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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Now 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 tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, having charged them, saying, "Go not into any way of the gentiles, and enter not into a city of the Samaritans; but go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And, while going, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven has come nigh.' Heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse the lepers; cast oat demons; freely ye received, freely give. Procure neither gold, nor silver, nor brass, for your girdles; nor wallet for your journey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer is worthy of his food. "And into whatsoever city or village ye enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go forth. And, as ye are coming into the house, salute it: and, if, indeed, the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but, if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And, whosoever does not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye are going forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust, of your feet. Verily I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; become ye, therefore, as wise as the serpents and as innocent as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to high-councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; and before the governors and the kings shall ye be brought for My sake, for a testimony to them and to the gentiles. And, when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what to speak; for it is not ye that speak, but, the Spirit of your Father Who speaketh in you. "And brother will deliver up brother to death; and father, his child; and children will rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye will be hated by all, for My name's sake; but he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved. "And, when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next; for verily I say to you, ye will in no wise finish the cities of Israel, till the Son of Man come! "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple, that he become as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more those of his house-hold? Fear them not, therefore; for nothing has been covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I am saying to you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And be not afraid of those who kill the body, but 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 a farthing? And not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head have all been numbered. Fear not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows. "Every one, therefore, who shall confess Me before men, him will I also confess before My Father Who is in Heaven. But whosoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father Who is in Heaven. "Think not that I came to send peace on the earth; I came not to send peace, but a sword; for I came to set a man at variance with his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and the man's foes will be those of his own house-hold. "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 whosoever 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 Who 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 whosoever shall give to drink a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, verily I say to you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."
And Jesus said to them, "Verily I say to you, that ye who followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Simon whom He also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
and ye also testify, because ye are with Me from the beginning."
And, in these days, Peter, standing up in the midst of the brethren, said, (and there was a multitude of persons together, about a hundred and twenty), "Brethren, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spake beforehand, through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who arrested Jesus; read more. because he was numbered among us, and obtained the portion of this ministry. This man, therefore, acquired a field with the reward of unrighteousness; and, falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out; and it became known to all those dwelling at Jerusalem; so that place was called, in their own language, Akeldama, that is, 'Field of blood.' For it has been written in a book of Psalms, 'Let his habitation become desolate, and let no one dwell in it.' And, 'His charge, let another take.' "It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us, beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection." And they proposed two; Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And, praying, they said, "Thou, Lord, Who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou didst choose, to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place." And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, 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."
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And, having called to Him His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. Now 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;
Now 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 tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus;
Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, having charged them, saying, "Go not into any way of the gentiles, and enter not into a city of the Samaritans;
And Jesus, coming near, spake to them, saying, "All authority was given to Me in Heaven and on earth: going, therefore, disciple ye all the nations, immersing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; read more. teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you; and, behold, I am with you all the days, even to the end of the age."
And He appointed twelve [whom He also named apostles], that they might be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach,
And He calleth to Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two, and was giving them authority over the unclean spirits;
And they, going forth, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word through the signs closely following.
And when it became day, He called His disciples; and, having selected twelve from them, (whom He also called apostles):
And when it became day, He called His disciples; and, having selected twelve from them, (whom He also called apostles): Simon whom He also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
And, having called together the twelve, He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases;
and I will ask of the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it beholds Him not, neither knows Him: ye know Him, because He abideth with you, and will be in you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I told you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I told you.
"When the Advocate shall come, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He will testify concerning Me; and ye also testify, because ye are with Me from the beginning."
and ye also testify, because ye are with Me from the beginning."
But I tell you the truth: it is expedient for you that I go away; for, if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but, if I go, I will send Him to you, And, having come, He will convict the world respecting sin, and righteousness, and judgment: read more. respecting sin, because they believe not on Me; respecting righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye no longer behold Me; and respecting judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. "I have yet many things to say to you; but ye are not able to hear them now. But, when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He heareth He will speak; and He will declare to you things to come.
But, when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He heareth He will speak; and He will declare to you things to come. He will glorify Me; because He will take of Mine, and will declare it to you. read more. All things whatsoever the Father hath are Mine; on this account, I said, that He taketh of Mine, and will declare it to you.
Jesus, therefore, said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you."
And, when they entered, they went up into the upper-room, where they were abiding; both Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us,
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us, beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, even as the Spirit was giving them to declare.
And fear was coming upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were coming to pass through the apostles.
