Hi Largeli,
If making disciples, feeding the sheep, preaching the good news, etc. was only for the apostles, then what is it that the elect are supposed to be doing? Surely the elect arent just supposed to hang out and lay low until Christ returns are they? If so then what did Christ mean when He said "why do you call me Lord and not DO what I say?" and "My mother and brothers are those who DO the will of God" or "Its not those who hear my words but those who DO them"? Im paraphrasing of course, but what exactly is the DO that the elect are supposed to be doing?
I did not say that 'only' the Apostles would evangelize, Ray is a good example of somebody who was doing that. But I don't think that it's what every believer needs to do, I think it is a gift given to some, not all.
So what are the rest of believers to be 'doing?' Well Paul said "I die daily." What doesn't that mean and how does it apply to the rest of believers?
Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die (just die physically without receiving spiritual life of the Holy Spirit); but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live (spiritually).
Col 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly (fleshly) in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (RSV)
Rom 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
v. 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
v. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
v. 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
v. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
v. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
v. 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
v. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
v. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Also why did Christ say after commisioning them to go out and preach "you will not finish going through all of Israel before the Son of Man comes"? Doesnt that mean that the commisioning to make disciples/preach the gospel would apply to all generations until His return?
Mat 10:23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Well Jesus was giving His disciples a commission/instruction to continue spreading/preaching the gospel, but He said they would not made it through all the cities of Israel until "the Son of Man comes." Did that mean His coming in glory at the end of the age or was He talking about what He was yet to do, as the "Son of Man" had come to do right then in their life times - before they gone through the cities of Israel?
Mat 20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give His life a ransom for many."
I think that could have been what Jesus was saying there, that they would not finish going to all the cities before His crucifixion had come and the "Son of Man," was scarified as a ransom for us all.
1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
v. 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
mercy, peace and love
Kat
p.s. also remember that the things that Jesus said were mostly put in a way to conceal the true meaning, He did not come right out and say things so everybody could understand.