Reference: Apostle
American
A messenger or envoy. The term is applied to Jesus Christ, who was God's envoy to save the world, Heb 3:1; though, more commonly, the title is given to persons who were envoys commissioned by the Savior himself.
The apostles of Jesus Christ were his chief disciples, whom he invested with authority, filled with his Spirit, entrusted particularly with his doctrines and services, and chose to raise the edifice of his church. They were twelve in number, answering to the twelve tribes. Mt 19:28, and were plain, unlearned men, chosen from the common people. After their calling and charge, Mt 10:5-42, they attended their divine Master, witnessing his works, imbibing his spirit, and gradually learning the facts and doctrines of the gospel. After his resurrection, he sent them into all the world, commissioned to preach, to baptize, to work miracles, etc. See Joh 15:27; 1Co 9:1; 15:8; 2Co 12:12; 1Th 2:13. The names of the twelve are, Simon Peter; Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, called also "the greater;" John, his brother; Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew, or Levi; Simon the Canaanite; Lebbeus, surnamed Thaddeus, also called Judas or Jude; James, "the less," the son of Alphaeus; and Judas Iscariot, Mt 10:2-4; Mr 3:16; Lu 6:14. The last betrayed his Master, and then hanged himself, and Matthias was chosen in his place, Ac 1:15-26. In the Acts of the Apostles are recorded the self-sacrificing toils and sufferings of these Christlike men, who did that which was "right in the sight of God" from love to their Lord; and gave themselves wholly to their work, with a zeal, love, and faith Christ delighted to honor-teaching us that apostolic graces alone can secure apostolic successes.
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These are the names of the apostles (missionaries). First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. These men, the Twelve, Jesus sent forth, after giving them the following instructions. "Do not go among the Gentiles, or enter any Samaritan town, "but rather be on your way to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. "As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. "Take no gold or silver or coppers in your purses; "not even a bag for the journey, or a change of clothes, or sandals, or even a stick; for the worker is worth his rations. "Into whatever city or town you enter, inquire for some worthy person there, and stay with him until you leave. "When you enter the house, salute it; "and if the house is worthy let your blessing sit upon it; but if it be unworthy, let your blessing return to you. "And whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, as you go out from that house or that city, shake off the very dust from your feet. "I tell you solemnly it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that town. "Behold, it is I who am sending you forth like sheep among wolves. Be then as serpents and as guileless as doves. "But beware of men! For they will give you up to the Sanhedrin, and flog you in their synagogues. "And you will be taken before governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. "But whenever they apprehend you, do not be anxious about how you shall speak or what you shall say; for it will be given you in that very hour what to say. "For it will not be you who is speaking, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you. "And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against their parents and put them to death. "You will be hated by all men because of my name; and he who endures to the end shall be saved. "But when they persecute you in one city, flee to the next. In solemn truth I tell you that you shall not have completed the cities of Israel, before the Son of man comes. "A pupil is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his masters. "It is enough for the pupil to fare like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more, the members of his household. "So do not fear them; for there is nothing concealed which shall not be revealed, nor anything secret which shall not become known. "What I am telling you is in the darkness, do you speak in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear rather him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. "Are not two sparrows sold for a half-penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your father. "The very hairs on your head are all numbered. "Cease to be afraid! You are of greater value than many sparrows. "Every one, then, who will confess me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven. "But whoever disowns me before men, I also will disown before my Father who is in heaven. "Do not suppose that I am come to bring peace on the earth; I am come not to bring peace, but a sword. "For I came to set "a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; "and a man's own household will be his enemies. "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; "and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. "He who has saved his life shall lose it; and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it. "Whoever receives you is receiving me, and he who receives me is receiving Him who sent me. "Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and whoever receives a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward. "And whoever gives to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, because he is a disciple, I tell you in solemn truth, he shall not lose his reward.
"In solemn truth I tell you," Jesus answered, "that in the New Creation, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, you also who have followed me shall sit on twelve thrones, to govern the twelve tribes of Israel.
They were Simon, whom he had also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John;
"and you to shall bear witness because you have been with me from the first.
It was during these days that Peter stood up among the brothers??he whole number of persons present was about one hundred and twenty??nd said: "Men and brothers, it was necessary for the Scripture to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit uttered beforehand by the lips of David in regard to Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus. read more. "For he was numbered among us, and he did get his allotted share of this ministry. "Now this man bought a plot of ground with the price of his treachery, and falling there headlong he burst asunder and all his bowels gushed out. "This fact became known to the people of Jerusalem so that the place was called in their language, Acheldamach, The Field of Blood. "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, Let his dwelling-place be desolate; Let no man dwell there, also, Let another take his work. "It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection." So they placed two in nomination, Joseph called Bar-Sabbas (surnamed Justas) and Matthias; and they prayed, saying. "Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show clearly which of these two men thou hast chosen to fill the place "in this ministry of this apostles from which Judas went out to go to his own place." Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Therefore, holy brothers, comrades of a heavenly calling, fix your thoughts then upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
Easton
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 (Heb 3:1; Joh 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 (Mt 10:1-5; Mr 3:14; 6:7; Lu 6:13; 9:1). We have four lists of the apostles, one by each of the synoptic evangelists (Mt 10:2-4; Mr 3:16; Lu 6:14), and one in the Acts (Ac 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 (Joh 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" (Mt 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 (Ac 2:4; 1Co 2:16,7,10,13; 2Co 5:20; 1Co 11:2). Judas Iscariot, one of "the twelve," fell by transgression, and Matthias was substituted in his place (Ac 1:21). Saul of Tarsus was afterwards added to their number (Ac 9:3-20; 20:4; 26:15-18; 1Ti 1:12; 2:7; 2Ti 1:11).
