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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And the names of the twelve apostles are these; 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 publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, called Thaddeus; read more. Simon, the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out and charged them, saying; Go not into a way of gentiles, and enter not into a city of Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons; you have received gratuitously, gratuitously give. Take not gold, nor silver, nor copper for your purses, nor a provision sack for the way, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staves; for the laborer is worthy of his support; and into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there remain till you leave. And when you go into a house, salute it; and if the house is worthy, your blessing shall come upon it; but if the house is not worthy, your blessing shall return to you. And if any one does not receive you, nor hear your words, when you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. I tell you truly, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in a day of judgment, than for that city. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you to Sanhedrims, and scourge you in their synagogues, and you shall be brought before governors, and kings, for my sake, for a testimony to them and the nations. But when they have delivered you up be not anxious how you shall speak, or what you shall say, for it shall be given you in that hour what to say; for it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you. And a brother shall deliver a brother to death, and a father a son; and children shall rise up against their parents and put them to death; and you shall be hated by all men for my sake. But he that endures to the end shall be saved. And when they persecute you in one city, flee to another. For I tell you truly, that you will not finish the cities of Israel till the Son of man shall come. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is sufficient for the disciple to be as his teacher, and the servant as his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they call the members of his family by that name. Fear them not, therefore, for there is nothing concealed that shall not be revealed, nor hid that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, preach on the house-tops. And fear not those who kill the body and are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion [1.5 mills]? and one of them cannot fall to the ground without your Father. Even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. Every one, therefore, who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father in heaven; and whoever denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father in heaven. Think not that I have come to send peace on the earth. I have not come to send peace, but a sword. I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a bride against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies shall be those of his own house. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and he that does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. He that receives you receives me, and he that receives me receives him that sent me. He that receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward, and he that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever shall give one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, I tell you truly, he shall by no means lose his reward.
And Jesus said to them, I tell you truly, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, shall yourselves also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;
And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him],
Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
and you shall also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
And in those days Peter standing up in the midst of the brothers, said??he multitude together was about a hundred and twenty??16 Men and brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David, concerning Judas who became a guide to them that apprehended Jesus;
For he was numbered with us, and obtained the inheritance of this service. This man therefore purchased a field with the price of the wickedness, and falling headlong burst in the middle and all his bowels were poured out; read more. and this became known to all who lived at Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their language Aceldamach, which is Field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his dwelling be desolate and let no one dwell in it, and his superintendency let another take. It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection. And they proposed two; Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And praying, they said, Do thou, Lord, the searcher of all hearts, show which of these two thou hast chosen to take the place of this service and apostleship from which Judas fell by transgression to go to his place. And they cast their lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus,
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."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
AND calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power over impure spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every infirmity. And the names of the twelve apostles are these; First, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
And the names of the twelve apostles are these; 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 publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, called Thaddeus;
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, called Thaddeus; Simon, the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Simon, the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out and charged them, saying; Go not into a way of gentiles, and enter not into a city of Samaritans,
And Jesus coming near spoke to them, saying, All power is given me in heaven and on the earth; go and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; read more. teaching them to keep all things which I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always till the consummation of the world.
And he appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them out to preach,
And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him],
And he called the twelve, and sent them out two and two, and gave them power over impure spirits;
And they went abroad and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the accompanying miracles.
And when it was day he called his disciples; and having chosen twelve of them, whom he named apostles,
And when it was day he called his disciples; and having chosen twelve of them, whom he named apostles, Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
AND calling together the twelve, he gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases,
and I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, because it beholds it not nor knows it; but you know it, because it continues with you, and shall be in you.
but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and remind you of all things which I have told you.
but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and remind you of all things which I have told you.
But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me; and you shall also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
and you shall also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
But I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I should go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: read more. of sin, because they believe not on me; and of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you behold me no more; and of judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many things yet to say to you, but you cannot bear them now; but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come.
but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come. He shall glorify me, because he shall receive from me and tell you. read more. All things that the Father has, are mine; on this account I said, He shall receive of me and tell you.
Then he said to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father has sent me, I also send you.
And when they came, they went up into the upper room where staid Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the [brother] of James.
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And fear was on every soul, and many prodigies and miracles were performed by the apostles.
