Where In The Bible Will I Find:

The Works Of The Apostles?

Jesus came to do the works of His Father (Heb. 10:7, 9), he taught His apostles to do these works and said to them, "…He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father" (John 14:12). What works could be greater than the works of Jesus? He had healed the sick, he had fed multitudes of people with yery little food to start with and He had raised the dead. So what works could the apostles do that would be greater than these?

Jesus, here, was speaking to His apostles before they received the power of the Holy Spirit and had not, as yet, started preaching the gospel. The mission of Jesus Christ was spiritual and not physical. Even though He did all these physical works His main work was spiritual - to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). His commandment to His apostles, was, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…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…And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:17, 18, 20).

The apostles went and preached the Word of God, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word by many signs and wonders. They did many of the physical works of the Lord but their main works were to be spiritual - saving the lost just as the Lord's were. The "works" of preaching the Gospel of Christ were the works they would be doing that would be "greater works" which the Lord had reference to. Even though the Holy Spirit worked through them in many miraculous signs and wonders, their mission was to preach the Gospel which was the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).

Only the apostles were given the power to perform the physical works as recorded above. They could pass some of these gifts on to others but those to whom these were passed could not pass them on to others, therefore, after the death of the last apostle and the death of the last person to whom these gifts had been passed to, miraculous power of signs and wonders ceased just as the apostle Paul said, "...whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away" (I Cor. 13:8-12). That which was in part were the miraculous signs and wonders, that which is perfect is the Bible, the Holy Word of God. So now that we have the Bible we have no more need of signs and wonders.

 ---I. D. Byars