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