Inspired by Christian Posture: Walk Tall, Stand Straight in a Crooked World—Core Doctrines by David Parker Mitchell
The first few decades of the Christian church are somewhat captivating. Referred to as the “Apostolic Age,” these years spanned from the ministry of Jesus and His Apostles up to the time of the death of the final Apostle. It was a distinctive and transitional phase, encompassing remarkable events, miracles, signs, and open revelation, that created something entirely new. But to grasp this age takes more than interest; it also takes cautious interpretation. How we define “then” and “now” determines how we approach Scripture and live our faith today.
During the Apostolic Age, the church was developing its foundation. The news of Christ was recent, and God attested to it with signs and wonders. The Acts records for us healings, speaking in tongues, and miraculous deliverances. These were not random shows. They were God’s means of attesting that the gospel bore divine authority.
The Apostles themselves had a special role. They were witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, personally chosen by Him, and empowered with authority that no one has borne since. They preached the gospel and also set the stage for what would eventually become the New Testament. Back then, revelation was being penned down. One requirement to be an Apostle was that he must have walked with Christ on this earth and witnessed the resurrected Christ; therefore, there are no valid Apostles today.
Fast forward two millennia. We are no longer living in the same period of transition. Scripture is completed, the Apostles are in heaven, and the church has entered into what David Parker Mitchell refers to as the “mature church age.” This is to say that although the Acts lessons continue to inspire and teach us, we need to take care not to think that all the methods used by the Apostles are good for mature church methodology and practice. The “sign gifts” that occurred early in church history were never intended to be done over and over again. They were “for a season.”
Today, the chief manner in which God addresses His people is through His written Word. Rather than anticipating visions or private revelations, we turn to the Bible, where Christ has already spoken to all of us. As Hebrews states, “God…hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1–2). The work of the church now is not to establish new foundations but to build soundly on the one that is already laid by God, through the first-century Apostles and prophets.
So what does this difference imply for us? First, it requires us to “rightly divide the Word of Truth.” Misapplying passages from a transitional period to the current era can cause confusion. For instance, some people today demand that the miraculous sign gifts persist precisely as they did in Acts. But Pastor Mitchell observes that even the early church fathers, several hundred years later, no longer saw these gifts functioning.
Second, it calls us to appreciate the maturity of our time. We possess the complete canon of Scripture, the witness of centuries of devout believers, the instructions of famous church historians, and the indwelling Spirit that leads us into truth. The greatest advantage we have over the first-century Christians is the completed canon, which the Holy Spirit sheds light upon as we read.
The Apostolic Age was magnificent, but it was only a brief one. Its mission was to get the church started and validate the gospel message. Today, as a new generation of believers living in the mature church age, we are challenged to stand firm on what has already been entrusted to us. We do not need to redo the past. We must live boldly in the present, cling to Christ and His Word, and be the salt and light of the world.