Luke has given some account of Peter, John, and the two Jameses (Ac 12:2,17; 15:13; 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 (Ac 12:2), James the Less usually resided at Jerusalem, while Paul, "the apostle of the uncircumcision," usually travelled as a missionary among the Gentiles (Ga 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 (Joh 15:27; Ac 1:21-22; 1Co 9:1; Ac 22:14-15). (2.) They must have been immediately called to that office by Christ (Lu 6:13; Ga 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 (Joh 14:26; 16:13; 1Th 2:13).
(4.) Another qualification was the power of working miracles (Mr 16:20; Ac 2:43; 1Co 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 2Co 8:23 and Php 2:25 the word "messenger" is the rendering of the same Greek word, elsewhere rendered "apostle."
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And when he had called his twelve disciples to him, he gave them power over evil spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and infirmity. These are the names of the apostles (missionaries). First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother;
These are the names of the apostles (missionaries). First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. These men, the Twelve, Jesus sent forth, after giving them the following instructions. "Do not go among the Gentiles, or enter any Samaritan town,
And Jesus came forward to them and spoke to them, saying. "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; read more. teaching them to observe every command which I have given you. and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
Twelve of them whom he also called "Apostles," he appointed to be with him, and also that he might send them out to preach,
Then summoning the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over unclean spirits.
But they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the message by the miracles which followed.
And when day dawned he called his disciples, and from among them he selected twelve, whom also he called Apostles missionaries.
And when day dawned he called his disciples, and from among them he selected twelve, whom also he called Apostles missionaries. They were Simon, whom he had also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John;
Then he called the Twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to heal;
"and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter to be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. "The world cannot receive him because it does not see him nor know him, but you know him, for he is ever with you and within you.
"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you.
"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you.
"When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father, he will bear witness of me; "and you to shall bear witness because you have been with me from the first.
"and you to shall bear witness because you have been with me from the first.
"Yet?? am telling you the truth??y going is for your good. For unless I go away the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart I will send him unto you. And he, when he comes, will convict the world of sins and of righteousness and of judgment; read more. of sin, because they do not believe in me; of righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you will no longer see me; and of judgement, because the Prince of this world has been judged. "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them just now. But when he is come, that Spirit of Truth, he will guide you into the whole truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but all that he hears he will speak, and will make known to you that which is to come.
But when he is come, that Spirit of Truth, he will guide you into the whole truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but all that he hears he will speak, and will make known to you that which is to come. He will glorify me; for he will take of what is mine and will make known to you. read more. Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said that he will take of what is mine and make it known to you.
Then Jesus said to them again. "Peace to you. As my Father has sent me forth, I also now am sending you."
On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were accustomed to meet. They were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were wrought by the apostles.
And as he journeyed, when he was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed round him. He fell to the ground, and heard a voice which said to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" read more. And he said, "Who are you Lord?" "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he said: "Stand up and go into the city, and there you shall be told what you must do." Meanwhile the men who were his fellow travelers stood speechless, hearing indeed the voice, but beholding no one. And Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he continued to perceive nothing; so they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. And he remained there three days, seeing nothing, and without eating or drinking. Now there was in Damascus a disciple named Ananias, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision, saying, "Ananias!" And he answered, "Lo, I am here, Lord." And the Lord said to him. "Arise, go into the street named 'Straight,' and make inquiries in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus, one Saul. He is now praying, and has seen a man named Ananias enter and lay his hands on him to restore his sight." "But, Lord," said Ananias, "I have heard from many about that man, and how much evil he did to the saints at Jerusalem! "In this city, too, he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all those who call upon thy name." "Go," answered the Lord, "this man is chosen instrument of mine to bear my name before the nations and their kings, and before the Children of Israel also; "for I am going to show him all he has to suffer for the sake of my name." And so Ananias went and entered into the house, and laying his hands on him, said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to you on your journey, has sent me that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Instantly something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized. Afterward he took food and was strengthened. And he remained for some time with the disciples at Damascus. And he began at once to proclaim in the synagogues Jesus as the Son of God.
and beheaded James, the brother of John, with the sword.
and beheaded James, the brother of John, with the sword.
He motioned to them to keep quiet, and told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. "Tell all this to James," he said, "and to the brothers," and away he went to another place.
There accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
On the following day we went with Paul to call on James, and all the elders were present.
"Then he said: "'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know his will; and to see the righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. "'For before the face of all men you will be a witness for him of what you have seen and heard.
"'Who are you, Lord?' I said." And the Lord said: 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. "'But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you my minister and my witness both of what you have already seen and of those things in which I will appear to you. read more. "'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes "'so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, in order to receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.
