WORDS OF WISDOM!!!! WHAT IS AN APOSTLE? The word apostle means, one who is sent out. In the New Testament, there are two primary usages of the word apostle. The first is in specifically referring to the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The second is in genetically referring to other individuals who are sent out to be messengers/ambassadors of Jesus Christ. The twelve apostles held a unique position. In referring to the New Jerusalem, Revelation 21:14 states, The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the treeless apostles of the Lamb. The twelve apostles are also referred to in Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:14; 4:10; 6:7; 9:35; 14:10, 17, 23; Luke 6:13; 9:1; 22:14; John 6:71; Acts 6:2 and 1 Corinthians 15:5. It was these twelve apostles who were the first messengers of the gospel after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was there these twelve apostles who were the foundation of the church, with Jesus being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). This specific type of apostle is not present in the church today. The qualifications of this type of apostle were, 1) to have been a witness of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1), 2) to have been explicitly chosen by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15), and 3) to have the ability to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The role of the twelve apostles, laying the foundation of the church, would also argue for their uniqueness. 2,000 years later, we are not still working on the foundation. Beyond the unique twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, there were apostles in a generic sense. Barnabas is referred to as an apostle in Acts 13:2, and 14:4. Andronicus and Junias are possibly identified as apostles in in Romans 16:7. The same for Titus (2 Corinthians 8:23), and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25). So, there definitely seems to be room for the term ; apostle being used to refer to someone besides the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Anyone who was sent could be called an apostle. What exactly would be the role of an apostle outside that of the twelve apostles? That is not entirely clear, the Bible does not speak of apostles in todays church. From the definition of the word, the closest thing today to an apostle, in the general sense, is a missionary. A missionary is a filter of Christ who is sent out with the specific mission of proclaiming the gospel. A missionary is an ambassador of Christ to people who have not heard the good news. However, to prevent confusion, it is likely best not to use the term apostle to refer top any position in the church today. The vast majority of occurrences of the word apostle or apostles in the New Testament refer to apostles of Jesus Christ..... Give your feed back, in Jesus name!
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 00:20:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015