The Twelve Witnesses of the Apostolic Doctrine #

Acts 1:22 — From the baptism of John at the outset until the day when He was taken up from among us—one of these men must join with us and become a witness to testify to His resurrection.

The apostolic foundation was not built on theological knowledge or tradition—it was built on men who had seen the risen Christ. When Judas fell away, the void could not remain. The Church had to be represented by twelve eyewitnesses—each one a martyr (Greek: witness), a word that would later come to mean martyr, for witnessing the resurrection often cost them their lives.

Acts 1:26 — And they drew lots [between the two], and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to and counted with the eleven apostles (special messengers).

Matthias wasn’t randomly chosen. He was part of the entire journey—from the baptism of John to the ascension. The Church needed not just people who knew about Jesus but who could testify with authority to His resurrection. This was not head knowledge but lived, seen, and touched reality.

Twelve Foundations, Not Thirteen #

Revelation 21:14 — Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

God honours design and order. Twelve apostles for twelve tribes. Twelve gates. Twelve foundations. The New Jerusalem is not a mystical metaphor—it’s a spiritual picture of the Church. These foundations aren’t doctrines, systems, or seminaries. They are men who bore witness to the resurrected Jesus.

The foundation of the Church is not Christ alone, but Christ as seen, handled, and declared by these men. This is why they are called “the apostles of the Lamb.” Their lives became part of the structure of God’s eternal dwelling with man.

What Was Their Witness? #

Acts 1:22 — From the baptism of John at the outset until the day when He was taken up from among us—one of these men must join with us and become a witness to testify to His resurrection.

The resurrection was not a doctrine to be preached; it was a Person to be encountered. The Greek word for resurrection is anastasis, which means standing up again. Jesus did not merely rise; He stood again in the presence of the apostles. This standing again became their standing. The witness was not only to what He did but to who He is now—risen, glorified, enthroned.

David Was a Witness Too #

Acts 2:31 — He, foreseeing this, spoke [by foreknowledge] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah) that He was not deserted [in death] and left in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor did His body know decay or see destruction.

Even before the apostles, David was witnessing. He saw the Messiah prophetically. He knew that Messiah’s body would not rot in Sheol. This wasn’t theology. This was foreknowledge. Revelation given by the Spirit. The resurrection of Jesus is not a New Testament invention—it was the fulfilment of what was declared from the beginning.

The Church’s First Proclamation #

Acts 2:32 — This Jesus God raised up, and of that all we [His disciples] are witnesses.

The first message of the Church was not about sin, healing, or heaven. It was about a man raised from the dead. The message was not what Jesus did on the cross—but what happened after. The cross made sense only because of the resurrection. They did not witness to His suffering—they witnessed His rising. Resurrection became the signature of God.

The Ascended One #

Acts 2:33 — Being therefore lifted high by and to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promised [blessing which is the] Holy Spirit, He has made this outpouring which you both see and hear.

Jesus did not stop at the resurrection—He ascended. And when He ascended, He released the Holy Spirit. Resurrection leads to outpouring. When the Church stops proclaiming His resurrection, she ceases to receive fresh outpouring. The Spirit testifies only to a living Christ.

A Living Witness, Not a Second-Hand Story #

Acts 3:14–15 — But you denied and rejected and disowned the Pure and Holy, the Just and Blameless One, and demanded [the pardon of] a murderer to be granted to you. But you killed the very Source (the Author) of life, Whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

The testimony of the early apostles was not abstract theology. It was bold, public, and costly. They didn’t just say “we believe”; they said, “we saw.” The Church is not just a group of believers. She is a company of witnesses—those who see and speak from heaven’s perspective.

Believing Without Seeing #

John 20:29 — Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.

The Spirit moves our witness beyond physical sight. You don’t need to see to believe—you need to believe to see. There’s a seeing in the Spirit that births boldness, conviction, and testimony. The Church is not built on physical proofs but on spiritual revelation. This is where faith becomes sight within.

The Holy Spirit’s Witness #

Acts 5:30–32 — The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree (cross). God exalted Him to His right hand to be Prince and Leader and Saviour and Deliverer and Preserver, in order to grant repentance to Israel and to bestow forgiveness and release from sins. And we are witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit is also, Whom God has bestowed on those who obey Him.

The resurrection isn’t just declared by men—it is also declared by the Holy Spirit. He is heaven’s witness on earth. If the Church will posture itself in obedience, the Spirit will once again bear testimony in signs, in wonders, and in power.

Stephen—A Witness Standing #

Acts 7:55–56 — But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him, gazed into heaven and saw the glory (the splendour and majesty) of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand; And he said, Look! I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God’s right hand!

Stephen wasn’t one of the Twelve, but he carried the same witness. Heaven opened to him, not because of his title, but because of his gaze. The Church must be a people who look until heaven responds. Jesus was seen standing, not seated. When true testimony rises from earth, the enthroned Christ rises to receive it.

Formed Through Persecution #

Acts 7:59–60 — And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit! And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death].

True witnesses are not afraid of death. Resurrection life does not fear loss. Stephen’s forgiveness was not weakness—it was power. He had touched the risen One and bore the same spirit. Martyrdom is not about dying—it’s about testifying with your life.

A Church That Testifies in Power #

Acts 4:33 — And with great strength and ability and power the apostles delivered their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace (loving-kindness and favour and goodwill) rested richly upon them all.

Power and grace flowed together when the resurrection was proclaimed. This is the missing ingredient in modern pulpits. Too much is said about Jesus, and too little is said about His resurrection. Until we return to this foundation, the grace we cry for will remain theoretical.

Final Thoughts #

The apostles’ doctrine began with the resurrection. It wasn’t motivational. It wasn’t moralistic. It wasn’t cultural. It was a revelation of a risen, ascended, reigning Christ.

Today’s Church is not called to reimagine the gospel—we are called to bear witness to the same Christ, in the same Spirit, with the same power.

Acts 1:8 — But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

In Christ,
Shaliach.