And, as he was journeying, it came to pass, that he was drawing nigh to Damascus; and suddenly there flashed around him a light from Heaven; and, having fallen upon the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" read more. And he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting. But arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do." And the men who were journeying with him were standing speechless; hearing, indeed, the voice, but beholding no one. And Saul arose from the earth; and, his eyes being opened, he beheld nothing; but, taking him by the hand, they led him into Damascus. And he was three days without seeing; and he neither ate, nor drank. And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, Ananias by name; 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, go to the street that is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul of Tarsus; for, behold, he is praying; and in a vision he saw a man, Ananias by name, coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive sight." And Ananias answered, "Lord, I heard from many concerning this man, how many evils he did to Thy saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the high priests to bind all those calling on Thy name." But the Lord said to him, "Go your way; because this man is to Me a chosen vessel to bear My name before nations, and kings, and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake. And Ananias went away, and entered into the house; and, laying his hands on him, said, "Brother Saul, the Lord hath sent me??ven Jesus, Who appeared to you in the way in which you were coming, sent me, that you may receive sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." and straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received sight; and, arising, he was immersed; and, having taken food, he was strengthened. And he was with the disciples in Damascus some days; and straightway in the synagogues he was preaching Jesus, that He is the Son of God.
And he slew James, the brother of John, with the sword;
And he slew James, the brother of John, with the sword;
But, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, he declared to them, how the Lord brought him forth out of the prison. And he Said, "Declare these things to James, and to the brethren." And, going forth, he went to another place.
And there accompanied him Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, a Beraean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Galas of Derbe, and, Timothy; and, of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
And, on the following day, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.
And he said, 'The God of our fathers appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth; because you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen, and heard.
And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting. But arise, and stand upon your feet; for I appeared to you for this end, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things in which you saw Me, and of the things 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, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'
Whether any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner, and my fellow-worker in your behalf; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
(for He Who wrought for Peter with regard to an apostleship of the circumcision, wrought for me also with regard to the gentiles).
Yet I deemed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need;
having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith as ye were taught, abounding with thanksgiving.
and ye have been made complete in Him, Who is the Head of all principality and power;
and you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, did He make alive with Him: having freely forgiven us all our trespasses;
Let no one, therefore, judge you in food, or in drink, or in respect of a feast, or a new moon, or sabbaths,
whom it is needful to reduce to silence: who, indeed, are overthrowing whole houses, teaching what they ought not, for the sake of base gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always false, evil beasts, idle gluttons."
in all things showing yourself an example of good works; in teaching, showing incorruptness, gravity,
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, 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).
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What I am saying to you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
What I am saying to you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.
And I also say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My assembly, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
And I also say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My assembly, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever you shall bind on the earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on the earth shall have been loosed in Heaven."
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever you shall bind on the earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and whatsoever you shall loose on the earth shall have been loosed in Heaven."
Verily, I say to you, whatsoever ye bind upon the earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and whatsoever ye loose on the earth shall have been loosed in Heaven.
Verily, I say to you, whatsoever ye bind upon the earth shall have been bound in Heaven, and whatsoever ye loose on the earth shall have been loosed in Heaven.
Then came to Him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshiping and asking something of Him.
Then came to Him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, worshiping and asking something of Him. And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She says to Him, "Command, that these my two sons may sit, one on Thy right hand, and one on Thy left, in Thy Kingdom."
And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She says to Him, "Command, that these my two sons may sit, one on Thy right hand, and one on Thy left, in Thy Kingdom." But Jesus, answering, said, "Ye know not what ye are asking. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They say to Him, "We are able."
But Jesus, answering, said, "Ye know not what ye are asking. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They say to Him, "We are able." He saith to them, "My cup, indeed, ye shall drink; but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."
He saith to them, "My cup, indeed, ye shall drink; but to sit on My right hand, and on My left, is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father." And the ten, hearing it, were much displeased with the two brothers.
And the ten, hearing it, were much displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus, calling them near, said, "Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them.
But Jesus, calling them near, said, "Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them. Not so shall it be among you;
Not so shall it be among you; but whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant;
but whosoever wishes to become great among you shall be your minister; and whosoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant;
But they were silent; for they disputed with one another in the way, who was the greatest.
But they were silent; for they disputed with one another in the way, who was the greatest. And, sitting down, He called the twelve, and saith to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."
And, sitting down, He called the twelve, and saith to them, "If any one wishes to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all." And, taking a little child, He set it in the midst of them; and, holding it in His arms, He said to them,
And, taking a little child, He set it in the midst of them; and, holding it in His arms, He said to them,
Simon whom He also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
Simon whom He also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
Then He opened their mind, that they might understand the Scriptures;
Then He opened their mind, that they might understand the Scriptures;
And, behold, I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but abide ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high."
And, behold, I send forth the promise of My Father upon you; but abide ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high."
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I told you.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all things that I told you.
"When the Advocate shall come, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He will testify concerning Me;
"When the Advocate shall come, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He will testify concerning Me; and ye also testify, because ye are with Me from the beginning."
and ye also testify, because ye are with Me from the beginning."
But, when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He heareth He will speak; and He will declare to you things to come.
