Does "Apostle" Mean "Missionary?"

John of Japan · Apr 10, 2008

TCGreek said:

As you know, the real learning comes on the field not a classroom.

I've discovered the same since being out of seminary. Sometimes instructors get distracted with academic stuff.

I see Acts 1:8 as the hub of the book and rest of the book would be meaningless with taken it into consideration.

I see it as a missionary apologetic historical narrative.
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Well said! :thumbs: :thumbs:

NaasPreacher (C4K) · May 8, 2008

Glad this thread was here. My son a missionary (apostle? ) in Northern Ireland was asking for my thoughts this morning.

So, if this is the case, and all these offices are for today, could we roughly describe it this way?

Apostle = missionary
Prophet - a "proclaimer" of the word. Much likes today's "evangelists" in America
Evangelist = those in the church who are consumed with sharing the "good news"
Pastor/teacher - the established pastor who teaches God's word to people in a local church

I know this is not perfect and there is so overlap, but what do you think?

Allan · May 8, 2008

C4K said:

Glad this thread was here. My son a missionary (apostle? ) in Northern Ireland was asking for my thoughts this morning.

So, if this is the case, and all these offices are for today, could we roughly describe it this way?

Apostle = missionary
Prophet - a "proclaimer" of the word. Much likes today's "evangelists" in America
Evangelist = those in the church who are consumed with sharing the "good news"
Pastor/teacher - the established pastor who teaches God's word to people in a local church

I know this is not perfect and there is so overlap, but what do you think?
Click to expand...

I would say your definition for Prophet should be in the Evangelist portion in relation to the world.

And for the Prophet (IMO) it is one who has a message of repent and return to God which is focused more toward the Church or Gods people.

John of Japan · May 8, 2008

C4K said:

Glad this thread was here. My son a missionary (apostle? ) in Northern Ireland was asking for my thoughts this morning.

So, if this is the case, and all these offices are for today, could we roughly describe it this way?

Apostle = missionary
Prophet - a "proclaimer" of the word. Much likes today's "evangelists" in America
Evangelist = those in the church who are consumed with sharing the "good news"
Pastor/teacher - the established pastor who teaches God's word to people in a local church

I know this is not perfect and there is so overlap, but what do you think?
Click to expand...

Hi, Roger.

I just finished writing your son, and this is what I told him about the term prophet:

I believe that the foretelling aspect of the prophet has ceased with the completion of the canon of Scripture, but the forth-telling aspect remains. A modern prophet would be a preacher who majors on the solemn warnings of God, rebuking and reproving. This is what Agabus did in the NT, though with foretelling included. Thus, in my mind John R. Rice was a prophet as well as an evangelist, since he often warned and rebuked even preachers in his articles and messages.

JerryL · May 8, 2008

These verses might offer some insight. Pardon me if they have been posted, I didn't read through this whole thread. It seems that apostles were people that actually saw Jesus and all were actually picked by Jesus. They proved they were apostles by signs and wonders and miracles. I don't think Jesus handpicks anyone today, and the signs of an apostle aren't happening either.

Act 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.

1Co 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?(It appears that to be an apostle you had to actually see Jesus personally.
1Co 15:7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
1Co 15:8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
Gal 1:2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: (notice Paul called himself an apostle but not all the others with him)
2Co 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.

NaasPreacher (C4K) · May 8, 2008

John of Japan said:

Hi, Roger.

I just finished writing your son, and this is what I told him about the term prophet:

I believe that the foretelling aspect of the prophet has ceased with the completion of the canon of Scripture, but the forth-telling aspect remains. A modern prophet would be a preacher who majors on the solemn warnings of God, rebuking and reproving. This is what Agabus did in the NT, though with foretelling included. Thus, in my mind John R. Rice was a prophet as well as an evangelist, since he often warned and rebuked even preachers in his articles and messages.
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Good thoughts! Thanks for helping me (and my son) work through this. I have been a little bothered by what I have heard preached for ages, that the forst two stopped and the rest carry on.

My son's question re-awakened soem old thoughts.

John of Japan · May 8, 2008

JerryL said:

These verses might offer some insight. Pardon me if they have been posted, I didn't read through this whole thread. It seems that apostles were people that actually saw Jesus and all were actually picked by Jesus. They proved they were apostles by signs and wonders and miracles. I don't think Jesus handpicks anyone today, and the signs of an apostle aren't happening either.

Act 4:33 And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.

1Co 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?(It appears that to be an apostle you had to actually see Jesus personally.
1Co 15:7 then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles;
1Co 15:8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
1Co 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Gal 1:1 Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),
Gal 1:2 and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: (notice Paul called himself an apostle but not all the others with him)
2Co 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.
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I answered some of this in post #9. It might do you good to read the entire thread.

But to answer briefly, in 1 Cor. 9:1 the statements are parallel, not being introduced with an "if" or "because," showing that no, seeing Jesus is not a requirement for an apostle, but a parallel experience in the life of Paul. Otherwise, being free would be another requirement, and every time Paul went to jail he would have ceased being an apostle.

Concerning Gal. 1:1, as a missionary I too am sent by Jesus Christ Who called me to be a missionary. So your point is moot.

Concerning Gal. 1:2 and those with Paul not being apostles, again I refer you to the rest of the thread, wherein it is proven that Barnabas and others were called apostles by divine inspiration.

Concerning 2 Cor. 12:12, it is my position that "by" in the prepositional phrase "by signs and wonders and miracles" is instrumental instead of dative in the Greek and should thus be translated, "by means of signs...." In other words, the signs of an apostle, those being the souls saved and church planted through Paul (1 Cor. 9:2), were produced by means of miracles, not that the miracles themselves were the signs of an apostle.

God bless.

JerryL · May 8, 2008

John of Japan said:

I answered some of this in post #9. It might do you good to read the entire thread.

But to answer briefly, in 1 Cor. 9:1 the statements are parallel, not being introduced with an "if" or "because," showing that no, seeing Jesus is not a requirement for an apostle, but a parallel experience in the life of Paul. Otherwise, being free would be another requirement, and every time Paul went to jail he would have ceased being an apostle.

Concerning Gal. 1:1, as a missionary I too am sent by Jesus Christ Who called me to be a missionary. So your point is moot.

Concerning Gal. 1:2 and those with Paul not being apostles, again I refer you to the rest of the thread, wherein it is proven that Barnabas and others were called apostles by divine inspiration.

Concerning 2 Cor. 12:12, it is my position that "by" in the prepositional phrase "by signs and wonders and miracles" is instrumental instead of dative in the Greek and should thus be translated, "by means of signs...." In other words, the signs of an apostle, those being the souls saved and church planted through Paul (1 Cor. 9:2), were produced by means of miracles, not that the miracles themselves were the signs of an apostle.

God bless.
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Edited out.........nevermind.

Does "Apostle" Mean "Missionary?"

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