Apostles

Biblical Terms, Devotionals / By

The word Apostle is used several ways in the New Testament. First and foremost it is a word that refers to the original twelve disciples of Christ (Peter, James, John, etc.). These were the eyewitnesses of Jesus’s earthly ministry, death, resurrection and ascension back to the Father. They were first sent out to Israel with the Gospel message of the arrival of the kingdom of God (Matthew 10:1-7) and then to the whole world after Jesus’s death and resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20). They ate with Jesus, walked with Jesus and were His closest friends. They were among the first to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Their miracle workings are inscribed on the pages of the Bible and unique to them alone. Peter was gifted by God is such a way that people could fall in his shadow and be healed, Acts 5:14-15 records, 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. This is totally unique to the Apostolic Era and not normative for the Church Age. On top of Christ as the Chief Cornerstone, these twelve Apostles were the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20). After Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus and hung himself, Matthias a follower of Christ and an eye witness of His resurrection was added to the Eleven (Acts 1:21-26). There are no Apostles in this sense today.

The word Apostle is also used in the New Testament to refer to Paul from Tarsus. Paul was called by Jesus in another unique situation to be an Apostle to the Gentles (Galatians 2:8). Paul saw the risen Lord and was commissioned by Him for apostolic ministry (1 Corinthians 9:1). In this sense, Paul identifies himself as an Apostle of Jesus Christ even though he was not one of the Twelve (1 Corinthians 1:1; 15:3-11). There are no other people like Paul being chosen by God to this unique ministry. Paul was “one of a kind,” elected by God to bring the Gospel to the world in the Apostolic Era. Galatians 1:15-16, 15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles.

There is a third usage of the word “apostle” in the New Testament. The Greek word for “apostle” is “apostolos” and it can mean simply a messenger or missionary. This was the case for Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), and perhaps Timothy and Silvanus (1 Thessalonians 2:7). 2 Corinthians 8:23 refers to some other brothers in this sense, As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ. The word translated “messengers” here is the same word “apostolos.” Epaphroditus was also called an “apostolos” in this same sense of a messenger sent to minister to Paul by the church at Philippi (Philippians 2:25). This role of messenger or missionary is the only one that is still active in the church today.

These different types of “apostles” in the New Testament had different roles and ministries, but what they had in common was they were commissioned by God to serve the church. Today the church must be careful to use this word and distinguish its meaning. Many self-styled preachers call themselves “apostles” today, but they are not. There are no big “A” apostles today.

Scripture Reference

1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him.

 5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not 1go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans;

 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you 1always, even to the end of the age.”

1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them.

 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

21 “Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—

 22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

 23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias.

 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

 26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship 1to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

1 Paul, called as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

 6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;

 7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;

 8 and last of all, as 1to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.

 9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.

 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

4 But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

7 But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need.

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