Paul, an apostle sent not from men nor by any man, but by Jesus Christ and by God the Father who raised him from the dead;
(for he who has equipped Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised, equipped me also for the apostleship to the Gentiles),
Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;
since you are rooted in him, and in him continually built up. Be firmly established in the faith as you were taught it, and continually abound in it with thanksgiving.
and in him you have your fulness, and he is the Lord of all the principalities and powers.
And you also, at one time dead in your trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your sensual nature, he has made alive together with himself. For he forgave us all our transgressions,
Therefore do not permit any one to sit in judgment on you in regard to what you may eat or drink, or in regard to feast-days or new moons or sabbaths.
for they upset whole households and, for filthy lucre's sake, teach what they ought not to teach. By one of their own number, by a prophet of their own, it has been said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons."
In your teaching be serious and sincere.
Therefore, holy brothers, comrades of a heavenly calling, fix your thoughts then upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
Fausets
("one sent forth".) The official name of the twelve whom Jesus sent forth to preach, and who also were with Him throughout His earthly ministry. Peter states the qualifications before the election of Judas' successor (Ac 1:21), namely, that he should have companied with the followers of Jesus "all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among them, beginning from the baptism of John unto the day that He was taken up, to be a witness with the others of His resurrection." So the Lord, "Ye are they that have continued with Me in My temptations" (Lu 22:28). The Holy Spirit was specially promised to bring all things to their remembrance whatever Jesus had said, to guide them into all truth, and to enable them to testify of Jesus with power to all lands (Joh 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:13-14). They were some of them fishermen, one a tax collector, and most of them unlearned.
Though called before, they did not permanently follow Him until their call as apostles. All were on a level (Mt 20:20-27; Mr 9:34-36). Yet three stood in especial nearness to Him, Peter, James, and John; they alone witnessed the raising of Jairus' daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in Gethsemane. An order grounded on moral considerations is traceable in the enumeration of the rest: Judas, the traitor, in all the lists stands last. The disciples surrounded Jesus in wider and still wider expanding circles: nearest Him Peter, James, and. John; then the other nine; then the Seventy; then the disciples in general. But the "mystery" was revealed to all alike (Mt 10:27). Four catalogues are extant: Matthew's (Matthew 10), Mark's (Mr 3:16), Luke's (Lu 6:14) in the Gospel, and Luke's in Ac 1:13.
In all four the apostles are grouped in three classes, four in each. Philip heads the second division, i.e. is fifth; James the son of Alpheus heads the third, i.e. is ninth. Andrew follows Peter on the ground of brotherhood in Matthew and Luke; in Mark and Acts James and John, on the ground of greater nearness to Jesus, precede Andrew. In the second division Matthew modestly puts himself after Thomas; Mark and Luke give him his rightful place before Thomas. Thomas, after his doubts were removed (Joh 20:28), having attained distinguished faith, is promoted above Bartholomew (or Nathanael) and Matthew in Acts. In Matt, hew and Mark Thaddaeus (or Lebbaeus) precedes Simon Zelotes (Hebrew "Canaanite," i.e. one of the sect the Zealots). But in Luke and Acts Simon Zelotes precedes Jude (Thaddaeus) the brother of James. John gives no catalogue, but writing later takes it for granted (Re 21:14,19-20).
In the first division stand Peter and John, New Testament writers, in the second Matthew, in the third James and Jude. The Zealot stood once the last except the traitor, but subsequently became raised; bigotry is not always the best preparation for subsequent high standing in faith. Jesus sent them in pairs: a good plan for securing brotherly sympathy and cooperation. Their early mission in Jesus' lifetime, to preach repentance and perform miracles in Jesus' name, was restricted to Israel, to prepare the way for the subsequent gospel preaching to the Jews first, on and after Pentecost (Ac 3:25). They were slow to apprehend the spiritual nature of His kingdom, and His crucifixion and resurrection as the necessary preliminary to it. Even after His resurrection seven of them returned to their fishing; and it was only by Christ's renewed call that they were led' to remain together at Jerusalem, waiting for the promised Comforter (John 21; Ac 1:4).
From the day of the Pentecostal effusion of the Holy Spirit they became new men, witnessing with power of the resurrection of Jesus, as Jesus had promised (Lu 24:45,49; Ac 1:8,22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 13:31). The first period of the apostles' working extends down to Ac 11:18. Excepting the transition period (Acts 8-10) when, at Stephen's martyrdom, the gospel was extended to Samaria and. to the Ethiopian eunuch by Philip, Jerusalem is its center, and Peter' the prominent figure, who opened the kingdom of heaven (according to Jesus' promise to him, Mt 16:18-19) to the Jews and also to the Gentiles (Acts 2; 10). The second period begins with the extension of the kingdom to idolatrous Gentiles. (Ac 11:19-26).
Antioch, in concert with Jerusalem, is now the center, and Paul the prominent figure, in concert with the other apostles. Though the ideal number always remained twelve (Re 21:14), answering to the twelve tribes of Israel, yet just as there were in fact thirteen tribes when Joseph's two sons were made separate tribal heads, so Paul's calling made thirteen actual apostles. He possessed the two characteristics of an Apostle; he had" seen the Lord," so as to be an eye witness of His resurrection, and he had the power which none but an Apostle had, of conferring spiritual gifts (1Co 9:1-2; 2Co 12:12; Ro 1:11; 15:18-19). This period ends with Ac 13:1-5, when Barnabas and Saul were separated by the Holy Spirit unto missionary work. Here the third apostolic period begins, in which the twelve disappear, and Paul alone stands forth, the Apostle of the Gentiles; so that at the close of Acts, which leaves him evangelizing in Rome, the metropolis of the world, churches from Jerusalem unto Illyricum had been founded through him.
