QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

Already I have received a couple of questions to begin our
"Questions and Answers" page. Thank you for your support.

Q1. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul speaks of being "... caught up
    to the third heaven." (2 Corinthians 12:2) Just what
    exactly does this mean?

A1. The word "heaven" in the Greek is the word OURANOS and
    simply means "to lift, to heave" (Vine's). Another way
    of thinking is just that which is placed above. To the
    Jews it had three different meanings. (1) The area above
    the earth, where birds flew and clouds formed. James
    talks about Elijah's praying, and then the "... heaven
    gave rain..." (James 5:18). (2) The area of the Sun,
    Moon and Stars. In Genesis 1:14-18 God describes the
    creating of the Sun, Moon and Stars as the creating of
    lights, "... in the firmament of the heaven to give
    light upon the earth ..." We simply refer to this as
    "outer space"! (3) The abode of God. Heaven in this
    sense is where God exists. When Paul was in Athens in
    Acts 17:24, he spoke of the God, "... that made the
    world and all things therin, seeing that he is Lord of
    heaven and earth ..." This then is what Paul is speaking
    about when he says he was caught up to the third heaven:
    the area where The Lord God Almighty exists.

Q2. In 1 Corinthians 12:28 it says, "And God hath set some
    in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
    thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
    healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."
    If the church still exists, then why don't we still have
    these things?

A2. When the church was in it's infancy, it was necessary to
    have Apostles and prophets who were delivering God's
    word. Once the word was delivered and confirmed by the
    miracles, then these had served their purpose. In the
    next chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:9-11, Paul said, "For
    we know in part, and we prophecy in part. But when that
    which is perfect is come, then that which is in part
    shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a
    child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
    but when I became a man, I put away childish things."
    God's word, specifically the New Testament, is described
    as "... the perfect law of liberty..." by James (1:25).
    Paul says our living according to God's Word will make
    us "... perfect, throughly furnished unto all good
    works." (2 Timothy 3:17) Until God's word was fully
    delivered, the church had only partial revelation. When
    the Word was completed, then those things necessary to
    help in the delivery of that Revelation - the Apostles
    and prophets and working of miracles - served their
    purpose and were removed by God.