The 12 Apostles: Introduction

 Luke 6:12-16, “And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.”

• Disciple is not synonymous with apostle.  

• Disciple means “student” and we are all called to become students (Matthew 28:18-20)

• The word apostle is an untranslated Greek word that roughly means, “someone who has been sent out.”  The closest words we have in English are maybe missionary or ambassador.

• The apostles were all disciples but not all disciples were apostles

• There are a few lists of the apostles in the gospels and they don’t all agree.

• We know that several of the apostles were known by more than one name

• Simon was called Peter

• Saul became Paul

• Matthew was also called Levi

• As we do our study, we will also look at the different names and discuss any relevance to the apolostle’s ministry.

• The office of apostle was an office established by the Holy Spirit for the perfecting of the body of Christ

• 1 Corinthians 12:27-31, Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

• The job of the apostles was to preach the same message Jesus had been preaching

• Matthew 10:5-7, These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

• Anybody could say that they were sent by God

• Jesus had told the man carried by four that his sins were forgiven.  To prove He had the authority to forgive sins, Jesus also performed the miracle of healing him.

• In the Bible, miracles were used by God to establish the authority of prophets. 

• Exodus 4:1, And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

• What Moses was saying is what any rational person would think - how can I know God sent this person?

• Exodus 4:2-3, And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

• God had already done miracles many times before this, but this is the first time that God had given a person the ability to perform miracles

• Matthew 10:8, Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

• The message of the apostles was radical.  Jesus had come to fulfill the Law.  The Old Testament system of sacrifices was finished and the New Testament was going to be made through the blood of Jesus

• Jesus gave the apostles the authority to do miracles in the same way He had done them: freely ye have received, freely give.

• Another sign of a prophet was prophecy Dueteronomy 18:18-22, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

• From time to time, God would raise up a prophet and give him the ability to do miracles (as in Moses) or to prophecy the future (as in Daniel).  It is through these prophets - or people closely associated with them - that God gave us the books of the OT

• By this same principle, the apostles gave us the books of the NT

• Ephesians 2:19-22, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

• The house is built on the works of the Prophets and Apostles with Jesus being the cornerstone

•  The OT and NT are the testimonies of people inspired by God to testify ultimately only one thing - that Jesus is Lord.

• John 5:45-47, Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?

• The apostles have a reward

• Revelation 4:4, And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

• The thrones around The Throne are believed to represent the 12 tribes of Israel (and the OT saints) and the 12 apostles (and the NT saints).

• Revelation 21:14, And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

• The walls of the New Jerusalem are built on foundations named for the 12 Apostles.  What an honor God has given them!

• These were men of no particular merit or skill.  Even so, they committed themselves to God’s Kingdom and have received an eternal reward for it.

• 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 

• We may not have been called to be apostles but we can have a reward waiting for us.  The things we do here have eternal consequences.  We’re either doing things that will last forever or we’re doing things that will blow away like chaff.