Deceptive Wolves in Apostle’s Clothing: The Test to Unmask False Apostles

11/10/2018

Deceptive Wolves in Apostle’s Clothing: The Test to Unmask False Apostles

Passage of the Day:
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles... For you bear with a man, if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on the face. (2 Corinthians 11:13, 20 WEB)

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Whenever the devil sees something belonging to God growing big, he will almost certainly send his workers of iniquity to infiltrate God’s camp.
When the early church was growing exponentially, false believers like Ananias and Sapphira came amidst the church, bringing ulterior motives and wicked plans with them like an infectious plague (Acts 5:1-11).
God had to strike them dead in order to protect the unity and healthy growth of the church in its infancy stage.

During the Apostle Paul’s time, there were people who pretended to be apostles. They saw the churches growing and envied the influence that the true apostles had.
As Paul wrote in the passage of the day, these people were just proud people looking to exalt and enrich themselves at the expense of the spiritual health of the church.
They were deceivers and indirectly working for the devil to mislead true believers who couldn’t see through their hypocrisy.

Through the Apostle John’s writing, Jesus also stated that He knew there was such a problem going on in the church at that time.
On top of that, He made reference to testing someone to see if he is truly an apostle. Through this test, it is possible to tell whether someone is lying about being an apostle.

““I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false.” (Revelation 2:2 WEB)

It is important to know how to conduct this test because people are still pretending to be apostles today.
Not having the true revelation of God’s word, they seek to impress men by claiming this honorable title for themselves.
I have since deleted everyone I saw in the Facebook group who calls himself an apostle, for the sake of safeguarding God’s true flock.

So the first question you need to ask is: “Is this person’s ministry backed up by frequent authentic signs, wonders and mighty works of God?”. The second question you need to ask is: “Has this man who claims to be an apostle, met the resurrected Jesus before in person?”

Does God back up his ministry with frequent miraculous signs and wonders?

The test of an apostle can be simplified into asking two questions. I’m going to share what these questions are and the Biblical proof behind them.
Firstly, an apostle’s ministry must be backed up by God’s miraculous signs, wonders and mighty works.

“Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty works.” (2 Corinthians 12:12 WEB)

In the early church, the apostles were preaching about Jesus and God confirmed their messages with accompanying signs and wonders.
The Bible records that even Peter’s shadow had the healing anointing on it, such that whoever it was cast on got healed of sicknesses.

“They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them. The multitude also came together from the cities around Jerusalem, bringing sick people, and those who were tormented by unclean spirits: and they were all healed.” (Acts 5:15-16 WEB)

In another account during Paul’s ministry, even handkerchiefs that touched Paul’s body had a special healing anointing transferred upon them - whoever touched them were healed.

“God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.” (Acts 19:11-12 WEB)

Signs and wonders were happening on a frequent basis, confirming their apostleship.

“With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.” (Acts 4:33 WEB)

So the first question you need to ask is: “Is this person’s ministry backed up by frequent authentic signs, wonders and mighty works of God?”.

The verse above shares a clue to the second question we need to ask. All the true apostles saw the resurrected Jesus and had a special closeness to Him, and so they were able to give a powerful testimony of Jesus’ resurrection.

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Did he meet the resurrected Jesus?

"In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said, “Brothers, it was necessary that this Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. For he was counted with us, and received his portion in this ministry. Now this man obtained a field with the reward for his wickedness, and falling headlong, his body burst open, and all his intestines gushed out. It became known to everyone who lived in Jerusalem that in their language that field was called ‘Akeldama,’ that is, ‘The field of blood.’ For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation be made desolate. Let no one dwell in it;’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’ “Of the men therefore who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” They put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. They prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two you have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.” They drew lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was counted with the eleven apostles." (ACTS 1:15-26 WEB)

Judas gave up the eternal honor of being an apostle, for thirty pieces of silver (which he threw away anyway). May we never be as short-sighted and worldly as him.
He spent so much time around Jesus, saw Him heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers, open the eyes of the blind, and yet his eyes were blinded to the truth.

Notice that a man called Matthias took Judas’ place as an apostle?
The condition that Peter stated in the passage above is that the one replacing Judas must be a witness who can testify of the Lord Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

There is another man who had an indisputable encounter with the risen Lord Jesus and who became an apostle too: the Apostle Paul.