And he was going and had come nigh to Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven, and falling on the earth he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, Why do you persecute me? read more. And he said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. But arise and enter into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do. And the men travelling with him stood amazed, hearing indeed the voice, but beholding no one. And Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes being opened he saw nothing; and leading him by the hand they conducted him to Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither eat nor drank. And there was a certain disciple at Damascus by the name of Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said to him, Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for [a man] by the name of Saul of Tarsus; for behold, he prays, and has seen a man by the name of Ananias coming and putting a hand on him, that he might receive his sight. And Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem; and here he has power from the chief priests to bind all that call on your name. But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name both before nations and kings, and the children of Israel; for I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name. And Ananias went and entered into the house, and laying hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way which you came, that you may receive sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight, and rising up was baptized, and having received food was strengthened. And he was with the disciples at Damascus some days; and immediately in the synagogues he preached Jesus, that this is the Son of God.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And making signs to them with his hand to be silent, he related how the Lord had conducted him out of the prison, and said, Tell these things to James and the brothers. And going out he departed to another place.
And after they were silent, James answered, saying, Men and brothers, hear me.
And there followed him to Asia, Sopater the son of Pyrrhus of Berea, and of those of Thessalonica, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and those of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus;
And on the following day Paul went with us to James, and all the elders were present.
And he said, The God of our fathers chose you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and hear the voice of his mouth, for you shall be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
And I said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you persecute. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and witness both of what you have seen and [of visions ] in which I will appear to you, read more. delivering you from the people, and the gentiles, to whom I send you to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified by faith in me.
If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.
PAUL an apostle, not from men nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need,
founded and built up in him, and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
and you are made perfect in him, who is the head of all principality and power,
and you being dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made you alive with him, having forgiven us all sins,
Let no man therefore judge you in eating and in drinking, or in respect to a feast, or new moon, or sabbath,
whom it is necessary to silence, who mislead whole families, teaching for base gain what they ought not. A certain one of them, their own poet, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gormandizers.
presenting yourself as an example of good works in all things, in teaching [exhibiting] integrity, gravity,
Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus,
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 tell you in darkness, speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, preach on the house-tops.
What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light, and what you hear in the ear, preach on the house-tops.
And I tell you that you are Peter [a rock], and upon this rock will I build my assembly, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it.
And I tell you that you are Peter [a rock], and upon this rock will I build my assembly, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.
I tell you truly, that whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.
I tell you truly, that whatever you bind on the earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you unbind on the earth shall be unbound in heaven.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping, and asking a certain thing of him.
Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping, and asking a certain thing of him. And he said to her, What do you wish? She said to him, Say that these my two sons shall sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left, in your kingdom.
And he said to her, What do you wish? She said to him, Say that these my two sons shall sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left, in your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink? They said to him, We can.
But Jesus answered and said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the cup of which I am about to drink? They said to him, We can. He said to them; you shall drink indeed of my cup; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared by my Father.
He said to them; you shall drink indeed of my cup; but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared by my Father. And the ten hearing this were displeased with the two brothers.
And the ten hearing this were displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him, and said, You know that the rulers of the gentiles exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them; but it shall not be so among you.
But Jesus called them to him, and said, You know that the rulers of the gentiles exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them; but it shall not be so among you. But whoever wishes to be great among you, let him be your minister;
But whoever wishes to be great among you, let him be your minister; and whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be your servant,
and whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be your servant,
And afterwards he sent them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
And afterwards he sent them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him],
And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him],
And they were silent; for they had disputed with each other on the way as to who was the greatest.
And they were silent; for they had disputed with each other on the way as to who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve, and said to them, If any one wishes to be first, he shall he last of all, and a servant of all.
And he sat down and called the twelve, and said to them, If any one wishes to be first, he shall he last of all, and a servant of all. And taking a little child, he put it in the midst of them, and taking it in his arms, said to them,
And taking a little child, he put it in the midst of them, and taking it in his arms, said to them,
Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
And you have continued with me in my trials,
And you have continued with me in my trials,
Then he opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures,
Then he opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures,
Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but remain in the city till you are endued with power from on high.
Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but remain in the city till you are endued with power from on high.
but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and remind you of all things which I have told you.
but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and remind you of all things which I have told you.
But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me;
But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me; and you shall also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
and you shall also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come.
but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come. He shall glorify me, because he shall receive from me and tell you.
He shall glorify me, because he shall receive from me and tell you.
Then he said to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father has sent me, I also send you.
Then he said to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father has sent me, I also send you.
Then he said to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father has sent me, I also send you.
Then he said to them again, Peace be to you; as the Father has sent me, I also send you. And having said this he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit.
And having said this he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. Those whose sins you forgive, are forgiven; and whose you retain, are retained.
Those whose sins you forgive, are forgiven; and whose you retain, are retained.
Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God.
Thomas answered and said to him, My Lord and my God.
And assembling them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which [says he] you have heard from me;
And assembling them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which [says he] you have heard from me;
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
And when they came, they went up into the upper room where staid Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the [brother] of James.
