5 Smooth Stones

Luke 22:32: “but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and

do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.” [American Standard Version]

The apostle gift is needed to establish the church and the prophet gift is likewise needed to con fi rm what God has established. In the early church the apostles and prophets worked together to strengthen the church, even when they were not personally present with one another. The Greek word that is associated with the gift of prophet is episterizo , which means to support further, reestablish, con fi rm, to strengthen again. Once the apostle gift establishes the church the gift of prophet will con fi rm the word or the work that has been accomplished. I have often experienced the word of a prophet con fi rming what the Spirit has already spoken. Through word of knowledge, edi fi cation, exhortation and comfort the prophet often bring faith and direction which will con fi rm and help to accomplish what the apostle has established or is establishing.

Acts 15:32: “And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted

the brethren with many words, and con fi rmed [ episterizo ] them.” [American Standard Version]

Acts 15:41: “And he went through Syria and Cilicia, con fi rming

[episterizo] the churches.”

Acts 18:23: “And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went through the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, con fi rming [episterizo] all the disciples.” [Douay-Rheims Bible] One more Greek word needed in the process is associated with the ministry of the teacher. This is the Greek word stereos. This means to strengthen and in association with the established work with has been con fi rmed, it makes the church and its members strong enough to accomplish the task before them and stand fi rm. When the church is only provided the milk of the Word, it can not be strong enough to stand through all tests and situations it will face, but with the true gift of a teacher the people and church will be strong because they will not only be provided the milk of preaching, but also the strong meat of scriptural apostolic and prophetic teaching. Hebrews 5:12: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the fi rst principles of the oracles of God; and you 62