Jesus had a number of disciples or students. Among them were twelve Jesus had specifically
chosen. Later these twelve would be
known as the twelve apostles, meaning literally official delegates or
commissioners. Matthew 10:1-5 describes the first mission
Jesus sent them on. “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them
power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
sickness and all manner of disease. Now
the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called
Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip,
and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus,
and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot,
who also betrayed him.”
When Jesus sent these twelve out, he gave them special
powers to cast out demons and heal all kinds of disease as proof that they were
official representatives of God. Later,
he would give Paul similar powers to prove he was also an apostle, so that Paul
could say, “...for in nothing am I behind
the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought
among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,” in II
Corinthians 12:11-12.
Later, he sent out an additional seventy to various towns and
cities, giving them similar powers. As a
result, people came from all over Israel to hear Jesus. When the seventy returned, they were excited
that they had had power to cast out the demons, as we see in Luke
10:17-20. “And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils
are subject unto us through thy name.
And he said unto them,
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall
by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding
in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice,
because your names are written in heaven.” God
had kicked Satan out of heaven and took away his authority because of his
rebellion, and Jesus was there too. It
was no big trick for him to give them these miraculous powers. What was far more important was that God loved
them enough to forgive them their sin and give them a place in heaven.
Unfortunately, in our day many are more concerned with
having certain powers and abilities such as speaking in tongues, or healing or
prophecy than with people being saved.
They fail to understand that the Holy Spirit does not give everyone
those gifts, but only hands them out as they are needed, as I Corinthians
12:4-11 tells us. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations,
but the same Lord. And there are
diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given
to every man to profit withal. For to
one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge
by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts
of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another
prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues;
to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and
the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” I Corinthians 13:1-3 makes it clear that
without Christ in our hearts, those powers are meaningless. We need to focus on Christ and his love
rather than on the gifts of the Spirit.
II Peter 1:2-11 advises, “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God,
and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that
hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And
beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity.
For if these things be
in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and
cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence
to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
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