Apostle is used in a vaguer sense of "messengers of the churches" (2Co 8:23; Php 2:25). But the term belongs in its stricter sense to the twelve alone; they alone were apostles of Christ. Their distinctive note is, they were commissioned immediately by Jesus Himself. They alone were chosen by Christ Himself, independently of the churches. So even Matthias (Ac 1:24). So Paul (Ga 1:1-12; Ro 1:1; 1Co 15:9-10). Their exclusive office was to found the Christian church; so their official existence was of Christ, and prior to the churches they collectively and severally founded. They acted with a divine authority to bind and loose things (Mt 18:18), and to remit or retain sins of persons (Joh 20:21-23), which they exercised by the authoritative ministry of the word. Their infallibility, of which their miracles were the credentials, marked them as extraordinary, not permanent, ministers.
Paul requires the Corinthians to acknowledge that the things which he wrote were the Lord's commandments (1Co 14:37). The office was not local; but "the care of all the churches." They were to the whole what particular elders were, to parts of the church (1Pe 5:1; 2Jo 1:1). Apostles therefore could have strictly no successors. John, while superintending the whole, was especially connected with the churches of Asia Minor, Paul with the W., Peter with Babylon. The bishops in that age coexisted with, and did not succeed officially, the apostles. James seems specially to have had a presidency in Jerusalem (Ac 15:19; 21:18).
Once the Lord Himself is so designated, "the Apostle of our profession" (Heb 3:1); the, Ambassador sent from the Father (Joh 20:21). As Apostle He pleads God's cause with us; as" High Priest," our cause with God. Appropriate in writing to Hebrew, since the Hebrew high priest sent delegates ("apostles") to collect the temple tribute from Jews in foreign countries, just as Christ is the Father's Delegate to claim the Father's due from His subjects in this world far off from Him (Mt 21:37).
See Verses Found in Dictionary
"What I am telling you is in the darkness, do you speak in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
"What I am telling you is in the darkness, do you speak in the light; and what is whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
"Moreover I say to you that you are Petros (a rock), and on this petra (rock) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her.
"Moreover I say to you that you are Petros (a rock), and on this petra (rock) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against her. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind upon the earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon earth shall be loosed in the heavens."
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind upon the earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose upon earth shall be loosed in the heavens."
"I tell you all in solemn truth that whatever you forbid upon earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
"I tell you all in solemn truth that whatever you forbid upon earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, kneeling down and begging a favor of him.
Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, kneeling down and begging a favor of him. "What is it you wish?" he said. She answered, "Command that these my two sons may sit upon your right hand and your left in your kingdom."
"What is it you wish?" he said. She answered, "Command that these my two sons may sit upon your right hand and your left in your kingdom." "None of you know what you are asking," said Jesus. "Can you drink the cup which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.
"None of you know what you are asking," said Jesus. "Can you drink the cup which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied. My cup you indeed shall drink," he answered, "but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
My cup you indeed shall drink," he answered, "but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard of this, they were indignant at the two brothers;
When the ten heard of this, they were indignant at the two brothers; but Jesus called them to him and said: "You know how the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
but Jesus called them to him and said: "You know how the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. "Not so shall it be among you. But whoever among you wishes to become great, shall be your minister,
"Not so shall it be among you. But whoever among you wishes to become great, shall be your minister, "and whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be your slave;
But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest.
But they were silent, for on the road they were disputing together which one was greatest. So he sat down and called the Twelve, and said to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and the servant of all."
So he sat down and called the Twelve, and said to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and the servant of all." Then Jesus took a little child, set it among them, and folding it in his arms, he said,
Then Jesus took a little child, set it among them, and folding it in his arms, he said,
They were Simon, whom he had also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John;
They were Simon, whom he had also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John;
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
"And I will send forth the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high."
"And I will send forth the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high."
"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you.
"But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and bring to your remembrance everything that I have told you.
"When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father, he will bear witness of me;
"When the Comforter is come whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who comes forth from the Father, he will bear witness of me; "and you to shall bear witness because you have been with me from the first.
"and you to shall bear witness because you have been with me from the first.
But when he is come, that Spirit of Truth, he will guide you into the whole truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but all that he hears he will speak, and will make known to you that which is to come.
But when he is come, that Spirit of Truth, he will guide you into the whole truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but all that he hears he will speak, and will make known to you that which is to come. He will glorify me; for he will take of what is mine and will make known to you.
He will glorify me; for he will take of what is mine and will make known to you.
Then Jesus said to them again. "Peace to you. As my Father has sent me forth, I also now am sending you."
Then Jesus said to them again. "Peace to you. As my Father has sent me forth, I also now am sending you."
Then Jesus said to them again. "Peace to you. As my Father has sent me forth, I also now am sending you."
Then Jesus said to them again. "Peace to you. As my Father has sent me forth, I also now am sending you." When he had said this he breathed upon them and said:
When he had said this he breathed upon them and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you remit any one's sins, they are remitted; if you retain them they are retained."
