October 25, 2018 - Suggested Reading Luke 11 for Oct 28th s message on 1 Corinthians 12:28-31 in our worship service at 9:00 am

“Because of this, God in his wisdom said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’”

Luke 11:49 (NIV)  

The first 36 verses of Luke 11 contain wonderful teaching for those seeking to follow Jesus, but the rest of the chapter contains teaching against the Pharisees. 

What is remarkable about this list of woes is that they are delivered by our Lord towards the host of a dinner while at the dinner table. 

Doesn’t seem very polite to us nor to them - and it is a reminder I would say that - there are times when love constrains us to be impolite,
for without a doubt our Lord delivered these Words out of love.

I would like us to consider verse 29 for it sets the Words of 1 Corinthians 12:28
in the proper context. 

Some modern teachers say that the apostles were concerned about setting up the authority structure of the church, and that their teaching on apostles and prophets is their own creation - this is said especially about Paul.

I want us to notice something, and to place it in our minds, that stands against this type of revisionism-which is really false teaching aimed against the authority
and inspiration of the apostles’ teaching.

When Paul writes that apostles and prophets are placed in the church by God, he is echoing the Words of our Lord recorded in Luke 11:49. Apostles and prophets are God’s wisdom placed here on earth for us, and because God has placed them here, we are required to listen to them, and to obey them. In short - the apostles’ teaching has authority in a Christian’s life - not because the apostles want to have authority, but because God in His wisdom has send them to us.

I don’t want anything to do with the woes of Luke chapter 11, so I will strive to honour the apostles and prophets as men sent to speak the very Words of God to me. 

I seek to get as far away from the attitude of the heart that would reject their teaching as I can. 

For their teaching is what they were sent to do.