And when they came, they went up into the upper room where staid Peter and John, and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the [brother] of James.
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
And praying, they said, Do thou, Lord, the searcher of all hearts, show which of these two thou hast chosen
And praying, they said, Do thou, Lord, the searcher of all hearts, show which of these two thou hast chosen
This Jesus has God raised up, whose witnesses we all are.
This Jesus has God raised up, whose witnesses we all are.
but killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead, whose witnesses we are.
but killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead, whose witnesses we are.
You are the children of the prophets, and of the promise which God promised to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
You are the children of the prophets, and of the promise which God promised to our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit which God has given to those that obey him.
And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit which God has given to those that obey him.
And hearing these things they were silent, and glorified God, saying, Then to the gentiles also has God indeed given the change of mind to life.
And hearing these things they were silent, and glorified God, saying, Then to the gentiles also has God indeed given the change of mind to life. And those scattered abroad by the affliction which commenced with Stephen, went even to Phenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but Jews only.
And those scattered abroad by the affliction which commenced with Stephen, went even to Phenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but Jews only. But some of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who came to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus.
But some of them, Cyprians and Cyrenians, who came to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks preaching the good news of the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. And a report concerning them was brought to the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go as far as Antioch;
And a report concerning them was brought to the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go as far as Antioch; who having come and seen the grace of God rejoiced, and exhorted all to adhere to the Lord with the purpose of the heart;
who having come and seen the grace of God rejoiced, and exhorted all to adhere to the Lord with the purpose of the heart; for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great multitude were added to the Lord.
for he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great multitude were added to the Lord. And he went to Tarsus to seek for Saul,
And he went to Tarsus to seek for Saul, and found and brought him to Antioch. And he was with them, and they met a whole year with the church and taught a great multitude; and the disciples first took the name of Christians at Antioch.
and found and brought him to Antioch. And he was with them, and they met a whole year with the church and taught a great multitude; and the disciples first took the name of Christians at Antioch.
And there were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch; Barnabas and Simeon called Niger [the black], and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen the foster brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.
And there were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch; Barnabas and Simeon called Niger [the black], and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen the foster brother of Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. And while they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
And while they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and prayed and imposed hands on them, they sent them forth.
Then having fasted and prayed and imposed hands on them, they sent them forth. They, therefore, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed to Cyprus;
They, therefore, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia, and thence sailed to Cyprus; and coming to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John for a servant.
and coming to Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John for a servant.
and he appeared many days to those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
and he appeared many days to those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
Wherefore I judge that we ought not to trouble those who turned to God from the gentiles,
Wherefore I judge that we ought not to trouble those who turned to God from the gentiles,
And on the following day Paul went with us to James, and all the elders were present.
And on the following day Paul went with us to James, and all the elders were present.
PAUL, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart to the gospel of God,??2 which he promised by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,??3 concerning his Son born of the posterity of David as to the flesh,
PAUL, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart to the gospel of God,??2 which he promised by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures,??3 concerning his Son born of the posterity of David as to the flesh,
For I greatly desire to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, that you may be strengthened,
For I greatly desire to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, that you may be strengthened,
for I dare not to speak of what Christ has not performed by me for the obedience of the nations, by word and work,
for I dare not to speak of what Christ has not performed by me for the obedience of the nations, by word and work, by the power of miracles and prodigies, by the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
by the power of miracles and prodigies, by the power of the Spirit, so that from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
AM I not a freeman? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
AM I not a freeman? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, I certainly am to you; for you are a seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
If I am not an apostle to others, I certainly am to you; for you are a seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
If any one thinks he is a prophet, or a spiritual man, let him acknowledge the [things] which I write to you, that they are the Lord's;
If any one thinks he is a prophet, or a spiritual man, let him acknowledge the [things] which I write to you, that they are the Lord's;
If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.
If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.
PAUL an apostle, not from men nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead,
PAUL an apostle, not from men nor by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead, and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia.
and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil life according to the will of God even our Father,
who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from the present evil life according to the will of God even our Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever; amen.
to whom be the glory forever and ever; amen. I wonder that you have so quickly turned away from him that called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel,
I wonder that you have so quickly turned away from him that called you in the grace of Christ to another gospel, which is not another; but there are some who disturb you and wish to subvert the gospel of Christ.
which is not another; but there are some who disturb you and wish to subvert the gospel of Christ. But if we or an angel from heaven preach you another gospel contrary to what we have preached you let him be accursed.
