It always grieves me to watch sincere men and women submit to deception, especially when that deception wears the mask of divine authority.
Ray Tinsman, Stephen Hargrave, and Randall Hargrave, known among the Church of God Restoration as “The Three”, claim to be God’s leading apostles for this generation. Some within their circles have gone even further, speaking of them as God’s “Trinity” on earth—a comparison as blasphemous as it is arrogant. Alongside a small group of “lesser apostles,” they claim superiority over the original Twelve Apostles, claiming divine authority to rule, judge, and spiritually dominate the lives of others.
Behind their pulpit is not the humility of Christ but the posture of Pharaoh. Congregants are browbeaten into submission. Families are divided. Personal autonomy is surrendered—not to Christ, but to men who demand control over thoughts, choices, and even access to salvation. These self-declared apostles present themselves as deliverers, saviors, and mediators. But let’s be clear: this is not apostolic ministry. It is spiritual colonization.
And yet, we are told not to question it. Attempts to ask why or how these men became apostles are met with stone walls. Discussion is forbidden. Inquiry is rebellion. Their apostleship was not tested, examined, or affirmed by the body, but decreed from above. It is “settled,” they say. But by what authority? Their own?
By self-declared apostles? Self-crowned kings?
Our culture may now applaud the notion that you can simply declare yourself to be something new—a different gender, identity, or even species. But the gospel has no room for self-made apostles. Jesus personally appointed the original apostles (Luke 6:13). Paul, the outlier, was directly chosen by the risen Christ (Galatians 1:1). And the true signs of apostleship were never charisma or control, but miracles, humility, and a Christ-exalting gospel (2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 3:6; 1 Corinthians 2:2).
Let’s be honest: the apostles of the Church of God Restoration perform no verifiable miracles. They do not preach Christ crucified. They exalt themselves, not the risen Lord. They command submission, not repentance. They fracture families and fleece the sheep—all in Christ’s name.
Even worse for their case, Scripture never speaks of a second generation of apostles replacing the first. The Twelve, along with Paul, served a unique, foundational role in the church (Ephesians 2:20). Foundations are not relaid. Their teachings—preserved in the New Testament—remain the authoritative witness to Christ. When they died, the office of apostle did not evolve or continue. It ended with them.
So why do we still dignify these impostors with the title “apostle”?
It’s time we stop. To call these men apostles is to slander the very office they claim. Their actions disqualify them. Their doctrine betrays them. Their authority is counterfeit. A more fitting title might be “wolves in apostolic clothing.”
And to those under their thumb: Christ never asked you to surrender your soul to any man. He is your Savior, not “The Three.” He alone is Head of the Church. Come to Him, and find freedom—not in rebellion, but in truth.
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