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APOSTLES

APOSTLES: from the Greek word apostoloi, means ones sent, messengers. In the New Testament church The Church it designates the office instituted by Christ to witness of Him before the world (Jn 17:18). Apostles are placed first in the divine order of ministry gifts Christ gave to the church to prepare and equip it for God's service (cp Eph 4:11; 1Cor 12:28). Yet there is much teaching in the contemporary church that apostles and prophets ceased with the first century church, but that is not what scriptures teach (cp Mt 24:14; Jn 17:18-21; Eph 3:1-12; 4:7-16; 5:25-27). It is plainly evident from these scriptures that Christ has ordained the ministry gifts He gave to the church to remain there while ever the church exists. They are all essential to God's purpose for the church - "for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry" (cp Eph 4:11-12).

Perfecting means "to make fully ready", which defines the completed process outlined in Eph 4:13-16 (cp Eph 4:13-16). This confirms that all the ministry gifts Christ gave to the church will remain there until God's purpose for the church is accomplished, which can only ever be when it has fulfilled its mission on earth and is taken up to heaven by Jesus (cp Eph 2:19-20). This further emphasises the continuing importance of apostles and prophets in God's purpose for the church and underlines the reason why they are placed first and second in the divine order of ministry gifts for the church. God includes them with Jesus as the foundation of the church. Foundation in this context is used metaphorically of the ministry of the gospel and the doctrines of faith - the church is built upon the teachings of the apostles and prophets. It is their responsibility to bring clarification and illumination concerning God's word to those they are establishing in the faith.

In the primary sense Eph 2:20 applies to the original twelve apostles Christ called before Pentecost and in the secondary sense to all those God has called since Pentecost (cp Ac 2:42; Eph 3:1-12). Apostles have two main tasks to perform in the ministry: to bring into being properly ordered churches and to set, and maintain in order, and continue to build churches that already exist. Apostles not only pioneer new works, but continue building on foundations others have laid (cp Ac 8:14-17, 25; 1Cor 3:10). Apostles can function in either an itinerant ministry or be domiciled in a local church. There is nothing in scripture to indicate that the apostle James, the Lord's brother ever left the church at Jerusalem and the same thing happens in the contemporary church. There are many men who either pioneer a church or continue building on foundations others have laid and stay there. Sadly however, in the contemporary church these men are not designated apostles as they should be but "pastors", although nowhere in scripture is the term "pastor" ever used to define rank, authority or title of anyone – man or woman – in the New Testament church. There are men designated apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers in scripture but there is no man (or woman) designated a pastor. We will examine the scriptures proving that statement in our study on pastors. (Designated means described as, given a name or title, specified). There are at least 28 men named as apostles in scripture.

Apart from the thirteen – including Matthias – before Pentecost, at least fifteen others have been designated apostles since then: Paul and Barnabas (cp Ac 13:1-5, 50 - 14:4, 14; 15:22-25, 35-39); Silas and Timothy (cp 1Th 1:1; 2:6); Apollos (cp 1Cor 4:6-9); Titus (cp 2Cor 8:23); James, Josses, Simon and Jude, the brothers of Jesus (cp Mt 13:55; 1Cor 9:5); Andronicus and Junias (cp Ro 16:7); Epaphroditus (cp Php 2:25), and there were at least two others with Titus (cp 2Cor 8:23). Scriptures do not tell us how all these men were commissioned, but in the case of Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, Apollos and Titus, we see how God promoted them after they proved their faithfulness in other areas of ministry first. This is the biblical pattern for promotion in the New Testament church (cp Mt 25:14-23).

Although Paul was a chosen vessel of God he was not sent out as an apostle until after he had proved his faithfulness in other areas of ministry first (cp Ac 9:1-30; 11:25-30; 13:1-5). Paul and Barnabas were already ministering in the local church at Antioch as prophets and teachers before being called of God and sent out as apostles. Barnabas first proved himself as a liberal giver in the fledgling church at Jerusalem and then as the first missionary sent out from a church. In this capacity he also did the work of an evangelist leading many people to the Lord and building up the church at Antioch where he and Paul worked hard and long spreading the gospel (cp Ac 4:36-37; 9:26-27; 11:22-26; 12:25; 13:1-5, 50 - 14:4).

