Confronting Counterfeit Apostolic Ministry

In my recent posts on the apostolic ministry, I have sought to provide a context for genuine apostles in the Church. Yes, Jesus Christ still appoints apostles today; they are an essential part of His Church — they are part of its foundation. As such, it’s critical for us to know what real apostles look like and how they are called to function in the Church. Further, we must verify the claims of those who call themselves apostles. Always! But how can we do that if we don’t know there are apostles and we don’t know what real apostles look like? Such ignorance leaves us wide open to false apostles. And yes, as there are true apostles, so also there will be false apostles. So, Church, we must learn to discern and confront false apostolic ministries. That’s what I’d like to talk about in this post.

One of the greatest threats to the Church is false apostles. The Apostle Paul faced this threat in the early Church. At the church in Corinth, numerous false apostles tried to dismantle what the Apostle Paul had built; they tried to discredit him, saying, “His letters are weighty and powerful, but his physical presence is weak, and his public speaking is despicable.” 2 Corinthians 10:10, HCSB. That’s right! False apostles tried to discredit the Apostle Paul’s ministry. In modern language, they were essentially saying, his letters are great, but his sermons are terrible and he doesn’t look very good. They sought to focus other peoples attention on the wrong thing — which still happens today — to further their own “apostolic ministries”. And the Apostle Paul confronted it.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote about those individuals trying to discredit him the way they were: “men of this stamp are sham apostles, dishonest workmen, assuming the garb of Apostles of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:13, Weymouth New Testament. Notice, the Apostle Paul calls them “sham apostles”; they were fake and false apostles, the very definition of what a counterfeit apostle looked like. And in reality, those individuals were actually planted by Satan within the Church. He writes further, “And no wonder. Satan, their master, can disguise himself as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14, Weymouth New Testament. The Apostle Paul doesn’t mince words, Satan is “their master”. In other words, those false apostles were satanic plants within the Church who were there to destroy what the Apostle Paul had built.

As false apostles worked then, so also, they are working today. Yes, there are men and women who have been planted in the Church to destroy what God is doing. They will speak against true men and women of God. They work behind the scenes in the dark to frustrate the building of God’s Church. The only difference today — false apostles are more prevalent today. Why? The Church lacks discernment; many don’t believe in apostles and don’t know what an apostle will look like. That ignorance has placed the Church in a precarious position — ministers of Satan running amuck in the midst of God’s people.

Thankfully, the Apostle Paul describes what false apostles look like; he doesn’t leave us wondering. Here’s his description: “You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!” 2 Corinthians 11:19, NIV. “You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face.” 2 Corinthians 11:20, NLT. And that right there is how we identify false apostles, they are abusive. Abuse has no place in God’s Church. False ministers are abusive; they’re not looking to build up the Church; rather, they’re looking to promote themselves. In other words, ministry becomes about them, their wants, their desires, and their needs. There’s no sacrifice or salvation emanating from false apostles, only heartache and heart break.

The Apostle Paul, to counteract the ministry of false apostles plaguing the Church, confronted them. And it still takes that today. We cannot let false apostles divert God’s people from God’s purpose. To confront false apostles, the Apostle Paul asked one question: “where’s the power?” False apostles don’t have any power. They cannot demonstrate Christ’s kingdom, for they are employed by and serving a different master — Satan. Satan’s ministers cannot fake what real apostles bring — God’s presence and power in abundance. In fact, the Apostle Paul wrote, “The marks of a true apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you with great perseverance.” 2 Corinthians 12:12, Berean Standard Bible.

“The Church lacks discernment.”—Scott Wallis

Please understand: it takes real apostolic power to overcome false apostles. I love what the late great revivalist, Leonard Ravenhill, said, “If we would return to apostolic practice—waiting upon the Lord for apostolic power—we could then go forth to apostolic possibilities!”

Leonard Ravenhill

 Truth is, we lack apostolic power. We don’t have the shadows of God’s men and women healing people. We don’t have clouds of glory in our meetings. Rather, we have smoke machines, sound systems, and light shows in our meetings. Yes, we reek of imitation. And we don’t even know it, for we’ve never experienced the real apostolic. Instead, false apostles abound. 

Nevertheless, the fact that so many are falsely claiming to be the Apostles of Christ is encouraging. Why? Because the false can become so bad that the real is easily identified. Think about it, God sent John the Baptist to Israel after 400 years of silence. No prophets. Nothing. Silence. Then, John the Baptist shows up. And “everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.” Mark 11:32, Amplified Bible. In truth, the absence of something for a long period makes identifying it that much easier. Similarly, the apostles God is raising up won’t lack power, as the apostles we have today do. Rather, power will be their currency; they will demonstrate pure, raw, unadulterated power. And that’s what the Church needs — power. 

The absence of God’s power has made us susceptible to any and every claim by anyone of apostleship, for there’s no real requirement for the apostles we have to walk in power. Instead, we use other [unscriptural] methods to identify apostles. Many use longevity in ministry. Others will speak about missionary exploits. Still others, will talk of their great churches or networks. But where’s the conversation on what apostles really bring to the Church — power? Whatever Happened to the Power of God?, one minister asked via his book in the late 1990s. And that question is relevant when it comes to genuine apostolic ministry. Real apostles have genuine, tangible power. And that’s what we need today — God’s power.

To confront the false claims of false apostles, we must have the tangible presence and power of God. And that means, we must learn the secret of God’s power — apostolic prayer. Leonard Ravenhill knew that truth and moved the Church towards it. And today, that need still exists. We must move toward apostolic prayer. The Church began in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost after they were in prayer for nearly 50 days. Imagine what would happen if the Church prayed night and day for 50 days. That’s right! Just like Noah — a deluge — a spiritual flood, just like what took place after the flood. And that’s what we need today — a flood — that can wash away the filth in our world. But this time, not a flood of water; rather, a flood of blood washed believers anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Truth is, our current level of prayer is insufficient to discern, confront, and defeat the enemy’s work in our world. Although he’s a defeated foe, he’s still reeking havoc in our world because we haven’t done what Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19, 20, ESV. There’s one solution to that problem, as revealed by Jesus, “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:38.

And that’s what apostles build — houses of prayer, places where the power of apostolic prayer is released, hubs of the Holy Spirit’s power. Until we see that, we haven’t tasted the fruits of the true apostolic office. And my prayer is this: May God flood His Church with a united cry of prayer in the Spirit for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven! May God raise up true apostles who will lead us into that place of prayer! And until then, may we pray the Lord of the harvest to release apostles and apostolic laborers into His harvest! 

Let us pray!

— Scott Wallis