This is a bit of an upper cut
, but if we see that that Paul was only using his own logic when expanding upon messages he had received of God, then are we not in danger of seeing the word as absolute authority.
In revelation John the apostle was told to write these words down, which would include all the book of revelation.
Is there any difference between a messenger and a prophet.
Because I would of thought a messenger is a prophet.
THE DIFFERENT HEBREW TERMS FOR
PROPHET
Biblical Terms
1. ro'eh = "seer" (BDB 906, KB 1157), 1 Sam. 9:9. This reference shows the transition to the term nabi, which means "prophet" and comes from the root, "to call." Ro'eh is from the general Hebrew term "to see." This person understood God's ways and plans and was consulted to ascertain God's will in a matter.
2. hozeh = "seer" (BDB 302, KB 301), 2 Sam. 24:11; Amos 7:12. It is basically a synonym of ro'eh. It is from a rarer Hebrew term "to see in a vision." The PARTICIPLE form is used most often to refer to prophets.
3. nabi' = "prophet" (BDB 611, KB 661), cognate of Akkadian VERB nabu = "to call" and Arabic naba'a = "to announce." This is the most common OT term to designate a prophet. It is used over 300 times. The exact etymology is uncertain, but "to call" at present seems the best option. Possibly the best understanding comes form YHWH's description of Moses' relationship to Pharaoh through Aaron (cf. Exod. 4:10-16; 7:1; Deut. 5:5). A prophet is someone who speaks for God to His people (cf. Amos 3:8; Jer. 1:7,17; Ezek. 3:4).
4. All three terms are used of the prophet's office in 1 Chr. 29:29; Samuel ‒ Ro'eh; Nathan ‒ Nabi'; and Gad ‒ Hozeh.
5. The phrase 'ish ha ‒ 'elohim, "man of God," is also a broader designation for a speaker for God. It is used some 76 times in the OT in the sense of "prophet."
6. The NT word "prophet" is Greek in origin. It comes from
a. pro, which means "before" or "for"
b. phemi, which means "to speak."
ἀπόστολος
apostolos
ap-os'-tol-os
From G649; a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ (“apostle”), (with miraculous powers): - apostle, messenger, he that is sent.
LXX related word(s)
H7971 shalach
Thayer Definition:
1) a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders
1a) specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ
1b) in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers
1b1) of Barnabas
1b2) of Timothy and Silvanus
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G649
Interestingly-
apostelló G649 [to send out]
pempó G3992 [to send]
exapostelló G1821 [to send out]
apostolos G652 [apostle]
pseudapostolos G5570 [false apostle]
apostolé G651 [apostleship]
apostello (pempo )
A. apostello and pempo in Secular Greek.
1. apostello is a strengthening compound of stello and is common in Greek for "to send forth," differing from pempo, which stresses the fact of sending, by its relating of sender and sent and its consequent implication of a commission, especially in Hellenistic Greek.
2. It thus carries the further thought of authorization, e.g., in the case of official envoys, but also divinely sent teachers. It is used in the latter sense by the Cynics and Stoics, by Irenaeus (with reference to Menander), and by Philo.
B. apostello and pempo in the LXX (OT) with Judaism.
1. apostello occurs over 700 times in the LXX, mostly for the root slh; pempo only some 26 times, six with no Hebrew original. apostello /slh are mostly used where there is commissioning with a message or task. Alone they denote the sending of a special messenger with emphasis on the sender (cf. Isa_6:8), so that the messenger is a kind of plenipotentiary. The message and the one sent are of interest only as they embody the sender, no matter who the sender or the sent may be. Even those who are sent realize that the stress is on the sender (cf. Gen_24:1 ff.).
2. The LXX pursues this thought consistently, even using apostello for slh contrary to the literal sense in order to bring out the authoritative element in the action and the position of the one who acts. The features of the verb in secular Greek are thus taken up and merged with what the OT equivalent contributes. Even in relation to the prophets the use is not just religious; the situation itself gives the religious flavor. Nor does the term denotes self-awareness, as in the case of the Cynic, for there is no place for this alongside unconditional subjection to the will of the sender.
3. Rabbinic Judaism keeps within the sphere delineated by slh. Josephus has apostello some 75 times, more or less synonymously with pempo in some cases, elsewhere to denote official missions or sending by God. Philo has an absolute use similar to that of Cynics and Stoics and not affected by slh.
C. apostello and pempo in the NT.
1. apostello occurs some 135 times in the NT, mostly in the Gospels and Acts. pempo occurs some 80 times, 33 in John, five in Rev_22:1-21 in Luke/Acts, only four in Matthew, and one in Mark. Apart from the special use of pempo in John, the Lucan material predominates; it prefers apostello, yet like Josephus an use pempo as a synonym and has less sense of the specific nature of apostello. The religious character of the NT material explains the general predominance of apostello, and in the NT as a whole pempo seems to be used when the stress is on the sending, apostello when it is on the commission, and especially
(in the Synoptists) when it is God who sends.
Much as I would like to call Paul a prophet-he wasn't-not in the Kainos Dispensation.
left hook?
J