Silas was also a prophet when chosen by Paul to take John Mark's place as his travelling companion on Paul's second apostolic mission journey. It was on this journey that Timothy also joined them, and he and Silas helped Paul establish the churches at Philippi and Thessalonica (cp Ac 15:22-25, 35-41; 16:1-5, 19-40; 17:1-15; 18:5; Php 2:19-23). Timothy was one of Paul's converts from his first mission journey. Paul became his mentor and taught and encouraged him through other areas of ministry until he became an apostle. He and Silas were first designated apostles in 1Th 2:6 (cp 1Th 1:1; 2:6; 1Ti 1:1-4; 4:1-16; 2Ti 1:1-6; 4:1-5).

Apollos was very active in promoting the gospel at Ephesus, Achaia and Corinth, and was even more so after being properly instructed by Aquila and Priscilla. He laboured with Paul establishing the church at Corinth (cp Ac 18:24 - 19:1; 1Cor 1:11-12; 3:3-7; 4:17).

Titus was also a long-time fellow-worker of Paul's in his apostolic mission journeys and God promoted him too (cp 2Cor 7:5-7, 13-15; 8:23; Ga 2:1-2; 2Ti 4:9-10; Tit 1:4-5). We get a good insight here into what is involved in preparing and equipping the saints for service, seeing them released into ministry, and how God promotes them from there. None of these men started out as apostles. They all proved themselves faithful in other areas of ministry first and then God promoted them just as Jesus teaches in Mt 25:14-23.

Most Christians believe that the ministry gift of apostle in the contemporary church has been fulfilled in the ministry of the missionary, and there are doubtless many missionaries who do function as apostles and should be recognised as such. The ministries of apostles and missionaries are similar – they both evangelise, plant churches, instruct, correct, and establish them in the faith, but whereas every apostle is a missionary, not every missionary is an apostle. Furthermore every apostle is a qualified elder in the New Testament church, but not every The Church missionary is, and it is the elders, collectively and coequally, to whom God has committed the direction and government of the local New Testament church (cp 1Pe 5:1; 2Jn 1; 3Jn 1).

There is a highly impactive teaching originating in these scriptures that the majority of Christians are completely unaware of but which leads us to a clearer understanding of church government. Elders are much more important to God's purpose for the church than most Christians realise. They are not simply rubber stamps for the decisions made by local church leaders - they are the local church leaders, yet are not recognised as such in the contemporary church. The elders constitute the presbytery, the ruling body in the New Testament church (cp Ac 20:17, 28). Paul's admonition to the elders here to collectively heed their responsibility to feed the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers, clearly teaches that God has committed the direction and government of the local New Testament church to the plurality of elders coequally. Feed is from the Greek word poimaino, which means to pastor or shepherd. It is the plurality of elders' responsibility co-equally to pastor God's people who comprise the local church. Overseers is from the Greek word episkopos, which means bishop (cp Ac 1:15-20).

Here we learn that apostles are also bishops. Judas Iscariot forfeited his bishop rick – the office, charge, or duty of an overseer in the New Testament church – when he betrayed Jesus. He also forfeited his apostleship and eldership at the same time. Bishop is simply another name for elder. Episkopos is equal to presbuteros the Greek word for elder or presbyter. The terms bishop/overseer, elder/presbyter and pastor/shepherd all refer to one and the same person. However, although they all refer to one and the same person, the terms are not synonymous – they do not all mean the same: elder/presbyter refers to the man, bishop/overseer refers to his office, and pastor/shepherd refers to the work he does (cp 1Ti 3:1-7; Tit 1:4-9). These scriptures not only confirm that it is the elders to whom God has committed the direction and government of the local New Testament church, but they also teach that the elders are all men.

The Greek words episkopos for bishop, and presbuteros for elder, both only refer to a male. Also, the fact that anyone aspiring to the office of a bishop or elder must be the husband of one wife if married, is further confirmation that elders can only ever be men, not women as well. Likewise deacons can only ever be men also, for they too must be the husband of one wife if married (cp 1Ti 3:12). Scripture does not teach that a bishop, elder or deacon can be the wife of one husband. We will examine this aspect of women's ministry in the church in more detail in our study on "pastors". There is just as much confusion concerning elders in the contemporary church as there is concerning apostles and prophets. Sadly, not many Christians know who the elders really are in the divine order for the church. They simply see them as having been a long-time member of the church, but that is only a part of what qualifies them as elders (cp Eph 4:7-16). This clearly spells out for us that the men who function in the ministry gifts of Eph 4:11 are the ones God has designated as the ruling elders in the New Testament church. All the scriptures we have examined so far in our study on apostles confirm this.