But, when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He heareth He will speak; and He will declare to you things to come. He will glorify Me; because He will take of Mine, and will declare it to you.
He will glorify Me; because He will take of Mine, and will declare it to you.
Jesus, therefore, said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you."
Jesus, therefore, said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you."
Jesus, therefore, said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you."
Jesus, therefore, said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father hath sent Me, I also send you." And, having said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit.
And, having said this, He breathed upon them, and said to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit. Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained."
Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them; whosesoever sins ye retain, they 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, being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which said He, "Ye heard from Me;
And, being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which said He, "Ye heard from Me;
but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the utmost limit of the earth."
but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the utmost limit of the earth."
And, when they entered, they went up into the upper-room, where they were abiding; both Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
And, when they entered, they went up into the upper-room, where they were abiding; both Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us,
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us, beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
And, praying, they said, "Thou, Lord, Who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou didst choose,
And, praying, they said, "Thou, Lord, Who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two Thou didst choose,
"This Jesus God raised up; of which fact we all are witnesses.
"This Jesus God raised up; of which fact we all are witnesses.
and the Prince of life ye killed; Whom God raised from the dead??f which fact we are witnesses.
and the Prince of life ye killed; Whom God raised from the dead??f which fact we are witnesses.
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'
And we are witnesses of these things; also the Holy Spirit, Whom God gave to those who obey Him."
And we are witnesses of these things; also the Holy Spirit, Whom God gave to those who obey Him."
And, having heard these things, they were silent, and glorified God, saying, "Then, to the gentiles also God gave repentance unto life."
And, having heard these things, they were silent, and glorified God, saying, "Then, to the gentiles also God gave repentance unto life." Those, therefore, who were dispersed by reason of the tribulation that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none but Jews only.
Those, therefore, who were dispersed by reason of the tribulation that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none but Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene; who, indeed, having come to Antioch, were speaking to the Greeks also, publishing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus.
And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene; who, indeed, having come to Antioch, were speaking to the Greeks also, publishing the glad tidings of the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. And the report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch;
And the report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch; who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, rejoiced, and was exhorting all that, with purpose of heart, they should cleave to the Lord;
who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, rejoiced, and was exhorting all that, with purpose of heart, they should cleave to the Lord; because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith; and a great multitude was added to the Lord.
because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith; and a great multitude was added to the Lord. And he departed to Tarsus to seek for Saul;
And he departed to Tarsus to seek for Saul; and, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that, even for a whole year, they met together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude; and that the disciples got the name "Christian" first in Antioch.
and, having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that, even for a whole year, they met together in the assembly, and taught a great multitude; and that the disciples got the name "Christian" first in Antioch.
Now there were in Antioch, in the assembly which was there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas and Symeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenean, and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Now there were in Antioch, in the assembly which was there, prophets and teachers; both Barnabas and Symeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenean, and Manaen, the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. And, while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate now to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
And, while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate now to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, having fasted and prayed, and having laid hands on them, they sent them away.
Then, having fasted and prayed, and having laid hands on them, they sent them away. They, therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down into Seleucia; and thence they sailed away to Cyprus.
They, therefore, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down into Seleucia; and thence they sailed away to Cyprus. And, having arrived in Salamis, they declared the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had John also as an attendant.
And, having arrived in Salamis, they declared the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had John also as an attendant.
Who was seen, during many days, by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem; who, indeed, are now His witnesses to the people.
Who was seen, during many days, by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem; who, indeed, are now His witnesses to the people.
Wherefore, I judge that we should not trouble those who from among the gentiles are turning to God;
Wherefore, I judge that we should not trouble those who from among the gentiles are turning to God;
And, on the following day, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.
And, on the following day, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.
Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God,
Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God,
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established;
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that ye may be established;
For I will venture to speak only of the things which God wrought through me for the obedience of the gentiles, by word and deed,
For I will venture to speak only of the things which God wrought through me for the obedience of the gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyricum, I have fully dispensed the Gospel of Christ;
in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and around as far as Illyricum, I have fully dispensed the Gospel of Christ;
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord?
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, yet to you at least I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
If to others I am not an apostle, yet to you at least I am; for the seal of my apostleship are ye in the Lord.
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you, that they are the Lord's commandment;
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge the things that I write to you, that they are the Lord's commandment;
Whether any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner, and my fellow-worker in your behalf; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.
Whether any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner, and my fellow-worker in your behalf; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
and all the brethren with me, to the assemblies of Galatia: Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
Grace to you, and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father;
Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; to Whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
to Whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from Him Who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different Gospel,
I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from Him Who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different Gospel, which is not another; only there are some who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the Gospel of Christ.
which is not another; only there are some who are troubling you, and wishing to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel out of Heaven should proclaim a Gospel to you other than that which we delivered to you, let him be accursed!
