Find the biblical answer to this question. What are the requirements to be an Apostle?
What is a Prophet?
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It is an appointment by God. I have no idea why he chose the ones He did except to say for His purpose.
John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
An apostle is simply someone who is sent. Let's not make it more than it is.
In Titus' case he was set in place after traveling to Crete.
In 1 Thessalonians, the introduction of the letter is clear: it is written by Paul, Timothy, and Silas (Silvanus). The use of "we" and "us" and "our" all refer to the writers of the letter:
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
We give thanks to God always for you all
And you became followers of us and of the Lord,
our coming to you was not in vain
For neither at any time did we use flattering words
Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
The whole letter is summed up in chapter 1:
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
The men writing the letter were witnesses of the things they are writing about. Why would it be any thing else?
Answer: only to fit an idea that there were only 12 apostles.
Nevertheless, you still have Barnabas to contend with.
But once you have 13 apostles why stop there? With careful reading you'll see another, and another.. soon realizing that 12 was not the limit of apostles. Sure, there were only 12 Apostles of the Lamb (Paul is NOT one). But there were other apostles after that: men who were sent by Paul or others or by God.
Clearly this was a gift that God intended to give to whole church until the end of the era. In my view rejecting the apostolic gift is one reason the church is so fractured; that and the manner in which God build His House: via fathers and sons in Christ. We're content to have converts with no commitment to the newborns' lives. Any wonder why fatherlessness and abortion rule the United States? We're getting the mature plant of the seed that is sewn: fractured families... even the House of God. But that's another topic.
In Titus' case he was set in place after traveling to Crete.
In 1 Thessalonians, the introduction of the letter is clear: it is written by Paul, Timothy, and Silas (Silvanus). The use of "we" and "us" and "our" all refer to the writers of the letter:
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
We give thanks to God always for you all
And you became followers of us and of the Lord,
our coming to you was not in vain
For neither at any time did we use flattering words
Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
The whole letter is summed up in chapter 1:
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. 5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.
The men writing the letter were witnesses of the things they are writing about. Why would it be any thing else?
Answer: only to fit an idea that there were only 12 apostles.
Nevertheless, you still have Barnabas to contend with.
But once you have 13 apostles why stop there? With careful reading you'll see another, and another.. soon realizing that 12 was not the limit of apostles. Sure, there were only 12 Apostles of the Lamb (Paul is NOT one). But there were other apostles after that: men who were sent by Paul or others or by God.
Clearly this was a gift that God intended to give to whole church until the end of the era. In my view rejecting the apostolic gift is one reason the church is so fractured; that and the manner in which God build His House: via fathers and sons in Christ. We're content to have converts with no commitment to the newborns' lives. Any wonder why fatherlessness and abortion rule the United States? We're getting the mature plant of the seed that is sewn: fractured families... even the House of God. But that's another topic.
How many Apostles of Jesus does the bible say there were? Is there a difference in Apostles/ Was Philip an Apostle if yes why did he need Peter to transfer the power of witness in Acts 8? Please help me understand.
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 Acts 1:22 ; 1 Corinthians 9:1 ; Acts 22:14 Acts 22:15 ).
They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ ( Luke 6:13 ; Galatians 1:1 ).
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 14:26 ; 16:13 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ).
Another qualification was the power of working miracles ( Mark 16:20 ; Acts 2:43 ; 1 Corinthians 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 2 Corinthians 8:23 and Phil 2:25 the word "messenger" is the rendering of the same Greek word, elsewhere rendered "apostle."
They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ ( Luke 6:13 ; Galatians 1:1 ).
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 14:26 ; 16:13 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ).
Another qualification was the power of working miracles ( Mark 16:20 ; Acts 2:43 ; 1 Corinthians 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 2 Corinthians 8:23 and Phil 2:25 the word "messenger" is the rendering of the same Greek word, elsewhere rendered "apostle."
What of Barnabas? Timothy? Silas?
There were only 12 Apostles of the Lamb but there were and are many other apostles.
There were only 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Together, they were a irrefutable witness of the baptism, ministry, death, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
“You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship..."
It should be noted: another apostle listed in scripture did not meet these requirements. Therefore, he could not be numbered among the 12. No matter his contribution to the scriptural testimony (God does not esteem men like men esteem themselves) he could not have given eye-witness testimony of the ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Of course I'm talking about Barnabas.
"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out..."
Paul was another apostle who was not among the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Paul even wrote as much:
In Acts 6 this is recorded: "Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."
The twelve, according to Paul, included Matthias.
Then Paul wrote this: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve..."
Paul did not number himself among the twelve. He, like Barnabas, Timothy, Silvanus, were other apostles mentioned in the Bible, not Apostles of the Lamb as seen in Revelation:
"Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Of course the apostolic gift is foundational as is the prophetic gift. God intended that those gifts work together. Why? Because it is given to the prophets to hear God directly (vital to the life of a believer) and to teach others to hear God. And it is given to the apostles to know and establish the administration and organization of the church and to correct any weakness thereof. God did not remove the need for people skilled with these gifts. Indeed, as the world rushes to the end, knowing what God is doing and how He is doing it will become more and more important to those who are spiritual.
Last note: although demonstrations of power may be necessary, the life of an apostle will primarily be identified as one who builds up the Body of Christ, loves and supports the saints, and devotion to the Lord in all things. Humility and reverence for the Lord will follow him. Many would testify of his kindness and grace.
However, like the Lord, apostles may often create conflict: primarily strife between the spiritually minded and the worldly. A faithful apostle will be lied about, ridiculed, and slandered. Assured of his place in Christ, he will likely remain silent as others disparage him
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
“You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship..."