"Receive the Holy Spirit. If you remit any one's sins, they are remitted; if you retain them they are retained."
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
And once when he was eating with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "Of this," he said, "you have heard from me.
And once when he was eating with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. "Of this," he said, "you have heard from me.
"yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."
"yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."
On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were accustomed to meet. They were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
On entering the city they went to the upper room where they were accustomed to meet. They were Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
and they prayed, saying. "Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show clearly which of these two men thou hast chosen to fill the place
and they prayed, saying. "Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show clearly which of these two men thou hast chosen to fill the place
This Jesus God has raised up, of this we are all witnesses.
This Jesus God has raised up, of this we are all witnesses.
"The Pioneer of Life you put to death. But God has raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses of that fact.
"The Pioneer of Life you put to death. But God has raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses of that fact.
"You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
"You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
"And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
"And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
On hearing this they held their peace and glorified God, saying, "Forsooth then, to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life."
On hearing this they held their peace and glorified God, saying, "Forsooth then, to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life." Then those who had been scattered by the trouble that arose over Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch; but they preached the word to none except Jews.
Then those who had been scattered by the trouble that arose over Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch; but they preached the word to none except Jews. Some of them, however, were Cyprians and Cyrenaeans, who, on reaching Antioch, began to tell the Greeks also the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus.
Some of them, however, were Cyprians and Cyrenaeans, who, on reaching Antioch, began to tell the Greeks also the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. When news of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.
When news of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch. When he arrived, and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord, with full purpose of heart;
When he arrived, and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he encouraged them all to remain faithful to the Lord, with full purpose of heart; for he was a good man, and full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.
for he was a good man, and full of faith and the Holy Spirit. And a great multitude was added to the Lord. Then Barnabas visited Tarsus, to try to find Saul,
Then Barnabas visited Tarsus, to try to find Saul, and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church, and taught many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of "Christians."
and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch, where for a whole year they were guests of the church, and taught many people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of "Christians."
Now there were in the church in Antioch prophets and teachers; Barnabas and Symeon, surnamed "the Black," Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.
Now there were in the church in Antioch prophets and teachers; Barnabas and Symeon, surnamed "the Black," Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. And as they were worshiping the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
And as they were worshiping the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them, and let them go.
So after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them, and let them go. So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
So they, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. And while they were in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
And while they were in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.
"For many days he was seen by those that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and are now his witnesses to the people.
"For many days he was seen by those that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and are now his witnesses to the people.
"My judgment therefore, is against troubling those who turn to God from among the Gentiles;
"My judgment therefore, is against troubling those who turn to God from among the Gentiles;
On the following day we went with Paul to call on James, and all the elders were present.
On the following day we went with Paul to call on James, and all the elders were present.
From Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for a gospel of God,
From Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for a gospel of God,
For I am longing so to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established;
For I am longing so to see you, in order to impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established;
For I will not dare to speak of any thing except that which Christ has done through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,
For I will not dare to speak of any thing except that which Christ has done through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, through the might of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit. So that beginning at Jerusalem and its environs, I have proclaimed without reserve the gospel of Christ, even as far as Illyricum.
through the might of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit. So that beginning at Jerusalem and its environs, I have proclaimed without reserve the gospel of Christ, even as far as Illyricum.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? Even if I am not an apostle to others, to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Even if I am not an apostle to others, to you at least I am; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
If any one thinks himself a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I am now writing you is a command of the Lord.
If any one thinks himself a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that what I am now writing you is a command of the Lord.
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.
Paul, an apostle sent not from men nor by any man, but by Jesus Christ and by God the Father who raised him from the dead;
Paul, an apostle sent not from men nor by any man, but by Jesus Christ and by God the Father who raised him from the dead; with all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia greeting.
with all the brothers who are with me. To the churches of Galatia greeting. Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Grace be to you, and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age in accordance with the will of our God and Father,
who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age in accordance with the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I am amazed that you are so soon shifting your ground, and deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ,
I am amazed that you are so soon shifting your ground, and deserting him who called you by the grace of Christ, for another gospel, which indeed is not another; only there are certain individuals who are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ.
for another gospel, which indeed is not another; only there are certain individuals who are troubling you, and desiring to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even though I myself or an angel from heaven were to preach any gospel other than that which I did preach to you, let him be accursed.
But even though I myself or an angel from heaven were to preach any gospel other than that which I did preach to you, let him be accursed. I have said it before, and I now repeat it, if any one is preaching a gospel to you other than that which you have received, let him be accursed.
I have said it before, and I now repeat it, if any one is preaching a gospel to you other than that which you have received, let him be accursed. Think you that I am now trying to conciliate men or God? Or am I "seeking to please men"? If I were still seeking to please men, I should not be a slave of Christ.
Think you that I am now trying to conciliate men or God? Or am I "seeking to please men"? If I were still seeking to please men, I should not be a slave of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel I preach is not man-made;
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel I preach is not man-made; for neither did I myself receive it from man, nor by man was I taught it, but by a revelation an apocalypse of Jesus Christ.
for neither did I myself receive it from man, nor by man was I taught it, but by a revelation an apocalypse of Jesus Christ.
Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;
Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;
Therefore, holy brothers, comrades of a heavenly calling, fix your thoughts then upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
Therefore, holy brothers, comrades of a heavenly calling, fix your thoughts then upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
Now to you who are presbyters I make this appeal; for I am myself a presbyter, and was a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed.
Now to you who are presbyters I make this appeal; for I am myself a presbyter, and was a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kings of precious stones. The first foundation-stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kings of precious stones. The first foundation-stone was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.
Morish
The Greek word ????????? signifies 'a messenger,' 'one sent,' and is used in this sense for any messenger in 2Co 8:23; Php 2:25; and as 'one sent' in Joh 13:16. It is also used in a much higher and more emphatic sense, implying a divine commission in the one sent, first of the Lord Himself and then of the twelve disciples whom He chose to be with Him during the time of His ministry here. The Lord in His prayer in Joh 17:18 said, "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." He was the Sent One, and in Heb 3:1 it is written "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Jesus."* They were to consider this One who had been faithful, and who was superior to Moses, to the Aaronic priests, and to angels, and was in the glory. The ordering of a dispensation depended on the apostolic office as divinely appointed.
* The word 'Christ' is omitted by the Editors.
APOSTLES, THE TWELVE. The Lord appointed these "that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out demons," and also to carry out the various commissions given by Christ on earth. It will be seen by the lists that follow that Lebbaeus, Thaddaeus and Judas are the same person; and that Simon the Canaanite (Cananaean) and Simon Zelotes are the same; Peter is also called Simon; and Matthew is called Levi.
Mt 10:2-4. Mr 3:16-19. Lu 6:14-16. Ac 1:18.
1 Peter and 1 Peter. 1 Simon. 1 Peter.
2 Andrew. 3 James. 2 Andrew. 3 James.
3 James and 4 John. 3 James. 4 John.
4 John. 2 Andrew. 4 John. 2 Andrew.
5 Philip and 5 Philip. 5 Philip. 5 Philip.
6 Bartholomew. 6 Bartholomew. 6 Bartholomew. 7 Thomas.
7 Thomas and 8 Matthew. 8 Matthew. 6 Bartholomew.
8 Matthew. 7 Thomas. 7 Thomas. 8 Matthew.
9 James and 9 James. 9 James. 9 James.
10 Lebbaeus. 10 Thaddaeus. 11 Simon Zelotes. 11 Simon Z.
11 Simon the Cana- 11 Simon C. 10 Judas. 10 Judas.
naean and 12 Judas 1. 12 Judas I.
12 Judas Iscariot.
Peter is always named first; he with James and John was with the Lord on the mount of transfiguration and also with the Lord at other times, though no one apostle had authority over the others: they were all brethren and the Lord was their Master. Judas Iscariot is always named last. In Matthew the word 'and' divides the twelve into pairs, perhaps corresponding to their being sent out two and two to preach. Bartholomew and Simon Zelotes are not mentioned after their appointment except in Acts 1.
When the Lord sent the twelve out to preach He bade them take nothing with them, for the workman was worthy of his food: and on their return they confessed that they had lacked nothing. Their mission was with authority as the sent ones of the Lord; sicknesses were healed and demons cast out; and if any city refused to receive them it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgement than for that city. Mt 10:5-15.
They received a new mission from the Lord as risen: see Luke 24; John 20. And before the ascension the apostles were bidden to tarry at Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This was bestowed at the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They are also viewed first among the gifts with which the church was endowed by the Head of the body when He ascended up on high. Eph 4:8-11. These gifts were for "the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." The mystery hitherto hid in God was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, namely, that the Gentiles should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and partakers of His promise in Christ Jesus. Eph. 3. Paul was the special vessel to make known this grace. His apostleship occupies a peculiar place, he having been called by the Lord from heaven, and being charged with the gospel of the glory. See PAUL.
On the death of Judas Iscariot, Matthias, an early disciple, was chosen in his place, for there must be (irrespective of Paul, who, as we have seen, held a unique place) twelve apostles as witnesses of His resurrection, Ac 1:22; Re 21:14 as there must still be twelve tribes of Israel. Jas 1:1; Re 21:12. At the conference of the church in Jerusalem respecting the Gentiles 'the apostles' took a prominent part, with the elders. Acts 15. How many apostles remained at Jerusalem is not recorded: we do not read of 'the twelve' after Acts 6. Tradition gives the various places where they laboured, which may be found under each of their names. Scripture is silent on the subject, in order that the new order of things committed to Paul might become prominent, as the older things connected with Judaism vanished away: cf. 2Pe 3:15-16.
There were no successors to the apostles: to be apostles they must have 'seen the Lord.' Ac 1:21-22; 1Co 9:1; Re 2:2. The foundation of the church was laid, and apostolic work being complete the apostles passed away, there remain however, in the goodness of God, such gifts as are needed "till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph 4:12-13.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
These are the names of the apostles (missionaries). First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. These men, the Twelve, Jesus sent forth, after giving them the following instructions. "Do not go among the Gentiles, or enter any Samaritan town, "but rather be on your way to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. "As you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. "Take no gold or silver or coppers in your purses; "not even a bag for the journey, or a change of clothes, or sandals, or even a stick; for the worker is worth his rations. "Into whatever city or town you enter, inquire for some worthy person there, and stay with him until you leave. "When you enter the house, salute it; "and if the house is worthy let your blessing sit upon it; but if it be unworthy, let your blessing return to you. "And whoever will not receive you or listen to your words, as you go out from that house or that city, shake off the very dust from your feet. "I tell you solemnly it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that town.
