Tom,

I think I know what you are asking. What comes to mind are:

Quote
John 17:7-8 (ASV) "Now they know that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are from thee: for the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them; and they received [them], and knew of a truth that I came forth from thee, and they believed that thou didst send me."
It was Christ Who through His Spirit endowed men for the purpose of building the Church through their preaching and teaching. In other words, Christ Himself commissioned the Apostles and the Spirit gave them His words to speak.

Quote
Ephesians 4:8-12 (ASV) "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men. (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some [to be] apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:"
Paul also made this claim for himself and the other apostles:

Quote
1 Thessalonians 2:13 (ASV) "And for this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when ye received from us the word of the message, [even the word] of God, ye accepted [it] not [as] the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also worketh in you that believe."

And

1 Corinthians 11:23 (ASV) "For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread;"

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (ASV) "For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures; and that he appeared to Cephas; then to the twelve; then he appeared to above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain until now, but some are fallen asleep; then he appeared to James; then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to the [child] untimely born, he appeared to me also."
And Jude also wrote in regard to the verity and authority of the apostles and their teaching:

Quote
Jude 1:17-18 (ASV) "But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; That they said to you, In the last time there shall be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts."
In His grace,


[Linked Image]

simul iustus et peccator

[Linked Image]