Seven Promises that Jesus Did Not Make for You

Nor for Christian false prophets
A teaching from Dr Galen Currah, October 2020

Bible quotations from the English Standard Version (2016)
Music by Natrix
wordwatchers.currah.us

Introduction

In the 21st century, certain Christian mega churches have begun claiming authority from Christ to heal diseases and to foretell coming events. You know who they are.


However, their leaders have failed spectacularly to heal most diseases, and most of their prophecies have proven wrong.


These presumptuous men and women have caused non-Christians to ridicule all churches, making Jesus seem a kind of joke.

Their false claims have arisen from a fundamental mistake of Bible interpretation, for they have applied to themselves certain promises that Jesus made only to his apostles.

Although most of the more than 200 promises that Jesus made do apply to all Christian believers, seven of them applied only to his apostles.

Those seven special promises authenticated the apostles, their teaching and their writings. These promises are as follows.

Seven promises Jesus made to his 12 apostles


1. Power and authority over all the spirits, and to heal all kinds of sickness and infirmity

[Jesus] called to him his twelve disciples [apostles] and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. Matthew 10:1

2. To bind and to loose

“Truly, I [Jesus] say to you [apostles], whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 18:18


3. Effective prayers

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19


4. To do the same kind of things that Jesus did

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

5. To pray in Jesus’ name

“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:13-14

6. The Holy Spirit teach to them and remind them of everything Jesus said

“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26

7. To reveal future events

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for … he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16:13-14

Conclusion

Certainly, all Christian believers receive the Holy Spirit, pray to God, teach each other, and announce the Good News about Jesus.

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38

All Christian believers receive a gift from the Holy Spirit by which they effectively serve one another.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:7

However, Christians to not do so with authority to perform miracles at their will, nor do they reveal new truth from God.