The age of healing and miracles is not passed. The great commission, the same from Matthew 28 that most church organizations quote as their main mandate to preach the gospel also says very plainly that the disciples were called to preach the gospel, baptize, AND Teach “them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:” These all things are plainly recorded in all 4 gospel accounts, so to understand what it means to be a disciple we must study all 4 gospel accounts and hearken diligently to every command within them. Matthew 10:8 is where you can find the command to heal the sick. John 20:21 tells us that just as the Father sent Jesus, Y’shua (His name in Aramaic), now He sends the disciples:. The central objective to go and make more disciples who are doing all the Y’shua taught the original twelve to do.

Matthew 10 KJV “1And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Matthew 10 KJV “5These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. 9Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat. 11And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12And when ye come into an house, salute it. 13And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. 15Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.”

Matthew 28 KJV “16Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

John 20 KJV “”19Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 20And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. 21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

Luke 10 KJV “1After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. 2Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. 3Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. 4Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way. 5And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. 6And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. 7And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house. 8And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: 9And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 10But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, 11Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 12But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.”

As I understand it, Y’shua came to inaugurate His Ministry on Earth. He came to make disciples, which he did with the 11 disciples and once they completed their initial training, He sent them out to do the work of the ministry. The term apostle, simple means:

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), meaning “to send away” or “to send forth.”

In other words, anyone who is equipped to do the work of the ministry of Christ as outlined by Matthew 28 and is subsequently sent out to do it is operating as an apostle. He gave the great commission to the 11 disciples only. He sent them to a mountain and met them there, in the absence of other believers and told the essential to go and make more just like them. The Aramaic translation brings in the line from John listed above above:

Matthew 28:18 The Peshitta Holy Bible Translated from https://biblehub.com/aramaic-plain-english/matthew/28.htm

“18And Yeshua spoke with them and he said to them, “All authority has been given to me in Heaven and in the earth; in the manner in which my Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 

In other words, the disciples were to go out and create more disciples who were equipped to make more disciples, who are called to make more disciples until the gospel as Y’shua preached it reaches until the ends of the earth. I believe the elders are the more “rooted” teachers and disciple makers who equip believers at a community level, and that the apostles are the send out ones who travel about equipping many and establishing elders to oversee the the maturing process at the community level. I personally believe we are generally hearing the preaching of a partial at best, inaccurate and even corrupted at worst gospel. I also believe that human teachers while essential, are supposed to just as John the Baptist understood, become less and less significant as Christ becomes more and more so as individuals mature in Christ. Our organizations ought to be more like schools, we go, get equipped, and then go out to do the work of the ministry. We are missing the mark if we teach that that the point of church is to have a weekly place of worship and fellowship (which do have value, these are just not the main central role appointed by Yahweh), I believe we are misunderstanding the central role of the church. We cannot add or take away from what the Word plainly says. Study these verses for yourself, and seek out the true gospel. If we get our walking orders wrong, how can we possibly hope to hit the mark. See below for other supporting verses.

Hebrews 6:1-2 tells us what the basic central core foundational teaching of HIs ministry are:

1“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of:

1.repentance from dead works, and

2. of faith toward God, 

3.2Of the doctrine of baptisms,

4.and of laying on of hands,

5.and of resurrection of the dead,

6. and of eternal judgment. 3And this will we do, if God permit. 4For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, 6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame”

Ephesians 4 KJV “9(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 10He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

Hebrews 5 KJV “12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the [b]oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14But solid food belongs to those who are [c]of full age, that is, those who by reason of [d]use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”