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Scripture-Study List: Prophets and Apostles

God told the Old-Testament prophet Amos that He would always call prophets as His spokesmen.

Amos 3:7:

• Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The story of Moses and the revelation of the Ten Commandments is a dramatic example of the role of a true prophet. First God gave the Ten Commandments to His prophet, Moses. Moses then relayed those commandments to God’s people Israel.

Exodus 20:3-22:

• And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
• And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
• And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
• And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
• And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

Christ gave His gospel to the prophets and apostles, teaching them among other things that baptism was required for salvation. These were then given the responsibility to relay Christ’s teachings to all of God’s children, a perfect example of the role of prophets and apostles: to receive God’s word and then to act as His spokesmen.

Mark 16:15-20:

• And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
• He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
• And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
• They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
• So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
• And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The apostle Paul emphasized the importance of prophets and apostles, calling them the foundation of the Christian Church under the direction of Christ.

Ephesians 2:19-20:

• Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
• And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Paul also explained elsewhere that prophets and apostles, among others, are essential. Because they receive doctrine directly from God, members of the Church need not be “tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine” that human philosophies can produce.

Ephesians 4:11-16:

• And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
• For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
• 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:
• 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;
• But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
• 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.