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  • From: "Frank Jacks" <cfjacks AT attbi.com>
  • To: "Corpus-Paul" <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Apollos an apostle?
  • Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 12:17:30 -0400

Fred said,

----- Original Message -----
From: <Frich107 AT aol.com>
To: <corpus-paul AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2003 3:19 AM
Subject: Re: [Corpus-Paul] Apollos an apostle?


[snipped]

>
> I agree that in its most general sense both Apollos and Barnabas could be
> considered apostles.
>
> >At the same time, apostleship seems to be
> >used of Paul in 1 Cor.9:1 in reference to someone who
> >had "seen" Jesus.
>
> This idea is also found, I believe, in 1 Corinthians 15 in perhaps even
more
> explicit terms, though there may be other ways of reading this.
>
> >I think there is a subtle distinction
> >made between "Apostle" (those who saw Jesus, Paul is a
> >late comer in this regard), and "apostle" (one who is
> >sent to proclaim the gospel). Of course, there were no
> >lower case letters in the earliest textual MSS, but I
> >think context bears out these distincions.
>
> I agree completely that there is a distinction between the two groups of
> apostles that you identify. In Paul's writings I believe that they are
> distinguished by the qualifying phrase 'of the church(es)'. Paul only
speaks explicitly
> of such people on two occasions (2 Corinthians 8:23 and Philippians 2:25),
and
> yet they are obviously very different from Paul and the Jerusalem
apostles, or
> the Twelve. Paul often refers to himself as an apostle 'of Christ Jesus',
> which again is a qualifier that I believe distinguishes him from the
apostles of
> the church. He is sent by Christ, whereas they are sent by local ekklesia.
>
> Regards,
> Fred Rich
>
> Ph.D. Student,
> Department of Biblical Studies,
> University of Sheffield,
> Sheffield,
> South Yorkshire,
> UK.


Fred,

This is just a quick comment (of approval!) to emphasize and to under-line
the distinction which you ened up with - one that I think is pertinent, and
crucially so. Truth to tell, I had been being tempted to jump into this
conversation with what follows as a foot-note, so thanks for giving me this
opportunity.

Since "apostle" simply means "one sent (by someone else to do something or
other -whatever it is that the sender wants the sent to do for him/her,
often in his/her place)" the crucial issue as to the meaning of the word is
NOT to be found in any lexical meaning of the word but rather the
circumstances of the "sending." That is, the question is indeed "who is
sending this person?" and then "for what reason or purpose?"

Clearly [at least to me] Barnabas and Apollos (and Timothy and Titus) were
"apostles," because Paul sent them in his place to do something that he
would most likely have preferred to do "in person" but could not and so he
"sent" them to do this task;
simply said, they were indeed "Paul's apostles." But not (or at least not
directly) "Jesus' apostles." So I most heartily endorse
the distinction you end up making!

Similarly, I think it appropriate to consider "those of/from James"
(mentioned in Gal. 2) can (and perhaps even were at that time) be termed
"James' apostles." So back to Apollos - if he were an "apostle" then
"whose? (i.e. from whom?)" and "why?"
Perhaps to "preach the gospel" ... or not.

Thus, my final comment [which I discover just now relates to a sentence I
snipped out ... my apologies] has to do with someone's assuming that an
"apostle" was (always? ... usually? ... sometimes?) "sent to preach."
Certainly, the Book of Acts
shows us the Christian elders in the congregation at Antioch "sending out"
Paul and Barnabas as their "field agent," to preach
the gospel, a case in which a "sent apostle" WAS "sent to
preach/evangelize." But it rather seems to me that in each case the
task given to such a delegated representative should not be assumed but
discovered. My prime example is of course the one I have already mentioned
above - namely, Paul's sending Timothy and Titus in his stead.

Still, thanks for these contributions (by all, in fact), which I have found
most helpful, in only in clarifying my own thoughts. :-)

Most sincerely,

Frank

Clive F. Jacks, Th.D.
Professor of Religion, Emeritus
Pikeville College,
Pikeville, KY
U.S.A.

(but now still happily retired in the metro Atlanta area)





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