Christ gave these men to the church and ordained them to remain there while ever the church exists and we do not have to look for anyone else in scripture beyond them as the elders to whom God would commit the direction and government of His church. The ruling body of elders in the church consists of apostle/elders, prophet/elders, evangelist/elders and teacher/elders who collectively and co-equally pastor the church (cp 1Pe 5:1-4). Peter highlights the co-equality of the ruling body of elders in his statement here "...who am also an elder." This "elder" is not presbuteros but sumpresbuteros, which means literally "one on the same level with them" - a fellow elder or co-presbyter. This is further confirmation that the divine order of government in the local New Testament church involves a plurality of elders co-equally. Peter is addressing a plurality of elders from each of the local churches at Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia in this letter (cp 1Pe 1:1).

His admonition to them is similar to Paul's admonition to the elders in the church at Ephesus in Ac 20:28 but with the added injunction that they are not to "...lord it over their congregations." This means that they are not to rule them in a high-handed, autocratic way. Some who are opposed to the concept of a plurality of elders co-equally ruling the New Testament church teach that in 1Pe 5:1 Peter is identifying with the elders as an apostle and with the people as an elder, but that begs the question, why? He had already identified himself as an apostle to the elders and people alike in 1Pe 1:1, and in 1 Pe 5:1 he simply asserts to the elders among them that he and they are co-equals in the divine order of government in the church. We should accept that assertion at face value, not look for hidden agendas behind it (cp Ac 14:21-23).

Here for the first time in scripture we see elders being appointed in the local church. They were already presiding over the church at Judea when Paul and Barnabas took the relief money there from Antioch (cp Ac 11:29-30). They were also already presiding with the apostles over the Jerusalem church when Paul and Barnabas went there to settle the question of gentile circumcision at Antioch (cp Ac 15:1-6). In Ac 14:21-23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in the churches they had previously pioneered on their first apostolic mission journey in Ac 13:1-52 (cp 1Ti 1:1-4; Tit 1:4-5). We learn in 1Ti 1:1-4 that elders who had already been appointed in the local church at Ephesus were teaching error so Paul left Timothy there in the foundation ministry of apostle to straighten them out. Tit 1:4-5 teaches that Paul likewise left Titus in the foundation ministry of apostle in Crete to appoint elders in the local churches there. We see in all these scriptures a definite biblical pattern whereby elders are appointed after local churches have been established by apostles. The elders collectively then become the presbytery, responsible for the direction and government of the church.

This is not teaching that elders are appointed by men, but that those functioning in the ministry gifts of Eph 4:11 are acknowledged and ordained to ministry in the church by the apostle or the ruling body of elders in accordance with the divine will (cp 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6; 4:5). The word "presbytery" in 1Ti 4:14 is referring to the ruling body of elders who prophesied over Timothy and laid hands on him to bring forth his ministry gift of apostle (cp 1Ti 3:1-7). The term "desire" in 1Ti 3:1 means to stretch oneself out in order to grasp or touch something. It includes the idea of reaching after or seeking. However believers desiring the office of bishop/overseer/elder/presbyter must have the desire first confirmed by the word of God as outlined in 1Ti 3:2-7, and also by the church as outlined in 1Ti 3:10.

This means that nobody can be ordained an elder based solely on desire, burden, vision, administrative ability, business acumen, the call of God some may feel they have on their life, or even Bible College training. The requirements for ordination are stipulated by God and stand as absolutes in God's order for church government. Moral issues are not all that is involved. Spiritual maturity and faithfulness in service are just as important. Men must first prove their faithfulness in lesser areas of ministry before seeking promotion to the highest office in the local New Testament church. In all the scriptures we have studied pertaining to apostles so far we find a definite pattern to how God raises up men in leadership ministries. First they proved their faithfulness in the little things.

