Apostolic authority

As I have been preparing for a special emphasis month in January at our church, I have been studying out several passages on prayer. When we leave behind the epistles and just look at verses where Jesus talked to His disciples about prayer, I worry that we sometimes misinterpret certain passages. As an example (and I may be preaching on this Jan. 6th) in the 14th chapter of John we find Jesus talking to his disciples...

6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

Here we find Philip asking to see the Father. He wants more PROOF of who Jesus is

9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? 10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Jesus is saying to Philip, if you don't believe my words then believe because of the works!

12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

This is prophecy. When will it be fulfilled? Jesus goes on to tell them...

13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

I believe this was a specific promise to the disciples. After Christ died and rose again the church was instructed by the apostles. Christ did signs through the apostles. This was to PROVE the validity of the message. What if the apostles did something in the name of Christ and it didn't happen? This was a promise for the apostles that we can't claim. We have qualifications for our prayers...
I John 5:14And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

I think it is common that we teach both verses together. We teach John 14 with the qualification mentioned in I John 5. I don't believe that was the case for the apostles.

Let me say this as well, nowhere in the Bible do we see a succession of apostolic authority. There are only twelve mentioned in Rev. 21. (the 12th is Paul, not Matthias). Paul was an apostle born out of due time because the time of the apostles was ending. It was never meant to continue into this current church age. With the completion of the Word, the apostolic miracles are no longer necessary.

Before you dismiss this, look at Acts 9:36-42 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. 37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 38And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. 42And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
Why did the believers need Peter? Why couldn't they have just asked in Christ's name?

Jon