Originally posted by manchester:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Living4Him:
DKH,
Paul was not an apostle of Jesus. There were only 12 apostles and Paul was not one of them.
That's not what the Bible teaches. There were more than 12 apostles in total. </font>[/QUOTE]Very true.
There were 12 original apostles chosen by Christ.
One of them, Judas Iscariot, betrayed Him. He went out and hung himself. He never was a true apostle, nor a true believer. He was an imposter. When he hung himself that left 11 apostles.
In Acts 1, we find the 11 Apostles choosing one to make up the 12. They chose Matthias.
Acts 14:14 Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
--Here, both Barnabas and Paul are referred to as Apostles. That now brings the number up to 14.
1 Thessalonians 1:1
Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2:6 Nor of men sought
we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as
the apostles of Christ.
--Now is included Silvanus and Timotheus among the Apostles bringing the number to 16.
The word "apostle" comes from the Greek "apostolos," which simply means "sent one," or one sent, specifically one who is sent with the message of the gospel.
When the New Testament was translated into Latin the word mittere was used, from which we get our word "missionary," also meaning "sent one," one sent with a message."
An apostle, in its modern usage is a missionary. In essence every Bible believing Christian that is living for the Lord ought to be a missionary sent forth with the gospel, telling others of the gospel of Christ.
DHK