“Apostle” is not a term often used in Baptist circles. For most Baptists the word connotes the Twelve disciples of Jesus who are called apostles in Matthew 10:2–4 and Luke 6:13–16. Luke says that Jesus chose the apostles — Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John (the sons of Zebedee), Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (the son of Alphaeus), Simon the Zealot, Judas (the son of James, also called Thaddaeus) and Judas Iscariot — from among a larger group of disciples.
This point is made again in Acts 1:21–22 when Peter stipulated that candidates to replace Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide, had to be believers who had traveled with Jesus from His baptism to His ascension following the resurrection. Matthias and others evidently met this qualification.
But the New Testament refers to others as apostles. Most notably the Apostle Paul refers to himself as an apostle. Acts 9 tells the story of Saul of Tarsus (later known as Paul the Apostle) meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus.
Paul argued that like the original Twelve, his calling came directly from Jesus (Gal. 1:1) and that he had a specific mission. He was an apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13).
New Testament examples
Our preconditioned interpretation of the word “apostle” sometimes causes us to miss that the New Testament refers to others as apostles. For example, Acts 14 twice refers to Barnabas as an apostle. The clearest reference is verse 14. In Lystra, Paul and Barnabas were thought to be incarnations of Roman gods. The Bible says, “But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd.”
That reference helps us understand verse 4. Paul and Barnabas were teaching in the synagogues in Iconium. Their preaching caused a division in the city. Verse 4 says “some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles” — a reference to Paul and Barnabas.
James, the brother of Jesus also is called an apostle. The list of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances includes an appearance to James (1 Cor. 15:7). There is no evidence that James believed in Jesus prior to that time. Certainly he was not one of the original Twelve Apostles.
Yet in Galatians 1:18, Paul tells of a visit to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter. He adds, “But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother” (v. 19). Evidently the early church viewed James as an apostle too.
Romans 16:7 expands the group known as apostles even more. There Andronicus and Junias, who were believers before Paul, are described as “outstanding among the apostles.” These two whom Paul calls his “fellow prisoners” were known as outstanding apostles.
Evidently there were others who claimed to be apostles. Paul is blunt when he writes in 2 Corinthians 11:13: “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.”
Obviously the New Testament indicates the term “apostle” was used more widely than the original Twelve chosen by Jesus.
When Jesus chose the Twelve and appointed them apostles, He did not invent a new word for their new charge. Rather Jesus chose a term already in common use. Understanding of that word is provided in 2 Corinthians 8:23.
In the passage, Paul commends Titus and other “brethren” to the Corinthians. Of them he writes, “They are messengers of the churches.” However, the word translated “messenger” in this verse is the same word for apostle.
That is the key.
According to the Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, the Greek word for apostle means “a title denoting a commissioned messenger or ambassador.”
Jewish life employed the same concept. Priestly leadership of the temple in Jerusalem regularly sent out emissaries to visit the wider Jewish population. These representatives were called “shaliah” in Hebrew and their functions were similar to apostles in the Greek language. They usually traveled in twos, preached and taught in the synagogues and collected taxes to support the Jerusalem temple, scholars say.
Interestingly, Matthew 10:5 says that after selecting the Twelve and calling them apostles Jesus sent them out. They were to preach the kingdom of heaven is at hand and they were to heal the sick as evidence of that new kingdom. The pattern Jesus used elsewhere was to send the disciples in pairs like the “shaliah.”
Jesus used a term and a pattern with which all were familiar. But His was not a political commission. Jesus gave a religious commission to carry out the purposes of God for man’s salvation.
The commission of the Church was not limited to Jesus sending out the disciples prior to His crucifixion, however.
The early Church clung to the commission given by the Resurrected Jesus. The closing verses of Matthew record Jesus charging the Twelve to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Luke 24:47 quotes Jesus as saying, “Repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations.”
John 20 may expand the group receiving Jesus’ commission beyond the Twelve Apostles. Mary Magdalene may have been present. So may have been others who were in the group that followed Him from baptism to that very moment.
To these Jesus says in verse 21, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
Acts 1:8 records the instruction to be witnesses for Jesus “to the ends of the earth.”
Jesus saw Himself as sent by God for man’s salvation and commissioned His disciples to proclaim that message.
Final directives
The Christian Church has understood these commissions as binding on all Christians. These final directives make a lifelong claim on the lives of all who have seen the Resurrected Lord through eyes of faith, who believe Jesus paid the price for sin and His resurrection ushered in the kingdom of God.
Understood in this light, all Christian believers are to be disciples of our Lord, messengers of His grace and apostles of His salvation.
No, we are not like the Twelve whose names will be written on the 12 foundation stones of the New Jerusalem but we are all charged to be messengers — to be apostles — of our Lord.
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