Episode 2917 - Lesson 4 - Monday October 19 - Apostles and Prophets

Apostles and Prophets The New Testament mentions the work of prophets and apostles. The apostles were "messengers," or "ones sent forth" from God, as defined by the Greek word apostolos. Throughout the Gospels, the word "apostle" refers to the 12 disciples. The rest of the New Testament supports this idea and includes other individuals who were not among Christ's original disciples. Paul calls himself an apostle 12 times in his epistles. In Romans 1:1-2, he connects his apostolic calling, and the content of his preaching, with the message of the Old Testament prophets. Paul presents himself as an apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). He was appointed "through the will of God" (1 Cor. 1:1). Unlike the priests who followed a familial line from fathers to sons, God appointed prophets and apostles according to His will. When Paul's apostleship was in dispute, he defended his calling (1 Cor. 9:1-2). Paul saw his apostleship as building upon the work of Christ, the Foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20). As recipients of God's revelation, the apostles therefore possess the same level of inspiration as the prophets (Eph. 3:1-5). In 2 Peter 3:1-2, Peter makes reference to prophets as those who came before and whose words were important, but now the apostles are presented as carrying the same authority. In these verses, reference is made to Old and New Testament times. While prophets may seem to be God's messengers of the Old Testament era and apostles God's messengers of the New Testament era, there were also people who prophesied or exercised the prophetic gift but who were not apostles. The gift of prophecy was not limited to the apostles in New Testament times. And not all prophets were apostles (Acts 15:32). How do apostles and prophets function in relation to Christ and the church, according to Ephesians 2:20 and Ephesians 3:5? And as we also know by reading what the apostles in the New Testament wrote, Jesus was the center of almost all that they wrote. In one way or another, His life, death, resurrection, high-priestly ministry, and return were their central focus. The only official record we have of the words of the apostles and prophets about Jesus, His life, and works, is the Bible. What should this tell us about why the Bible must have final authority for what we believe about Jesus and His death for us?