Apostle @ a person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is once used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of the Father Hebrews:3:1; John:20:21). It is, however, generally used as designating the body of disciples to whom he intrusted the organization of his church and the dissemination of his gospel, "the twelve," as they are called Matthew:10:1-5; Mark:3:14Mark:6:7; Luke:6:13Luke:9:1). We have four lists of the apostles, one by each of the synoptic evangelists Matthew:10:2-4; Mark:3:16; Luke:6:14), and one in the Acts (1:13). No two of these lists, however, perfectly coincide. Our Lord gave them the "keys of the kingdom," and by the gift of his Spirit fitted them to be the founders and governors of his church John:14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). To them, as representing his church, he gave the commission to "preach the gospel to every creature" Matthew:28:18-20). After his ascension he communicated to them, according to his promise, supernatural gifts to qualify them for the discharge of their duties Acts:2:4; 1Corinthians:2:161Corinthians:2:71Corinthians:2:10, 13; 2Corinthians:5:20; 1Corinthians:11:2). Judas Iscariot, one of "the twelve," fell by transgression, and Matthias was substituted in his place Acts:1:21). Saul of Tarsus was afterwards added to their number Acts:9:3-20Acts:20:4Acts:26:15 -18; 1Timothy:1:121Timothy:2:7; 2Timothy:1:11). Luke has given some account of Peter, John, and the two Jameses Acts:12:2Acts:12:17Acts:15:13Acts:21:18 ), but beyond this we know nothing from authentic history of the rest of the original twelve. After the martyrdom of James the Greater Acts:12:2), James the Less usually resided at Jerusalem, while Paul, "the apostle of the uncircumcision," usually travelled as a missionary among the Gentiles Galatians:2:8). It was characteristic of the apostles and necessary (1) that they should have seen the Lord, and been able to testify of him and of his resurrection from personal knowledge John:15:27; Acts:1:21-22; 1Corinthians:9:1; Acts:22:14-15). (2.) They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ Luke:6:13; Galatians:1:1). (3.) It was essential that they should be infallibly inspired, and thus secured against all error and mistake in their public teaching, whether by word or by writing John:14:26John:16:13; 1Thessalonians:2:13). (4.) Another qualification was the power of working miracles Mark:16:20; Acts:2:43; 1Corinthians:12:8-11). The apostles therefore could have had no successors. They are the only authoritative teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle ceased with its first holders. In 2Corinthians:8:23 and Philippians:2:25 the word "messenger" is the rendering of the same Greek word, elsewhere rendered "apostle."
naves:
APOSTLE @ -An appellation of Jesus Hebrews:3:1 -See APOSTLES
APOSTLE @ - (one sent forth), in the New Testament originally the official name of those twelve of the disciples whom Jesus chose to send forth first to preach the gospel and to be with him during the course of his ministry on earth. The word also appears to have been used in a non-official sense to designate a much wider circle of Christian messengers and teachers See ( 2Corinthians:8:23; Philemon:2:25) It is only of those who were officially designated apostles that we treat in the article. Their names are given in Matthew:10:2-4) and Christ’s charge to them in the rest of the chapter. Their office. -- (1) The original qualification of an apostle, as stated by St. Peter on the occasion of electing a successor to the traitor Judas, was that he should have been personally acquainted with the whole ministerial course of our Lord from his baptism by John till the day when he was taken up into heaven. (2) They were chosen by Christ himself (3) They had the power of working miracles. (4) They were inspired. John:16:13) (5) Their world seems to have been pre-eminently that of founding the churches and upholding them by supernatural power specially bestowed for that purpose. (6) The office ceased, a matter of course, with its first holders-all continuation of it, from the very condition of its existence (cf. ( 1Corinthians:9:1)), being impossible. Early history and training .--The apostles were from the lower ranks of life, simple and uneducated; some of them were related to Jesus according to the flesh; some had previously been disciples of John the Baptist. Our Lord chose them early in his public career They seem to have been all on an equality, both during and after the ministry of Christ on earth. Early in our Lord’s ministry he sent them out two and two to preach repentance and to perform miracles in his name Matthew:10; Luke:9. They accompanied him in his journey, saw his wonderful works, heard his discourses addressed to the people, and made inquiries of him on religious matters. They recognized him as the Christ of God, Matthew:16:16; Luke:9:20) and described to him supernatural power Luke:9:54) but in the recognition of the spiritual teaching and mission of Christ they made very low progress, held back as they were by weakness of apprehension and by national prejudices. Even at the removal of our Lord from the earth they were yet weak in their knowledge, Luke:24:21; John:16:12) though he had for so long been carefully preparing and instructing them. On the feast of Pentecost, ten days after our Lord’s ascension, the Holy Spirit came down on the assembled church, Acts:2; and from that time the apostles became altogether different men, giving witness with power of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, as he had declared they should. Luke:24:48; Acts:1:8Acts:1:22Acts:2:32Acts:3:15 ; 5:32; 13:31) Later labors and history. --First of all the mother-church at Jerusalem grew up under their hands, Acts:3-7, and their superior dignity and power were universally acknowledged by the rulers and the people. Acts:5:12) ff. Their first mission out of Jerusalem was to Samaria Acts:8:5-25) where the Lord himself had, during his ministry, sown the seed of the gospel. Here ends the first period of the apostles’ agency, during which its centre is Jerusalem and the prominent figure is that of St. Peter. The centre of the second period of the apostolic agency is Antioch, where a church soon was built up, consisting of Jews and Gentiles; and the central figure of this and of the subsequent period is St. Paul. The third apostolic period is marked by the almost entire disappearance of the twelve from the sacred narrative and the exclusive agency of St. Paul, the great apostle of the Gentiles. Of the missionary work of the rest of the twelve we know absolutely nothing from the sacred narrative.
Home
Bible
PCARR
Discuss
Help
BibleTools>