Word of God was also of great importance in the
development.
In the development of a prophet there are three important steps:
1. Daily prayer. The prophet who does not pray will soon cease to be. By prayer he is filled with
the Holy Spirit. If it is not full
58 Spiritual Gifts
of the Holy Spirit, he cannot be a prophet. Prayer also helps you recognize when you are
prompted by the Holy Spirit.
2 Cknowledge of the Word of God. The prophet becomes more useful as he goes
acquiring more knowledge of the Word of God. Be diligent to present yourself approved
to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth
”(2 Timothy 2:15).
The prophet is also a teacher when he announces God's message.
3. Use of the gift. Just as the muscles in our legs and arms develop with use,
the gifts that Christ gives also develop with use. When the prophet begins
to preach, you may feel fearful. But this does not mean that he stops speaking by the Spirit. Rather
it means you need to learn to allow the Spirit to use you more freely. The more a
gift is used, the better it is fully developed.
eleven Circle the letter before the statement that best describes how a prophet can
develop his gift. a) Preparing and achieving divine approval. b) Praying and
beginning to use his gift.
c) Studying as much as possible about the prophets. d) Reading in God's Word about
prophets who did not please God.
Self-examination
1 Match each definition in the right column to the word in the left column,
writing the correct number in the blank.
.... to Expose . . . .b Will . . . .c Proclaim. . . .d Predict . . .and Apostle

1) Announce or declare 2) Send or sent 3) Choose, decide 4) Announce the future 5) Give
meaning
2 .................................The Giver of all spiritual gifts is

to Paul became an apostle the moment he accepted Christ as his Savior.
b Not all are called to be prophets or apostles. c The role of an apostle today is no different
from that of the original twelve apostles.
d The church determines which of its members deserves to receive the gifts of ministry.
and Gifts are not developed the moment they are received; they are developed according to their
use.
4 What are the two main responsibilities of the apostles?

.........................................................................................................................................................
.....................................................
5 What are the two main functions of a

prophet? .................................................. .................................................. ... ........................................
...............................................................
60 Spiritual Gifts

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RUAH KODESH APOSTOLIC AND PROPHETIC SCHOOL

APOSTOLIC SCHOOL AND

PROPHETIC RUAH KODESH

PRESENTED BY: PROPHET DCG

• Describe the ministry gifts.

HE HIMSELF CONSTITUTED ONE, APOSTLES

When a gift is given, they enter

Apostles and Prophets 47

Members have been given the

two To discover the correct meaning of a verse it is better to study

b) special men in the body.

4 The ministerial gift of an apostle

Apostles and Prophets 49

But although the twelve apostles

Apostles and Prophets 51

3. Learning. This is very important to every believer. It is most important to

7 Circle the letter of each TRUE statement.

HE HIMSELF CONSTITUTED ONE, PROPHETS Objective 2. Explain the function of

Apostles and Prophets 53

Think of the Giver. In 1 Corinthians

8 Write a C in the space that

.... to Every member of the body must be a prophet.

.... b Only some members of the body are called to be prophets.

Apostles and Prophets 55

Apostles and Prophets 57

.... to Expose . . . .b Will . . . .c Proclaim. . . .d Predict . . .and Apostle

2 .................................The Giver of all spiritual gifts is

4 What are the two main responsibilities of the apostles?

5 What are the two main functions of a

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