There was Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and James(them he surnamed Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder), read more. and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
They were Simon, whom he had also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Mathew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot; read more. Jude the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who was the traitor.
In solemn truth I tell you that a slave is not greater than his master, neither is a messenger greater than the one who sends him.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so I also have sent them into the world.
"Now this man bought a plot of ground with the price of his treachery, and falling there headlong he burst asunder and all his bowels gushed out.
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.
Thus it is said, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now surely this "he ascended" implies that he also descended into the lower part of the earth. read more. He who descended is he who ascended above the highest heaven, that he might fill the universe. It is he who made some men apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, in order to equip the saints for the work of serving, for the building up of the Body of Christ??13 till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to the maturity of manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;
Therefore, holy brothers, comrades of a heavenly calling, fix your thoughts then upon Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession.
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, sends greeting to the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad.
Regard our Lord's longsuffering as salvation; even as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you, according to the wisdom given to him. It is the same in all his letters when he speaks of these things. There are indeed some things in his letters hard to understand, which the ignorant and the shifty wrest, as also they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
I know your works and your toil and stedfastness, and that you cannot endure evil men, and that you tested those who called themselves apostles, though they are not, and how you found them false.
with a wall great and high, and twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Smith
(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
It is only of those who were officially designated apostles that we treat in the article. Their names are given in
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.
Joh 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.
), 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 Matt 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,
Mt 16:16; Lu 9:20
and described to him supernatural power
Lu 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,
Lu 24:21; Joh 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.
Lu 24:48; Ac 1:8,22; 2:32; 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.
ff. Their first mission out of Jerusalem was to Samaria
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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
These are the names of the apostles (missionaries). First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew, the tax-gatherer; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname is Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Then he said to them, "But who do you say I am?" Then Peter answered saying, "The Christ of God."
"But we were hoping that it was he who should redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this is the third day since these things happened.
"You must bear testimony to this.
"I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them just now. But when he is come, that Spirit of Truth, he will guide you into the whole truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but all that he hears he will speak, and will make known to you that which is to come.
"yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."
from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
This Jesus God has raised up, of this we are all witnesses.
"The Pioneer of Life you put to death. But God has raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses of that fact.
Many signs and wonders continued to be wrought among the people by the hands of the apostles, and by common consent they all would meet in Solomon's Porch,
"And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."
"For many days he was seen by those that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and are now his witnesses to the people.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.
Watsons
APOSTLE, ?????????, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, commissioned by him to preach his Gospel, and propagate it to all parts of the earth. The word originally signifies a person delegated or sent; from ?????????, mitto; in which sense it occurs in Herodotus, and other profane authors. Hence, in the New Testament, the term is applied to divers sorts of delegates; and to the twelve disciples by way of eminence. They were limited to the number twelve, in allusion to the twelve tribes of Israel. See Mt 19:28; Lu 22:30; Re 21:12-14; and compare Ex 24:4; De 1:23; and Jos 4:2-3. Accordingly care was taken, on the death of Judas, to choose another, to make up the number, Ac 1:21-22,26. Of the first selection and commission of the twelve Apostles, we have an account, Lu 6:13, &c.; Mt 10:1, &c. Having chosen and constituted twelve persons, under the name of Apostles, our blessed Lord determined that for some time they should be continually with him, not only to attend upon his public ministry, but to enjoy the benefit of his private conversation, that he might furnish them the better for the great work in which they were to be employed; and that, at length, after suitable preparation, he might, with greater advantage, send them abroad to preach his Gospel, and thus make way for his own visits to some more distant parts, where he had not yet been; and to enable them more effectually to do this, he endowed them with the power of working miracles, of curing diseases, and casting out demons. About the commencement of the third year of his ministry, according to the common account of its duration, he sent them out two by two, that they might be assistants to each other in their work; and commanded them to restrict their teaching and services to the people of Israel, and to avoid going to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans, to declare the approach of the kingdom of heaven, and the establishment of the Gospel dispensation; to exercise the miraculous powers with which they had been endowed gratuitously; and to depend for their subsistence on the providence of God, and on the donations of those to whom they ministered. Their names were, Simon Peter; Andrew, his brother; James the greater, the son of Zebedee; and John his brother, who was the beloved disciple; Philip of Bethsaida; Bartholomew; Thomas, called Didymus, as having a twin brother; Matthew or Levi, who had been a publican; James, the son of Alpheus, called James the less; Lebbeus, surnamed Thaddeus, and who was also called Judas or Jude, the brother of James; Simon, the Canaanite, so called, as some have thought, because he was a native of Cana, or, as Dr. Hammond thinks, from the Hebrew ???, signifying the same with Zelotes, or the Zelot, a name given to him on account of his having before professed a distinguishing zeal for the law; and Judas Iscariot, or a man of Carioth, Jos 15:25, who afterward betrayed him, and then laid violent hands on himself. Of these, Simon, Andrew, James the greater, and John, were fishermen; Matthew, and James the son of Alpheus, were publicans; and the other six were probably fishermen, though their occupation is not distinctly specified.
