The apostles themselves consciously understood their unique task as end-time preachers. The author of Hebrews plainly writes, In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb. 1:1-3a NIV).
God spoke in the past “through the prophets” (the Old Testament), but now (“in these last days”) he has spoken through Jesus, whom the Church knows through the testimony of the apostles (the New Testament). As the gospel of Jesus Christ was revealed to be the new law of the new covenant, the apostles were the new prophets who were God’s designated spokesmen to form the new covenant community through applying this new law to the everyday life of the community of God. Through their preaching and teaching (recorded in their epistles) the Church was Spiritually formed. Later, like the Old Testament wisdom literature, the whole of the Scriptures is summed up in a new work of poetry and song in John’s “Revelation.” The apostles, like the prophets, were not to speak on their own authority (Matt. 23:8, 1 Thes. 4:9, 1 Jn. 2:20-27). The apostles, like Jesus and the prophets, also demonstrated their authority to speak revelation directly from the throne of God by providing miraculous signs as proof of authentic authority.
The apostle Paul is especially self-conscious of his commission as God’s uniquely designated spokesman. He is conscious of his authority as an apostle to declare his writings as formative Word of God (1 Cor. 2:6-13; 4:1-3, 6-7; Gal. 1:6-9; Eph. 1:9; 2:19-20; 3:4-5; Col. 1:25-29; 2 Tim. 3:10-17). The apostle Peter declares Paul’s writings as “Scripture” (2 Pet. 3:15-16). He also claims this authority for himself and his own formative teaching (2 Pet. 1:12-21).
Paul Barnett makes a convincing case that the tradition of accepting the New Testament writings of the apostles and their contemporaries as Scripture (the Word of God on equally authoritative footing with the received canon text of the Old Testament) was well established within the lifetimes of the apostles and within fifteen years of Jesus’ death. During the Apostolic age, there was a mix of both oral and written Word of God, which was the live preaching of the apostles and the written record of their sermons.
These texts were from the beginning self-consciously Sacred Scripture. Because they belong to the apostolic age and enjoyed the endorsement of the apostles they were always regarded as “Scripture” and located within the Canon (“yardstick”). Shorter written texts (Luke 1:1) and oral “proclamation” and “pattern of teaching” have now been gathered up for us in the written and canonically recognized texts of the NT. The chief work of the “pastoral ministry” is to read, teach and apply the Scriptures of the OT and NT to the congregation.
Paul also instructed his apprentice, Timothy, to carry on this ministry of formative preaching (2 Tim. 4:1-5). Timothy was instructed to guard the preaching of Paul (2 Tim. 1:14), and to preach Paul’s preaching to reliable people who would faithfully preach it to others (2 Tim. 2:2). He was instructed to “cut straight the Word of truth”[ (2 Tim. 2:15). That is, carefully exegete the texts of the Scriptures. He was to be disciplined in never deviating from the received Word of God like a good soldier, a competitive athlete, and a hard-working farmer (2 Tim. 3-7). Paul considered anything less “godless chatter” (2 Tim. 2:16). As a Christian leader, Timothy was not to expect to personally receive new revelation from God. He was to pay attention to God’s Word recorded in the biblical text (including Paul’s and the other apostles’ writings), and he was to concentrate on his highest goal as a Spiritual leader: to set an example to his congregation by reading, preaching, and teaching the text of Scripture: Command and teach these things...but set an example for the believers...devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching...Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (1 Tim. 4:11-16 NIV).
The apostles exegeted the living Word, Jesus. They observed him, listened to him, and asked him critical questions. When the Holy Spirit came upon them, he gave them understanding of the Word (Jesus and the Old Testament), so that they understood the Word and proclaimed it clearly and boldly. The Apostolic gospel preaching was the exegesis and exposition of the words and works of Jesus (the text of the Word in the flesh). They also exegeted Old Testament texts, exposing God’s meaning to their contemporary contexts in their language, culture, and history. This is the main way they did the work of Spiritual formation.
One example of the apostle Paul doing exegetically based, expository preaching is in Acts 13:14-43. In this passage, Paul was in the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Saturday), and the specific text of the Word of God (from the Law and the Prophets) for that day (as it was systematically read each week) was read aloud. The synagogue rulers asked Paul and his companions if they have a “message of encouragement (a sermon) for the people” (Act. 13:15 NIV). Paul then stood up and preached. His message was not a random, topical speech. It was an exposition of the text just read. He expounded upon the recorded text of the Word. He knew the text. He exegeted its meaning. He listened to it read out loud with the gathered congregation. He then proclaimed the meaning of the text of God’s Word to the gathered faith community.
Paul makes it quite clear that the preaching ministry of a Christian leader is the primary task for the Spiritual formation of the church community. In Ephesians 4, he shows how God initiated in giving the Church the gifts and means of his revelation in a specific order. Paul writes, It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13 NIV).
The order is unmistakable; first God initiates, through his “apostles” (Jesus’ sent ones) who spoke God’s Word, then “prophets” (preachers) who exegete and expound that Word to the covenant community, then “evangelists” who proclaim that Word to the lost, then “pastors” who apply that Word in shepherding the flock of God, and “teachers” who explain the basic doctrines of that Word to their flock. The purpose of all of this is that through the hearing of God’s Word (read sung, prayed, and preached) the covenant people of God are “built up,” reaching “unity in the faith,” growth in “knowledge of the Son of God,” and becoming “mature.” This is authentic Spiritual formation.
