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APOSTLE, APOSTLESHIP
1. APOSTOLOS (ἀπόςτολος
, (652)) is,
lit., one sent forth (apo, from, stellō, to
send). “The word is used of the Lord Jesus to describe His
relation to God, Heb. 3:1; see John 17:3. The twelve disciples
chosen by the Lord for special training were so called, Luke
6:13; 9:10. Paul, though he had seen the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 9:1;
15:8, had not ‘companied with’ the Twelve ‘all the time’ of His
earthly ministry, and hence was not eligible for a place among
them, according to Peter’s description of the necessary
qualifications, Acts 1:22. Paul was commissioned directly, by
the Lord Himself, after His Ascension, to carry the Gospel to
the Gentiles.
“The word has also a wider reference. In Acts 14:4, 14, it is
used of Barnabas as well as of Paul; in Rom. 16:7 of Andronicus
and Junias. In 2 Cor. 8:23 (R.V.,
margin) two unnamed brethren are called ‘apostles of the
churches;’ in Phil. 2:25 (R.V., margin) Epaphroditus is
referred to as ‘your apostle.’ It is used in 1 Thess. 2:6 of
Paul, Silas and Timothy, to define their relation to Christ.”*
2. APOSTOLĒ (ἀποςτολή
, (651)), a sending, a mission, signifies an apostleship, Acts
1:25; Rom. 1:5; 1 Cor. 9:2; Gal. 2:8.¶
Vine, W., & Bruce, F.
(1981; Published in electronic form by Logos Research
Systems, 1996). Vine's Expository dictionary of Old and
New Testament words : W.E. Vine ; Old Testament edited by
F.F. Bruce. (electronic ed.). Old Tappan NJ: Revell.
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