It should be noted: another apostle listed in scripture did not meet these requirements. Therefore, he could not be numbered among the 12. No matter his contribution to the scriptural testimony (God does not esteem men like men esteem themselves) he could not have given eye-witness testimony of the ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
Of course I'm talking about Barnabas.
"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out..."
Paul was another apostle who was not among the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. Paul even wrote as much:
In Acts 6 this is recorded: "Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."
The twelve, according to Paul, included Matthias.
Then Paul wrote this: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve..."
Paul did not number himself among the twelve. He, like Barnabas, Timothy, Silvanus, were other apostles mentioned in the Bible, not Apostles of the Lamb as seen in Revelation:
"Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Of course the apostolic gift is foundational as is the prophetic gift. God intended that those gifts work together. Why? Because it is given to the prophets to hear God directly (vital to the life of a believer) and to teach others to hear God. And it is given to the apostles to know and establish the administration and organization of the church and to correct any weakness thereof. God did not remove the need for people skilled with these gifts. Indeed, as the world rushes to the end, knowing what God is doing and how He is doing it will become more and more important to those who are spiritual.
Last note: although demonstrations of power may be necessary, the life of an apostle will primarily be identified as one who builds up the Body of Christ, loves and supports the saints, and devotion to the Lord in all things. Humility and reverence for the Lord will follow him. Many would testify of his kindness and grace.
However, like the Lord, apostles may often create conflict: primarily strife between the spiritually minded and the worldly. A faithful apostle will be lied about, ridiculed, and slandered. Assured of his place in Christ, he will likely remain silent as others disparage him
Regarding Timothy and Silvanus.
In the introduction of the first letter to the Thessalonians this is written:
"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."
These are the authors of the letter.
It continues:
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers..."
Who is the "we"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"And you became followers of us and of the Lord..."
Who is the "us"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"..that our coming to you was not in vain."
Who is the "our"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel..."
Again, the "we" is Clear: it refers to Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
"For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness."
This is a letter written by three men, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. So it is written from the perspective of three men addressing the saints in Thessaloniki.
The next verse is this:
"Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ."
Who are the apostles of Christ? Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy
In the introduction of the first letter to the Thessalonians this is written:
"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."
These are the authors of the letter.
It continues:
"We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers..."
Who is the "we"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"And you became followers of us and of the Lord..."
Who is the "us"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"..that our coming to you was not in vain."
Who is the "our"? Clearly it is Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. It continues...
"But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel..."
Again, the "we" is Clear: it refers to Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.
"For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness—God is witness."
This is a letter written by three men, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. So it is written from the perspective of three men addressing the saints in Thessaloniki.
The next verse is this:
"Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ."
Who are the apostles of Christ? Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.”
1 Corinthians 14:1 KJV
“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
1 Corinthians 14:1, 26, 29-33 KJV
Good post thanks for sharing
“Who are the apostles of Christ? “
“And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”( Christ )
Revelation 21:14 KJV
“Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”
John 6:70 KJV
“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;”
Romans 1:1-3
There are twelve men ( not counting Judas ) and counting paul who Jesus appeared to and chose to be his apostles . What I mean by that is
“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,( holy ghost ) which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 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 Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 1:1-5, 8 KJV
And Paul also was chosen as a witness by Jesus
“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;”
Acts 26:15-16 KJV
Together those men witnessed the gospel to all the world think about it a one who’s ever read the New Testament are reading the witness of Paul or Peter , John or Matthew ect several of Jesus apostles that he chose to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth
they never physically reached the ends of the world or earth or every single nation but thier witness has reached everyplace just as he called them to do
there are twelve apostles ( ordained witnesses and servants ) chosen in that certain way by Jesus himself to a particular calling from the ot scriptures even. “how beautiful are the feet “
There are still folks today who call themselves apostles though and claim they are maybe , but they aren’t the same kind of apostle as the apostles of Christ
Paul acknowledges "the 12" which included Matthias.
I agree there are only 12 Apostles of the Lamb whose names are written on the foundation seen in Revelation.
Regardless, if you don't include Matthias, what of Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, James... they are all called apostles?
The original 12 had to be a "witness" to the Jews. Their standard of witness was to have actually SEEN the event. What were they witness to:
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
They could witness His ministry, baptism, resurrection and ascension.
Paul did not meet even the legal requirement of a "witness" of the things Peter listed: His ministry, baptism, resurrection and ascension.
In Acts 6 this is recorded: "Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."
Here, Matthias, not Paul, is one of the twelve.
Be careful not to confuse the gift of prophecy with the ministry gift of the prphet.
Don't confuse the gift of prophecy with the ministry and office of the prophet. Anyone who is baptised in the Holy Spirit can prophesy. There are few who are prophets by calling.
Don't confuse the gift of prophecy with the ministry and office of the prophet. Anyone who is baptised in the Holy Spirit can prophesy. There are few who are prophets by calling.
What about them? There were only 12 given authority over the Church which is why they laid the foundation.
Revelation 21:14
Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Matthias wasn't chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ, he was chosen by lots. An apostle had to be personally chosen by the Lord.
The founding apostles are called that because they were the founding apostles. Duh. The church did not expand to the whole world in their day. The ministry of apostle has not ceased. They've just had a name change. They are called missionaries. But their role is exactly the same. For example, Watchman Nee founded at least 700 churches in China. He was a true apostle.
Do you not know that apostles do not have authority over the church? They appoint elders to govern the church and then get on with the work of founding another. They will return to the immature church if necessary to help. But they do not rule.
"Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm."
(2 Corinthians 1:24.) See also 2 Corinthians 4:5