Two Are Better Than One

“APOSTLE” – aPOsto-los – 81x – Strong #652 -- from #649 – aPO + STELlo-mai

“The Word Study Concordance” – George V. Wigram & Ralph D. Winter, 1978

One. Luke 6:13 (12-19) APOSTLES: JESUS CHOSE 12 FROM AMONG MANY DISCIPLES. “And when it was day, he called his :disciples; and chose from them twelve, whom he also named APOSTLES.” Derek Prince made a point of this verse. Following a complete night of prayer, the Father showed Jesus the specific 12 disciples to choose from among thousands – to be APOSTLES. These had to be with Jesus from the beginning as witnesses. 12 others are mentioned in the NT as apostles, but in a somewhat different category.

Two. ROM 1:1 (1-7) APOSTLE: PAUL CHOSEN OVER AND ABOVE THE 12. “Paul, bondman of Jesus Christ, a called APOSTLE, separated unto God’s gospel.” Note: Paulplaces himself as a BONDMAN of Jesus Christ in prior importance to that of the apostle. Ponder this.

Three. 1 COR 12:28 (12-31) APOSTLES: SET BY GOD FOR AS LONG AS THE CHURCH. “And :God has SET (Aorist) some in the church, first APOSTLES, second prophets, third teachers, then powers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, kinds of tongues.” The Aorist tense has the sense that God intends apostles to function as long as the church functions.

Four. EPH 2:20 (11-22) APOSTLES: WITH PROPHETS & JESUS – THE CHURCH’S FOUNDATION. God’s household, “being built upon the foundation of the APOSTLES and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being chief corner stone.” Note: The church is not founded on the 5-fold ministries – Apostles and Prophets take precedence over the last three as the foundation. But Jesus in turn takes precedence over them.

Five. EPH 4:11-13a (1-16) APOSTLES: GIVEN BY CHRIST TO EQUIP THE CHURCH. “And HE GAVE (Aorist) some as APOSTLES; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; 12for the perfecting of the saints, unto a work of ministry, unto a building of the body of the Christ: 13till we :all attain unto the UNITY of the faith.” Jesus gave(Aorist) the 5-fold ministries to function as long as there is a church. Maturity in the church is dependent upon the efficient functioning of these 5. Note that in 1 COR 12:28, teachers are set in a separate class from shepherds.

Six. HEB 3:1-2a (1-6) APOSTLE: IN JESUS – TO BE CONSIDERED! “Whence, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the APOSTLE and High Priest of our :confession, Jesus; 2who was faithful to him that appointed him.” The Holy Spirit is the One here exhorting us to consider Jesus in His high Apostolic calling. He is the Pattern for all other apostles.

Seven. REV 2:2 (1-7) APOSTLES: TO BE DISCERNED IF FALSE. “I know your :works, and your :toil and :patience, and that you cannot bear evil men, and did try them that call themselves APOSTLES, and they are not, and did find them false.” The last reference we have chosen for this word, concerns FALSE apostles. May we be like the Ephesian church, and well able to discern the false from the true.