But if we or an angel from heaven preach you another gospel contrary to what we have preached you let him be accursed. As we said before I now also say again, If any one preaches you a gospel contrary to what you have received let him be accursed.
As we said before I now also say again, If any one preaches you a gospel contrary to what you have received let him be accursed. For do I now obey man, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I could not have been a servant of Christ.
For do I now obey man, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I could not have been a servant of Christ. For I certify you, brothers, of the gospel preached by me, that it is not according to man;
For I certify you, brothers, of the gospel preached by me, that it is not according to man; for I neither received it from man nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ.
for I neither received it from man nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ.
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need,
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need,
Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus,
Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus,
The elders among you I exhort, who am a co-elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed;
The elders among you I exhort, who am a co-elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed;
And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,
And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardine stone, the seventh chrysolyte, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.
the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardine stone, the seventh chrysolyte, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, and 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
And the names of the twelve apostles are these; 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 publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, called Thaddeus; read more. Simon, the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out and charged them, saying; Go not into a way of gentiles, and enter not into a city of Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; and as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons; you have received gratuitously, gratuitously give. Take not gold, nor silver, nor copper for your purses, nor a provision sack for the way, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staves; for the laborer is worthy of his support; and into whatever city or village you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there remain till you leave. And when you go into a house, salute it; and if the house is worthy, your blessing shall come upon it; but if the house is not worthy, your blessing shall return to you. And if any one does not receive you, nor hear your words, when you go out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet. I tell you truly, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in a day of judgment, than for that city.
And he gave to Simon the name of Peter. [He appointed him], and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James??nd he gave them the names of Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder??18 and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. And they came into a house,
Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James, the son of Alpheus, and Simon called Zealot, read more. Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, who was the traitor,
I tell you most truly, the servant is not greater than his lord, nor the apostle greater than he that sent him.
As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world:
This man therefore purchased a field with the price of the wickedness, and falling headlong burst in the middle and all his bowels were poured out;
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.
Wherefore he says, When he ascended on high, he took captivity captive, and gave gifts to men. But this, that he ascended, what is it but that he first descended into the lower parts of the earth? read more. He that descended is the same also that ascended above all heavens, that he might fill all [places]. And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edification of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need,
Whence, holy brothers, partakers of the heavenly call, consider the apostle and chief priest of our profession, Jesus,
JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion, greeting.
and consider the long-suffering of the Lord our salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him wrote to you, as also in all his epistles speaking of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest as they also do the other Scriptures to their destruction.
I know your works and your labor and your patience, and that you cannot bear the wicked, and you tried those who say they are apostles and are not, and found them false;
It had a great and high wall, it had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.
And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them 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
And the names of the twelve apostles are these; 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 publican; James, the son of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, called Thaddeus; read more. Simon, the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And he said to them, Who do you say that I am? And Peter answered and said, The Christ of God.
But we hoped that he was the one who was to redeem Israel. But indeed, also, in addition to all these things, today is the third day since these things occurred;
You are witnesses of these things.
I have many things yet to say to you, but you cannot bear them now; but when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will lead you in all the truth; for he will not speak of himself, but he will speak whatever he shall hear, and tell you things to come.
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
This Jesus has God raised up, whose witnesses we all are.
but killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead, whose witnesses we are.
And many miracles and prodigies were performed among the people by the hands of the apostles; and they were all of one accord in Solomon's porch;
And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit which God has given to those that obey him.
and he appeared many days to those who went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.
AM I not a freeman? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
If [any one inquires] respecting Titus, he is my companion and co-laborer for you; if our brothers, they are apostles of churches and the glory of Christ.
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 calling his twelve disciples, he gave them power over impure spirits to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every infirmity.
And Jesus said to them, I tell you truly, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, shall yourselves also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel;
And when it was day he called his disciples; and having chosen twelve of them, whom he named apostles,
that you may eat and drink at my table, in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
It is necessary therefore that one of the men who have gone with us all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John till the day on which he was taken up from us, should be made with us a witness of his resurrection.
And they cast their lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go to the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a wilderness.
And when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I was in a trance,
But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and witness both of what you have seen and [of visions ] in which I will appear to you, delivering you from the people, and the gentiles, to whom I send you read more. to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among the sanctified by faith in me. Whence, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but preached first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and in all the country of Judea, and to the gentiles, that they should change their minds and turn to God, performing works worthy of a change of mind.
Salute Andronicus and Junius, my relatives and my fellow-captives, who are distinguished among the apostles, and who were before me in Christ.
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, the brother and my fellow-laborer and fellow-soldier, but your apostle and servant of my need,
It had a great and high wall, it had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are 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 has twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.