Telstar,
There are more apostles than just the thirteen that include Matthias having replaced Judas Iscariot. The fact that there are more does not mean someone was replaced–it means each was a holder of apostolic keys and participated on earth (and, I assume, in the spirit world) in seeing to it that ordinances done on earth pertaining to exaltation were completed under the proper authority and have thus been “bound in heaven”. The twelve where Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot will have the role described in the New Testament by Christ as to being “judges of the house of Israel”.
Parker,
First and foremost, the only holder of the keys was Peter, and none of the others. When Peter died, his successor took over and held the full authority of the keeper of the keys. Just as a ‘master of the house’ never gave his keys to any of his other servants, no matter how big the house was, Jesus only gave the keys of His authority to one man, Peter alone. Only one man, the chief steward, was ever given that kind of authority over the master’s house at any time. It had to be the one man that he knew he could trust with all of that responsibility. If anything went wrong in his house, there was only one man that could take responsibility for all of it, so the master didn’t have to try to figure out who was really at fault. When the chief steward died, only his successor received all of the keys to the master’s house.
There were more than twelve in the original church of Jesus Christ as those who died went to the spirit world to carry on the work there, and another was called on earth to fill the position of an apostle with apostolic keys and an apostolic witness. (Paul and Barnabas and James the brother of Christ, for three examples).
As I said, there’s no such thing as ‘apostolic keys’ held by anyone but the chief ‘steward’. Even though the other appointed Apostles were given that title, I believe they were all actually eyewitnesses and followers of Jesus (Paul was a witness through actual visions). Later, they were no longer referred to as Apostles, but Bishops. The terminology may have changed, but their position of authority in the Church didn’t change. I can’t even fathom what the separate ‘spirit world’ might be, except to LDS, but that’s another subject, entirely.
There are many modern apostles, not just twelve. Those who have died and are thus in the spirit world have a role as an apostolic witness there, to bear witness of Jesus Christ and His divine mission as the Savior and Redeemer of all the world.
As Christians, we all bear witness to Jesus Christ, but only through the workings of the Holy Spirit, Who is the only true witness of Him.
No, they don’t–not at all.
Well, at least that’s one good thing.
I wouldn’t use the word “rule” at all. “Bear witness of Christ”, and “see that the records pertaining to ordinances of the living and the dead are accurate” are how I would describe their function.
That was my poor choice of terms. I was referring to the judgement of the tribes. I’m not really sure what the Apostles role will be in the Final Judgement, and I wouldn’t even hazard a guess. I have read a little about it that was written by some of the Early Church Fathers, on New Advent, but not much. Their complete role in it is unknown at this point.
Again, I don’t view it as “ruling”. I view it as having received delegated authority to bind on earth what will be bound in heaven, and to keep accurate records through delegated authority also.
(Once again, I meant “judge”, not rule.) They have no authority ‘delegated’ to them to bind or loose anything except in their capacity as Priests, Bishops or Cardinals of the Church. Nor have they ever had the full authority of the keys to delegate those powers, unless they were Popes. Also, I believe God is the only one Who keeps all of the records of what mankind has done or not done, written in the Book of Life (and whatever other Book He keeps), not men. He’s the only one that keeps the Books.
There is a “modern” house of Israel, both by lineage through the literal descendants of the scattered tribes of Israel, and by “adoption into the house of Israel” through making the covenants the house of Israel were to make, to be an “holy nation” and be “children of Christ” through becoming “His sons and His daughters” by making covenants with Him and keeping those covenants.
There certainly is a modern House of Israel, but they’re the Jews that still follow the Old Laws. They are irrelevant to the Church that Jesus established with His New Covenant, that also includes the Gentiles as well as those Jews that chose to follow Him, when the rest of the Jews rejected Him. There is no Covenant with God that covers both Christians and the House of Israel, as you describe it. Also, we must always remember that we are all adopted sons and daughters. There is only One true Son of God, and that’s Jesus Christ. It’s only through Him that we’ve been favored to be counted amongst His brethren.
