Customer Reviews

Apostles Today: Biblical Government for Biblical Power

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In the 1990s the battle cry was transformation of the city. Now, C. Peter Wagner is addressing how apostles fit into the urban landscape--and how they fit into God's plans.

Apostles Today looks at the New Apostolic Reformation begun in the 1990s which is continuing today.

Do you want to help transform the world? If so, then C. Peter Wagner will show how you can:

-- Determine who is an "apostle of the city" and how they are set into place.
-- Examine the role of apostles in transforming cities and territories.
-- Learn the three crucial concepts that will lay the proper groundwork for city transformation.
-- See your city move beyond short-term successes into the genuine transformation that God desires to bring.

In Apostles Today, Wagner provides an authoritative look at apostleship, and explains not only the sphere of influence apostles should have within the church and the workplace.

Apostles Today is rather dry reading, but it does have a lot of information packed into its pages. If you are interested in apostleship, you'll probably want to reread over the pages several times to make sure you understand what you are reading.

Personally, I think the book borders a bit on heresy, as the definition of an apostle is "someone who has seen Christ." That rather limits the possibility of having modern-day apostles. However, that said, and accepting the wide range of different beliefs among religions, it is possible for someone to attempt to follow Christ closely, and Apostles Today will help in that regard-showing how you can be Christ to those around you.

Armchair Interviews says: Unique viewpoint about apostles.

Hoping to find something fresh and missional in here, I was surprised to find something more Charismatic and less about mission work on the edges and more about leadership in big churches and institutional memberships (even a constant tiresome reference to a coalition of apostles!). For some reason, Wagner keeps emphasizing the governing role of apostles, and he reads this into the biblical passages more than shows how they're coming out of them. What I wished to find more stuff about was church planting, taking the gospel into virgin soil and other sorts of "sent" or "sending" aspects that a lot of missional literature is now talking about in reference to the apostolic gift in Ephesians 4:11.

Needless to say, it was a huge letdown to instead find stuff on spiritual covering, large followings, special anointing and authority, and the like that seem to be overly self-congratulatory. His overly-positive treatment didn't seem to match the tenor of what Paul spoke about apostles being misunderstood and fools and the scum of the earth; and nor did Wagner address Paul's actual refusal to draw a salary for himself though he was able to as an apostle.

To be fair though, Wagner is on the right track in going more organic by talking about workplace apostles and going out of the walls of traditional or mega church. But by the time he got there, I was mostly disenchanted with his overly positional take on what I see as a functional gifting. Nevertheless, I was glad to have read this as Wagner is -- for better or for worse -- the most vocal proponent who is setting the tone for what "apostolic" is and does.

This book is a Great General overview of the role of the Apostle in Today's Church. I recommend it to anyone that wants to begin learning about the office of Apostle as a first read.

This is a very informative book on how we "do church" is changing in the 21st Century. It takes us back to what God originally intended and gives us a good look at the gifts He bestowed on His Body to do the work that He began and He will finish on the Day of His Return. C Peter Wagner is a radical, no nonsence, Christian leader who tells it like it is and does so with love. He explains clearly the new apostolic movement that is sweeping across the world and upsetting the old religious boxes we have put the Body of Christ and God in for so long. If you are looking for a book about what an apostle does and how he/she relates to the Body at large and what the new face of the Church of Jesus Christ is going to look like then I would recommend you check this book out. Easy read too.

Anyone interested in New Apostolic Reformation and current apostolic movement would certainly read everything C. Peter Wagner writes on apostles. This book is no exception, however after reading everything Wagner wrote on the subject before I have found no new information in this book. At first sight it seemed to me more like compilation of ideas and thoughts from previous books published both by Regal Books and Wagner Publications, so if you have read already books such Apostles and Prophets, Churchquake, The Spheres of Authority, Apostles in the City, Changing Church and Revival!, you probably will find no reason to buy this book unless you would like to have a summary version of Wagner's teaching on apostles.

However, his teaching also evolves and goes to a new dimensions, so while in his early work on the subject he was merely defending the existence of apostles today, now he creates new broad teachings based more on relevation than Scripture. I find this less appealing than earlier way of research and writtings Wagner did. Well, he is still one of my favourite authors, but Churchquake remains my favourite book on apostles Wagner wrote.

I have read a number of books on the apostolic. Each has some good and most have some bad. I personally am watchful about the religious spirit manifesting here having seen it before in CPW's books. It seems that some well meaning folks want to control and define who is and who is not an apostle by their own little mix of Bible verses. Apostles are ordained By Jesus Christ Himself or they are likely not apostles at all. Pastors are the biggest danger to a young apostle. Pastors, for the most part, live in a divided house and will resist change and truth in order to maintain their own little kingdom or power base. 'Protecting' the sheep has little or nothing to do with it, if they did the pastor's would be crying out to God something like this. "Oh God send us your APOSTLES AND PROPHETS OUR CITIES ARE DYING." But they don't! Why? Because they are proud, controlling or luke warm and themselves near death etc.
Young apostles stand. If you know that you know you have heard from God then use your authority and move the mountains of religion that the KING of Glory may once again come back in to His house.
Do NOT let another minister rob you of your crown. They can and will.
Love never fails,
JE

During my original review of this book, I gave it three stars.
However, I must admit I have reviewed this book several times over
the past couple of years to gain some insight from a proven professional
minister. It is always good to read other opinions on issues while in prayer
over ideas and controversial beliefs. Since this is a book I've referred to
several times, the shelf dust doesn't build up too much on the leaves. I
regard this book with four stars.

In Christ,
Amen

Wagner's premise is entirely heretical, as "the apostles" were the selected eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Jesus prior to Christ's ascension to heaven. The one single exception to that is St. Paul, who admits he was an apostle "born out of due time," having been personally chosen by the resurrected Jesus *after* the ascension. But in every case, an apostle was one of the eyewitnesses of the event of the resurrection, and there are no such eyewitnesses beyond St. Paul himself. Don't fall for this "apostles today" error--neither you nor your leader nor excited relative is an "apostle" according to scripture.