1 Thessalonians
“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is a letter written jointly by Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. So when we read it, the word “we” is referring to the authors of the letter: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
Then there is, in the same letter, chapter 2 verse 6:
“Nor did we (Paul, Silvanus, Timothy) seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we (Paul, Silvanus, Timothy) might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”
Notice: not “of men” but “of Christ”.
so writing a letter with Paul makes an apostle ? Maybe thats our disconnect
last try to
communicate what I’m saying to you you don’t have to agree but this should explain my view
“ And when he had spoken these things, while they
beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both
Peter, and James, and John, and
Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and
Simon Zelotes, and
Judas the brother of James.
Acts 1:9, 13, KJV
Consider that when Jesus left earth
there were his eleven chosen apostles .
all eleven had been personally chosen by Jesus they walked and spoke and lived with the lord saving sinners and heard many secret teachings among the apostles.
So
for the sake of argument let’s look at
when Jesus left earth into heaven there were eleven. This shouldn’t be argumentative it’s plainly there they were told this before Matthias was chosen by lots
“But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 KJV
then Jesus who had went into heaven with
eleven chosen apostles left on earth , returns once and appears on earth before Saul of tarsus
“And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said,
I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet:
for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
Acts 26:15-18 KJV
After Paul is blinded for three days ( the same time the eleven suffered sorrow during Jesus three days in the tomb. Ananias is told of Sauls purpose in a vision
“But the Lord said unto him,
Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:”
Acts 9:15 KJV
And then Jesus never appears to any man again to choose him in person on earth as he has the other eleven and Judas iscariot was
never appointed to preach the gospel to the world he died beforehand
it seems to me , and that’s my only claim ,
seems to me , that these
twelve names are the apostles of Jesus Christ Paul being the last added and required number of 12
“And the wall of the city had
twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Revelation 21:14 KJV
and others referred to loosely as apostles aren’t part of the twelve apostles chosen and appointed by Christ Jesus and his kingdom only twelve were chosen by the lord. And certainly because someone helped wrote a letter doesn’t make an apostle
I believe as he said they will judge the
twelve tribes in the resurrection I believe that
their names are written in scripture and recognized forever in heaven .
Another thing about
apostles is this , like the eleven had been taught by Jesus and given revelation by Jesus others did not receive this includes Paul with the eleven
“But
I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were
apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.”
Galatians 1:11-12, 17 KJV
like the eleven
Paul’s doctrine came from Jesus , as if he had walked with them and learned the secret things also , now consider say Apollos for example
“And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an
eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when
Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.”
Acts 18:24, 26 KJV
Or consider barnabus
“And Joses, who
by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it
at the apostles' feet.”
Acts 4:36-37 KJV
and Matthias why didn’t Jesus choose him himself before he left for heaven ? But rather
“And they gave forth their lots; and
the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with
the eleven apostles.”
Acts 1:26 KJV
I’m comfortable recognizing the twelve Jesus chose and appointed who’s names are in heaven forever as are the names of the church itself, but not on the foundation of the walls that’s reserved for the twelve apostles. They were
given a higher honor , and higher responsibility and Jesus chooses who he will not always who we want or choose or label
All that said barnabus and Apollos Timothy all who converted and appear in scripture teaching others and sharing the gospel shouldn’t be cut down by it there are simply 12 apostles as there are twelve tribes of Israel and scripture sets them apart and also names all 24 names written on the kingdom gates and walls
if you want to know the twelve names on the twelve gates try genesis 49 and consider the names of jacobs sons then you’ll also know there names as well as the apostles names
“And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the
names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:”
Revelation 21:12 KJV
Then could probably name the 24 elders in heaven also