But even if we or an angel out of Heaven should proclaim a Gospel to you other than that which we delivered to you, let him be accursed! As we have said before, even now also I say again, if any one is delivering a Gospel to you, contrary to that which ye received, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, even now also I say again, if any one is delivering a Gospel to you, contrary to that which ye received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If still I were pleasing men, I should not be Christ's servant.
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I seeking to please men? If still I were pleasing men, I should not be Christ's servant. For I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed by me is not according to man;
For I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was proclaimed by me is not according to man; for neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through revelation of Jesus Christ.
for neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through revelation of Jesus Christ.
Yet I deemed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need;
Yet I deemed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need;
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus,
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus,
The elders, therefore, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of Christ's sufferings, also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed;
The elders, therefore, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of Christ's sufferings, also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed;
and the wall of the city, having twelve foundations; and on them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
and the wall of the city, having twelve foundations; and on them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
and the wall of the city, having twelve foundations; and on them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
and the wall of the city, having twelve foundations; and on them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every manner of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every manner of precious stone. The first foundation 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, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, hyacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.
the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, hyacinth; 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
Now 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 tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent forth, having charged them, saying, "Go not into any way of the gentiles, and enter not into a city of the Samaritans; but go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And, while going, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven has come nigh.' Heal the sick; raise the dead; cleanse the lepers; cast oat demons; freely ye received, freely give. Procure neither gold, nor silver, nor brass, for your girdles; nor wallet for your journey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer is worthy of his food. "And into whatsoever city or village ye enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go forth. And, as ye are coming into the house, salute it: and, if, indeed, the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but, if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And, whosoever does not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye are going forth out of that house or city, shake off the dust, of your feet. Verily I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
And to Simon He added the name Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, (and He added to these the name "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 Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And He cometh into a house.
Simon whom He also called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon who is called Zelotes, read more. and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a betrayer;
Verily, verily, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his lord, nor one who is sent greater than he who sent him.
As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also sent them into the world;
This man, therefore, acquired a field with the reward of unrighteousness; and, falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out;
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us, beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
Whether any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner, and my fellow-worker in your behalf; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.
Wherefore, He saith, "Having ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men." Now the word, "He ascended," what does it mean, but that He also descended into the lower parts of the earth? read more. He Who descended is Himself also the One Who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; with a view to the perfecting of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a full-grown man??o the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
Yet I deemed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need;
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of a Heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus,
James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are in the Dispersion, greeting.
And account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation; as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you; as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
"I know your works and your toil, and your patience, and that you cannot bear evil men; and you tried those who call themselves apostles, and are not, and found them false;
having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel;
and the wall of the city, having twelve foundations; and on them, 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
Now 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 tax-collector; James the son of Alpaeus, and Thaddeus; read more. Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
And Simon Peter, answering, said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
And He said to them, "But who say ye that I am?" And Peter, answering, said, "The Christ of God."
But we were hoping that it was He Who was about to redeem Israel; yea, indeed, and besides all these things, it is now the third day since these things came to pass.
Ye are witnesses of these things,
"I have yet many things to say to you; but ye are not able to hear them now. But, when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak from Himself; but whatsoever He heareth He will speak; and He will declare to you things to come.
but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the utmost limit of the earth."
beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
"This Jesus God raised up; of which fact we all are witnesses.
and the Prince of life ye killed; Whom God raised from the dead??f which fact we are witnesses.
And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
And we are witnesses of these things; also the Holy Spirit, Whom God gave to those who obey Him."
Who was seen, during many days, by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem; who, indeed, are now His witnesses to the people.
Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are ye not my work in the Lord?
Whether any one inquires about Titus, he is my partner, and my fellow-worker in your behalf; or our brethren, they are the messengers of the assemblies, 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, having called to Him His twelve disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness.
And Jesus said to them, "Verily I say to you, that ye who followed Me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And when it became day, He called His disciples; and, having selected twelve from them, (whom He also called apostles):
that ye may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom; and ye shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
but ye shall receive power, the Holy Spirit having come upon you, and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and Samaria, and to the utmost limit of the earth."
"It is needful, therefore, that one of these men??ho accompanied us all the time that the Lord went in and out among us, beginning from the immersion of John, until the day on which He was taken up from us??hould become a witness, with us, of His resurrection."
And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
But an angel of the Lord spake to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go toward the south, on the way that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza:" this is a wilderness.
And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance;
But arise, and stand upon your feet; for I appeared to you for this end, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things in which you saw Me, and of the things 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, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' Wherefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision; but I declared both to those in Damascus first, and in Jerusalem, and through all the region of Judea, and to the gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who, indeed, are of note among the apostles, who have been in Christ longer than I.
Yet I deemed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and minister to my need;
having a wall great and high; having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons 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, having twelve foundations; and on them, twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.