The five Pillars

Full Gospel Topics:

This has nothing to do with the 5 Pillars of Islam.

 

The Vision

Out of the blue, I saw pillars when I was praying and searched the bible for 5 pillars.  I could not find it until 3 weeks later I counted the number of Apostles listed in this passage.

 

Galatians 2

 

Paul Accepted by the Apostles

 

 1 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.

 6 As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. 7 On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a] just as Peter had been to the circumcised.[b] 8 For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Cephas[c] and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.

 

 

  1. James was the apostle to the Jews in Jerusalem. 
  2. Peter was the first Apostle to the Gentiles, especially those within Israel, particularly at Cornelius’s house near Jerusalem.
  3. Paul and Barnabas – released in tandem beyond Israel.

 

The other Apostles also ended up being martyred, mostly in counties beyond Israel.

 

Peter, James, John, and Paul each had the following distinctives (characteristics) among Apostles:

  1. Were predominant characters in NT writings
  2. Wrote multiple books of the new Testament

 

Barnabas was Paul’s traveling companion and chief speaker. 

 

Pillars = Foundation

These 5 pillars laid the foundation.  As New Testament authors, they still are the foundation.  The goal of this The Apostolic Issues section is to restore the 5 fold ministry by restoring the lost office of the Apostle.  Then today’s apostles will restore the 5 fold ministry, most likely in the house or cell church setting. 

 

Ephesians 2:19-21 (NIV) 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.

 

There are extra-biblical writings from other writers beyond these 5, claiming to be written by Apostles.  I’d be fascinated to study them further.  So far, my research into these writings has found some of them to seem like they were not really written by Paul at all, even though the document may bear his name.  They seem like they were written by a rooky or a teenager.  The only extra-biblical apostolic writing that has found its way into www.thisgospel.com is the Apostles Creed, and based upon this vision of the 5 pillars laying the scriptural foundation of apostolic teaching, I do not expect to add more.

 

Apostles Teaching

The Apostles teaching therefore, while summarized in the creed, is found to be complete in scripture. 

 

2 Timothy 3 16-17

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

What is the foundation that they laid?

 

Hebrews 6
1Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[1] and of faith in God,2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 

 

These links will at least start you on a journey though the web presence toward laying these scriptural foundations.

 

 

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