After the resurrection of our Saviour, and not long before his ascension, the place of Judas the traitor was supplied by Matthias, supposed by some to have been Nathaniel of Galilee, to whom our Lord had given the distinguishing character of an "Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile;" and the twelve Apostles, whose number was now completed, received a new commission, of a more extensive nature than the first, to preach the Gospel to all nations, and to be witnesses of Christ, not only in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and in Samaria, but unto the uttermost parts of the earth; and they were qualified for the execution of their office by a plenteous effusion of miraculous powers and spiritual gifts, and particularly the gift of tongues. In consequence of this commission, they preached first to the Jews, then to the Samaritans, and afterward to the idolatrous Gentiles. Their signal success at Jerusalem, where they opened their commission, alarmed the Jewish sanhedrim, before which Peter and John were summoned, and from which they received a strict charge never more to teach, publicly or privately, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. The noble reply and subsequent conduct of the Apostles are well known. This court of the Jews was so awed and incensed, as to plot the death of the twelve Apostles, as the only effectual measure for preventing the farther spread of Christianity. Gamaliel interposed, by his prudent and moderate counsel; and his speech had so good an effect upon the sanhedrim, that, instead of putting Peter and John to death, they scourged them, renewed their charge and threats, and then dismissed them. The Apostles, however, were not discouraged nor restrained; they counted it an honour to suffer such indignities, in token of their affection to their Master, and zeal in his cause; and they persisted in preaching daily in the courts of the temple, and in other places, that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised and long expected Messiah. Their doctrine spread, and the number of converts in Jerusalem still increased. During the violent persecution that raged at Jerusalem, soon after the martyrdom of St. Stephen, several of the leading men among the Christians were dispersed; some of them travelled through the regions of Judea and Samaria, and others to Damascus, Phoenicia, the Island of Cyprus, and various parts of Syria; but the twelve Apostles remained, with undaunted firmness, at Jerusalem, avowing their attachment to the persecuted interest of Christ, and consulting how they might best provide for the emergencies of the church, in its infant and oppressed state.
When the Apostles, during their abode at Jerusalem, heard that many of the Samaritans had embraced the Gospel, Peter and John were deputed to confer upon them the gift of the Holy Spirit; for to the Apostles belonged the prerogative of conferring upon others spiritual gifts and miraculous powers. In their return to Jerusalem, from the city of Samaria, they preached the Gospel in many Samaritan villages. The manner of its being sent to Ethiopia, by the conversion of the eunuch who was chief treasurer to Candace, queen of the country, is related in Ac 8:26, &c. After the Christian religion had been planted in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and sent into Ethiopia, one of the uttermost parts of the earth, Ac 1:8; and after it had been preached about eight years to the Jews only, God, in his wise and merciful providence, disposed things for the preaching of it among the Gentiles. Caesarea was the scene in which the Apostle Peter was to open his commission for this purpose; and Cornelius, one of the devout Gentiles, and a man distinguished by his piety and charity, was the first proselyte to Christianity. After Peter had laid the foundation of a Christian church among the devout Gentiles, others imitated his example, and a great number of persons of this description embraced the Christian faith, more especially at Antioch, where the disciples, whom their enemies had hitherto called Galileans, Nazarenes, and other names of reproach, and who, among themselves, had been called "disciples," "believers," "the church," "the saints," and "brethren," were denominated, probably not without a divine direction, Christians.
When Christianity had been preached for about eight years among the Jews only, and for about three years more among the Jews and devout Gentiles, the next stage of its progress was to the idolatrous Gentiles, in the year of Christ 44, and the fourth year of the emperor Claudius. Barnabas and Saul were selected for this purpose, and constituted in an extraordinary manner Apostles of the Gentiles, or uncircumcision. Barnabas was probably an elder of the first rank; he had seen Christ in the flesh, had been an eye witness of his being alive again after his crucifixion, and had received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, as being one of the hundred and twenty. Saul also, since his conversion had preached as a superior prophet, about seven years to the Jews only, and about two
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And when he had called his twelve disciples to him, he gave them power over evil spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and infirmity.
"In solemn truth I tell you," Jesus answered, "that in the New Creation, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, you also who have followed me shall sit on twelve thrones, to govern the twelve tribes of Israel.
And when day dawned he called his disciples, and from among them he selected twelve, whom also he called Apostles missionaries.
"so that you shall eat and drink in my kingdom, and you shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
"yet you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you are to be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."
"It is necessary then that, of the men who have been associated with us during the whole time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from his baptism by John down to the day on which he was taken up from us, one should join us a witness to his resurrection."
Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go on your way south, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert way."
"'But rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you my minister and my witness both of what you have already seen and of those things in which I will appear to you. "'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, and from the Gentiles to whom I am sending you to open their eyes read more. "'so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, in order to receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' "So then, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision; "but I proceeded to preach, first to those in Damascus, and then in Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they must repent and turn to God and do deeds worthy of repentance.
and Andronicus and Junia, my kinsfolk and fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, and who became Christians before I did.
Epaphroditus, my brother and coworker and fellow soldier, who is your messenger and minister to my needs, I have thought it necessary to send to you;
with a wall great and high, and twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names written thereon, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east were three gates; and on the north, three gates; and on the south, three gates; and on the west, three gates. read more. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.