• God’s Church is both the method by which the saints will enter in to manifestation of the sons of God, and it also IS the manifestation of the sons of God. (1Cor 12:7, Rom  8:18-23)
 
• God’s Church is both the method by which the saints will enter in to the Kingdom of God, and it also IS the Kingdom of God. (Eph  3:10, Mark 9:1-7, Matthew 10:7, Luke 11:20) The Kingdom of God exists wherever King Jesus is reigning and His people are in obedient submission. (Luke 17:21)
 
• This Church is the Sabbath rest. (Eph 2:6) We rest from our own works—a good thing since our righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isa 64:4-9)  God does the work.  We cannot establish our own righteousness. (Romans 10:3)
 
• The Church is the New Jerusalem and it is Zion. (Heb 12:22)
 
• The heart of man has the capability of resisting the leading of God into the pattern of the Church as it is clearly laid out in Scripture. (Heb 8:5) On the other hand, the heart of man must learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in all things. (1Tim 4:8)

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.  
 
Ephesians 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit  
 
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;  
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:  
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;  
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:  
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.  

Only Christ can do any edifying.  In understanding Ephesians 4:12-16, you must go back to the main verb, edoken, in verse 11.  Christ gave the gifts.  He gave the office of apostle.  He gave the four ministries.  Those gifts are not the persons but the Christ in those persons, as another passage says, "Christ in us, the hope of glory."  The text cannot be read any other way than to understand that these gifts are performing all of this work as the gifts proceed from Christ.  Grace means, literally, free gift.  This is grace, and we know from Scripture that it is grace that does any work that is done.  In fact, God could give no greater gift, so He gave us of Himself.  He chooses to do it through apostles, ones sent.  He chooses to not use those who send themselves or who are sent by men.  It is plain from the Greek that it is not gifted people who do any of this work, but rather the Gift Himself does the work through the members.  This is true whether it is the apostle who is totally equipping and completing the member or the member who is now also moving in the power and authority of the same gift.  When any member comes into submission to the apostle, that person carries the same anointing and authority of the apostle just as long and to the extent that they are in submission.  They are not submitting to a man but to Christ Himself.  If you can discern the Body of Christ, you will see this.  If you see this, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but your Father in Heaven has revealed it.

You can go many places on the internet, on Christian radio, or in the religious world where you will find people twisting this Scripture.  They will twist "apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;" into "teacher/pastors", or "pastor/teacher", or "evangelists, pastors, teachers", or some other misquote.  It is evil to twist the traveling elders and deacons, the apostles, into locally abiding pastors.  Nowhere in the Bible does it talk about locally abiding pastors.  There are locally abiding elders who pastor (care for the church as a shepherd does sheep) the members, and those men receive no money for what they do.  They receive a double measure of honor.  The Bible says what it says.  The Scripture cannot be broken.  Satan hates the Bible and he hates God's church and the orders of God's church.  If you see someone doing this, run, do not walk, away.

1 Peter 2  
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, all evil speakings,  
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.  
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,  
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.  
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.  
7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,  
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.  
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;  
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  
 
1 Corinthians 3  
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.  
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?  
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?  
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.  
8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.  
9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.  
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;  
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  
18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.  
19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.  
20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.  
21 Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are your's;  
22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's;  
23 And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

Psalm 127:1   Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.

Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

The Church, What Is It and What Is Its Purpose

Apostles

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There is so much more for you. This is what you have been missing. Don't let anyone deceptively keep you from fulfilling your destiny and God's purpose for your life.

God has established the pattern of Scripture, for life and for the Church.

You can feel free to use the Contact Form further down on this page to ask any question regarding this pattern of Scripture. The Church, the Body of Christ, and discernment of this Body, is the method that God is using to finish the work in His Body. The Body of Christ, God's Temple, is built up by that which every joint supplies, building each other up in love, and the Temple must be built according to the pattern of Scripture.

We believe the Holy Scriptures teach:

• The 5 apostolic ministries (Ephesians 4:11)
• The nine gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8-10)
• Local congregations overseen by elders and deacons (Titus 1:5)
• Every member having and being a ministry in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:11)
• Being led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14)
• The gathering together of the Body of Christ (Genesis 49:10, John 17:21)