The 200th Show

Shawn McCraney critiques the Mormon interpretation of apostles and prophets by emphasizing the biblical context, particularly referencing Ephesians 2:11-20, which describes believers being integrated into God's household, built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus as the cornerstone. He highlights the difference between Mormon beliefs and biblical teachings, challenging the validity of Mormon apostleship by sharing a personal anecdote with LDS Church leader Dallin Oaks to illustrate the perceived hierarchy in the faith.

The teaching emphasizes that the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is based on the apostles and prophets, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone, and this foundation is unchanging and permanent. It critiques the LDS church for allegedly replacing this foundation with leaders who do not match the initial qualifications of apostles, highlighting that true apostles were firsthand witnesses of Jesus, chosen for their humility and faithfulness rather than worldly achievements.

Apostles in the early Christian church were required to be firsthand witnesses of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, receive their calling directly from Christ, be infallibly inspired in their teachings, and possess the power to perform miracles. The office of Apostle ceased with the original apostles since they were uniquely entrusted with establishing the Church, and those called to this office were considered the only authoritative doctrinal teachers.

The teaching emphasizes that the essential role of an apostle is to be a firsthand witness of the resurrected Jesus Christ, a qualification the LDS apostles allegedly do not meet, as they have not openly testified of seeing Jesus, unlike the original apostles who were martyred for their testimonies. Additionally, the argument is made against the perpetual existence of a quorum of twelve apostles in the LDS church by citing biblical references that suggest the original apostles were singular witnesses appointed to establish the church, indicating that the LDS apostles' roles differ fundamentally from those of the original twelve.

The teaching argues that the original apostles chosen by Jesus had distinct qualifications, such as being firsthand witnesses of Christ and performing miracles, which are not met by the LDS apostles, highlighting a difference between the biblical use of apostleship and the practices of the Mormon Church. The speaker criticizes the notion of contemporary apostles, emphasizing that no mainstream Christian denominations feel the need to appoint apostles today, suggesting that the concept of modern apostles is inconsistent with biblical teachings and may involve deceit, as described in 2 Corinthians 11:13.