THE FOUNDATION OF APOSTLES & PROPHETS CHURCH is built upon Jesus Christ, the “living Stone. We have placed our lives upon this foundation. God not only chose this Stone who is eternal, but there were men who rejected the Stone because they wanted to build the building of their lives the way they wanted, not God’s way (Psalm 118:22). As a result, these men cast this living Stone aside, not caring that Jesus is the only true foundation upon which man can build his eternal life (1 Corinthians 3:11).
In order to build any building, God’s included, it is necessary that the proper foundation is laid before any kind of construction can begin. It would be foolish in the natural to try to build a building without first making sure that the foundation is laid, but that is exactly what has been happening in the church for hundreds of years. Men have tried to build God’s house according to their own blueprint instead of His without the proper foundation, and consequently, the building always collapses after a while. God’s building cannot stand on the traditions of men, but must be built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone, just as the Word of God says.
In Ephesian chapter 2, verses 19-21, the comparison between Jesus and Cornerstone becomes very clear: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.”
Peter referenced Jesus as the cornerstone in Acts 4:11–12, stating that “salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” God accepts no one who refuses to become a part of His building. And God is just like all builders—He has a foundation upon which all workers must lay the stones of their lives (Matthew 7:24–27).
Apostles & Prophets, then, are the “living stones” of the church. As such, we must remember that God is eternal, which means His building is eternal. The foundation Stone laid by God shall never decay nor waste away. Christ lives forever and ever. In placing our lives upon the living Stone of God, we find that He supports and holds us up eternally. We, in turn, become living stones, stones that will live on forever and ever. A physical house is not permanent; it ages, deteriorates, and wastes away. But being the spiritual house of God, we do not age, deteriorate, or decay. We live on in God’s eternal spiritual house.
Peter goes on to describe the living stones as those who are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:7–9). Peter is saying that, as living stones, we have certain functions. As a “royal priesthood,” we are a “kingdom of priests,” a term that was used of Israel in Exodus 19:6. Also, in Revelation 1:6, we are called kings and priests, referring to the exalted rank and dignity which we have in the kingdom of heaven. In common with our Savior, will reign triumphantly over all enemies and, having gained a victory over sin and death and hell, we will be reigning together with our King.
In the meantime, the function of the living stones is to “declare the praises” of Him who called us out of the darkness of sin into the light of life and glory. This is the “job description” of a living stone: a declarer of truth and love and light, both by our words and the life we live before others in the world.