The Church: Apostle (Part 16)

Doc Ryan and Matt Mouzakis with Expedition 44 Over the next few episodes, we’ll be diving into 5 gifts that many call the 5-fold ministry or 5-fold giftings. There are traditions that take these 5 (APEST-Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd/Pastor, Teacher) as offices in Ephesians 4:11. This is difficult to support in the context of the passage where Christ is giving gifts to his church. What is an Apostle? · Apostle simply means “sent one”. They were ambassadors or emissaries who carried teachings and messages of a king or religious leader/sect · Apostle was a not a religious word in the ancient world. Caesar had Apostles that were sent around the Roman empire to help spread the Roman culture and the Roman way of life. · In Judaism the ones sent from the temple out to the diaspora synagogues to collect the temple tax were called “apostles” · It was simply one who was sent with a message or mission. It was a task or function. Though in the world it may be an office we don’t see much evidence of that in the church. Jesus’ mission and message to His Apostles Matt 28:18-20 · The Jerusalem Model—A group of apostolic workers spends years raising up one large church. After a number of years, the church is transplanted into many different cities, thus creating many new churches. The workers visit those new churches and lay fresh foundations for them. · The Antioch Model—Apostolic workers are sent out from a local church to plant new churches in new cities. The workers leave those churches in their infancy but give periodic help and encouragement as they mature. · The Ephesian Model—An older worker resides in a particular city to plant a new church and train younger workers. He then sends those workers out to plant new churches in nearby regions. · The Roman Model—Christians from many different churches transplant themselves into a particular city to establish one new church. Teamwork There is also always a sense of teamwork in apostolic ministry and that it is done in 2s The “Worker” and the “Work” The term “worker” was a favorite of Jesus (Matt 9:37-38, 20:1-2, Luke 10:2,7) Paul used it in his letters (1 Cor 3:9, 2 Cor 6:1, 11:13, Col 4:11). Luke refers to the planting and nurturing of congregations (not buildings) as “the work” Apostolic Office? The question is this an office and thus does it have “authority” over churches? Or must one have some sort of “apostolic covering”? o Paul didn’t Lord over those in the churches he planted but he wanted to “persuade” them of the truth and God’s will. o Paul’s 2 favorite words for this concept were parakalein and erotao. These words are not imperial edicts but one means “to make an appeal” and the other is “a request between equals”. o Paul refrained from using epitage (commandment) to charge obedience to himself. Instead, he urged, beseeched, appealed, pleaded, and asked of the churches he ministered in. This is the tone of cooperation. § Evidence of this is in- Rom. 12:1; 15:30; 16:2, 17; 1 Cor. 1:10; 4:16; 16:12, 15; 2 Cor. 2:8; 5:20; 6:1; 8:6; 9:5; 10:1–2; 12:18; Gal. 4:12; Eph. 3:13; 4:1; Phil. 4:2–3; 1 Thess. 2:3, 11; 4:1, 10; 5:12, 14; 2 Thess. 2:1; 3:14–15; 1 Tim. 1:3; 2:1; Philem. 9–10, 14) § On rare occasions he did charge (paraggello) obedience to the things that he had written (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:4, 6, 10, 14). But the object of obedience was not Paul as a person. It was Christ whose mind he was expressing at the time. Paul charged people to have obedience to Christ rather than himself (Rom. 1:5; 16:19, 26; 2 Cor. 2:9; Phil. 2:12). § “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy” 2 Cor. 1:24 The apostle is: o An itinerant worker o Plants churches o Teaches the church to live under the gospel o Equips the church to serve each other and Christ o Leaves that church functioning as an organic community o Is available for support but is not part of th