Then God promoted them to the bigger things, just as Jesus teaches in Mt 25:14-23 (cp 1Ti 3:8-13). 1Ti 3:13 here teaches that those who serve faithfully as deacons obtain for themselves a position of trust and influence in the church. This is a definite promise of promotion for those faithful in the lesser things first. There are still more scriptures proving the plurality of elders as the ruling body co-equally in the local church which we need to examine (cp Php 1:1). "Bishops" here are the ruling elders or presbyters (cp 1Ti 5:17). "The elders that rule well" are those who preside over the local church (cp He 13:7, 17, 24). "Them who are to be obeyed" again are the ruling elders. Obey here means to assent to; follow (cp Jas 5:14). James also teaches a plurality of elders ruling the church co-equally here. He does not refer to any one man but to the plurality of elders co-equally.

The number of elders in any church will depend entirely upon the size of the congregation. The apostle who pioneers the church may be the only one to start with, but others should be appointed as quickly as they are seen to be functioning in any of the ministry gifts of Eph 4:11, and can satisfy the requirements God has laid down for their ordination in 1Ti 3:1-7 and Tit 1:4-9. They then become co-leaders in the church with the apostle (cp Ac 15:1-27; 21:17-25). These scriptures clearly confirm all that the foregoing scriptures teach - that the direction and government of the local New Testament church is not vested in the ministry of one man alone as it is in the contemporary church, but in the plurality of elders co-equally.

James alone did not decide on what action to take concerning the question of gentile circumcision in Ac 15:1-41 as some teach. The Greek construction of the phrase "wherefore my sentence is ..." in Ac 15:19 according to Kenneth Wuest's "Expanded Translation of the Greek New Testament" is "...wherefore as for myself, my judgement is ..." James is simply putting forward his opinion on the issue the same as Peter did in Ac 15:7-11, only he was more explicit than Peter by also proposing what action they should take. The fact that they all agreed to the action proposed as Chapter 15 clearly emphasizes, proves the co-equality in the plurality of elders involved.

There were a number of apostles present with the elders in Ac 15:1-41 but only James was present when Paul returned to Jerusalem in Ac 21:1-40. On both occasions though the elders were co-equal with the apostles in receiving Paul and his companions and in the decision making process which ensued. There is nothing in any of these scriptures to indicate that James, who appears to be resident apostle in the Jerusalem church in Ac 21:1-40, outranked the elders who presided over the church with him. However, the mantle of spokesman for the apostles and elders falls upon the apostle as the one set first in the church in the foundation ministry. In the absence of the apostle the next in line is the prophet, and after him the teacher. This is the divine order (cp 1Cor 12:28).

There is no need to look beyond what scriptures teach about government in the New Testament church (cp Rev 1:11-20; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14). The general consensus among Christians as well as most Bible commentators is that the "angels" of the seven churches Jesus addresses here are "pastors" because of the common belief in the contemporary church that "pastors" are the local New Testament church leaders, yet the word "angel" is from the Greek word angelos, which means a messenger - one sent to announce or proclaim, which is also what apostles do. Angels and apostles have similar meanings but because it is generally believed that the office of apostle ceased with the first century church, the apostle is no longer recognised as the foundation ministry in the contemporary church, and he has been replaced by the "pastor", notwithstanding that nowhere in scripture is the term "pastor" ever used to define rank, authority or title of anyone - man or woman in the New Testament church. As noted earlier we will examine the scriptures proving that statement in our study on "pastors" (cp 3Jn 9-10).

The wisdom of God is seen in the plurality of elders as leaders in the church because it safeguards the church from being ruled by despots like Diotrephes. Now let us look at some of the characteristics of false apostles before moving on. Scriptures warn against them and we need to be able to correctly discern them. It is very easy to be deceived by them because they are so charismatic (cp 2Cor 11:4-15). False apostles are counterfeits of the devil the same as all other false teachers, and the only sure way to guard against being taken in by them is to test their teaching according to God's word (cp Ac 17:10-11; 2Pe 1:16-19). In 2Pe 1:16-19 Peter teaches us that scripture is the only proof text we have with which to measure any teaching in the church against, and even though we may also be eyewitness to a truly great spiritual experience as Peter himself was at the transfiguration of Jesus, if any teaching does not have its authority in scripture, then we must disregard it completely, the same as the church at Ephesus did (cp Rev 2:1-7). Christians are commanded to test every teaching that comes into the church (cp Ac 17:10-11; 1Th 5:21; 2Pe 1:16-19; 1Jn 4:1). The Church