“As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him. He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one. Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank." (ACTS 9:3-9 WEB)

While he was still a Pharisee and persecuting the early church, Jesus appeared in a vision to Paul, plainly said that He is Jesus, and temporarily blinded Paul. This experience qualifies Paul to become an apostle because he can be a witness to testify that Jesus is alive.

Take a look at what Paul wrote in the passage below.

“Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 9:1-2 WEB)

One of the points he made was that he saw the Lord Jesus Christ and that is one of the requirements of true apostleship in the Lord.
In another epistle to the church in Ephesus, Paul wrote that the Ephesian believers were being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

“So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22 WEB)

In a building, where is the foundation? At the bottom right? You don’t add foundations in the middle and top of the building, only at the supporting base. Therefore the apostles are just the twelve true apostles and no more.
In his epistle, Peter referred to the apostles and prophets. Who are these prophets? They are the Old Testament prophets who spoke and wrote prophecies about the Messiah which were all fulfilled by Jesus, proving that Jesus is the true Messiah.

“that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior:” (2 Peter 3:2 WEB)

Therefore Peter is saying to the church that don’t doubt that Jesus is the Christ because we have received unquestionable proof through the testimony of Jesus’ apostles who saw His resurrected self, and the Messianic prophecies of the prophets which were fulfilled by Jesus.

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.” (Revelation 21:14 WEB)

In the future eternal city of New Jerusalem, there will be twelve foundations of the city wall, and each foundation will bear a name of each of the twelves apostles of Jesus Christ - Judas’ name is replaced by Matthias.

"but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised— for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles— and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision." (Galatians 2:7-9 WEB)

Nowhere in the Bible does it say that there are anymore apostles apart from the Twelve and Paul.
The Twelve were apostles to the Jews whereas Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles.

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-9 WEB)

Pay special attention to Paul’s words in the passage above. Paul described everyone whom the Lord Jesus appeared to after His resurrection, and Paul said “and last of all” Jesus appeared to him too.
Ever since then, no one has met the ascended Jesus physically like the people in the passage above have, not even Barnabas.

"But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out," (Acts 14:14 WEB)

The word apostle in Greek is "apostolos" which just means "a messenger who is sent". It can either refer to the Twelve and Paul, or any other messenger who is sent. For example:

"If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ." (2 Corinthians 8:23 NKJV)

The word messengers in the verse above is also "apostolos" in Greek, but it doesn't refer to the Twelve or Paul.

So when was Barnabas sent? It happened when he and Paul were with the church at Antioch.

"As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.” Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia." (Acts 13:2-4 WEB)

As you can see, Barnabas and Paul were both sent messengers, and this explains why Acts 14:14 uses the word "apostolos" to refer to the both of them.
However, Barnabas is not given the same level of authority as the Twelve and Paul. There is no record that Barnabas ever saw the resurrected Jesus.

Visions and dreams of seeing or meeting Jesus don’t count, and there’s no proof that anyone’s claims of meeting Jesus in person are true - it’s safer to stick to the unshakable foundation of God’s word.

So Paul is the last of the apostles. Therefore the second question you need to ask is: “Has this man who claims to be an apostle, met the resurrected Jesus before in person?”

“But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.” (2 Peter 2:1-3 WEB)

The two questions that I have revealed to you will help you to know without any doubt that there are no more new apostles today.
There will only ever be the Twelve (apostles to the Jews) and Paul (apostle to the Gentiles). If anyone claims to be an apostle today, I urge you to stay far away from his or her teaching.
If they were truly led by God, they wouldn’t have made such a bold and false claim.

““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20 WEB)

If someone calls himself an apostle today, it doesn’t mean that he is really a believer. They could be using God’s word to cheat people of money by twisting verses in the Bible to back up their own false doctrines, glorifying themselves and basking in the praise of their congregations like an addict hooked on strong poison.

We can’t fully know the intentions of people’s hearts - only God knows. He is the Discerner of man's thoughts and motives. Satan’s deceptions can’t endure when they are cast into the light of God’s word.

Now that you know the truth, share this post to spread the light of the gospel, for it is time to put an end to the heresy of false apostles!

It is important to know how to conduct this test because people are still pretending to be apostles today. Not having the true revelation of God’s word, they seek to impress men by claiming this honorable title for themselves, becoming heretics in the process.

I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "Deceptive Wolves in Apostle’s Clothing: The Test to Unmask False Apostles".

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