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APOSTOLIC TEAMS (Biblical Basis)
Greek Definitions apostle – apostolos meaning one sent forth, one sent, a delegate, ambassador, (II Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25) messenger – apostolos meaning one sent forth (Same as above) apostleship – apostole meaning a sending forth, commission, apostleship (postolate) (Acts 1:25; Romans 1:5; I Corinthians 9:2; Galatians 2:8) companion – sunekdemos meaning fellow worker, fellow traveler, companion in travel, travel with (Acts 19:29; Philippians 2:25) worker –
sunergos meaning joint worker, co-laborer, fellow helper,
laborer together with, workfellow (Romans 16:21;
work – ergon meaning ministry, work, to work, toil, an effort, occupation, an act, deed, doing, labor (Acts 13:2, 14:26)
Apostolic Views Dispensation View – Limited to New Testament and to the original 12 apostles and Paul (I Corinthians 13:8-10) Succession View – Papal System (Matthew 16:16-19) Continuing View – Twelve and other Apostles
Original Twelve Distinctive: Called directly by Jesus (Luke 6:13-16) and Present at Jesus’ baptism, ascension & witness of His resurrection (Acts 12:21-22)
Other Apostles: Continuing Gift of Equipping (Ephesians 4:11-16; I Corinthians 12:28-29) Paul (I Corinthians 15:8) Barnabas (Acts 13:50; 14:3-4) Andronicus & Junias (Romans 16:7; I Thessalonians 1:1, 2:6) Silas & unnamed apostle (Acts 16:40) Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25) Paul, Silas & Timothy (I Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6) James, brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19) Titus (II Corinthians 8:23; Titus 1:5) Apollos (I Corinthians 4:6, 9)
Others inferred as traveling companions: Luke, Epaprus, Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Sopater, Secundus, Gaius, Tychicus, Trophomus (Acts 20:4; Colossians 4:14; II Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24)
Apostolic Equipping Team – Key Passage: (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Apostolic Team as Servants – Paul (Romans1:1; Titus 1:1) Peter (II Peter1:1) John (II John 1; III John 1)
Apostolic Team Combination of Gifts – Paul a teacher (I Timothy 2:7; II Timothy 1:11) Barnabas an encourager and giver (Acts 4:34-37; 11:25) Silas a prophet (Acts 15:32) Timothy an evangelist (II Timothy 4:5)
Apostolic Team Plurality – Peter & the eleven (Acts 2:14) Peter & John (Acts 3:1) Barnabas & Saul (Acts 14:14, 23) Peter & James (Acts 15:7, 13) Paul, Barnabas and certain other of them (Acts 15:2) Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas (Acts 15:22, 25) Judas and Silas (Acts 15:32) Barnabas, Saul and John Mark (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13) Barnabas and John Mark (Acts 15:36-41) Paul & Silas (Acts 15:36-41) Luke, Timothy and Paul (Acts 18:1-18, 26) Apollos (Acts 18:24) Timothy, Erastus and Paul (Acts 19:22) Luke and Paul (Acts 27:1) Paul and Timothy (Acts 16:1; I Thessalonians 1:1, 2:6; II Timothy 1:6) Andronicus and Junius (Romans16:7) Titus and messengers (II Corinthians 8:23) Paul, Silvanus and Timotheus (I Thessalonians 2:6) Epaphras, Marchus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas (Philemon 23-25) Peter and Marcus (I Peter 5:13)
When & Where Apostolic Teams Traveled – Example of Paul’s decision making (Acts 16:6-11)
How Long Apostolic Teams Stayed in One Location – Paul’s Example: Three months in Ephesus (Acts 19:8) Three months in Greece (Acts 20:3) Three months in Melita (Acts 28:11) One year in Antioch (Acts 11:26) One year and six months in Corinth (Acts 18:11) Two years in Ephesus (Acts 19:10) Two years in Rome (Acts 28:30) Three years in Asia (Acts 20:31)
Apostolic Team Teaching – Apostles’ doctrine: “Jesus” (Acts 2:42, 5:42)
Apostolic Team Equipping and Training – Equipping (Ephesians 4:11-16) Training of spiritual father apprenticeship, i.e., Paul and Timothy (Acts 16:1-4)
Apostolic Teams’ Geographical Roots – Andronicus - Rome (Romans 16:7) Apollos - Alexandria (Acts 18:24) Aquila - Pontus (Acts 18:2) Aristarchus- Thessalonica (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2) Barnabas - Cyprus (Acts 4:36) Demas - Thessalonica (II Timothy 4:10) Crescens - Galatia (I Timothy 4:10) Gaius - Macedonia (Acts19:19) John Mark - Jerusalem (Acts 12:12) Judas Barsabas - Jerusalem (Acts 15:22) Lucius - Cyrene (Acts 13:1) Manaen - Antioch (Acts 13:1) Paul - Tarsus (Acts 9:11, 30) Secundus - Thessalonica (Acts 20:4) Sopater - Berea (Acts 20:4) Timothy - Derbe (Acts 16:1) Trophimas - Ephesus (Acts 20:4) Tychicus - Asia (Acts 20:4) Titus - Dalmatia (Galatians 2:3)
Apostolic Team Sphere of Influence – Peter - Jews (Galatians 2:7-8, 11, 14) Paul - Gentiles (Galatians 2:7-8, 11, 14) Peter & John - Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:14-25) Peter (Acts 10:1-11:18) John -Asia (I, II, III John; Revelation 1:1-22:21) James – Jerusalem (Acts 15:13-29) Paul – Not where Christ was named (Romans 15:20) Paul and Apollos- Laborers together (I Corinthians 3:6-9)
Apostolic Team Relationship to Elders – “Apostles and elders in Jerusalem.” (Acts 15:2, 6) “I who am also an elder…servant and apostle.” (I Peter 5:1; II Peter 1:1) “Ordain elders in every church…every city.” (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5) “Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.” (Acts 20:17) “John, the elder…” (II John 1:1; III John 1:1)
Apostolic Team Relationship to Churches – Barnabas and Saul took money to churches (Acts 11:29-30) Barnabas and Saul taught the whole church (Acts 11:26; I Corinthians 14:17) Saul and Barnabas returned to the churches confirming and exhorting. (Acts 14:23) Paul and Barnabas gathered the church and rehearsed. (Acts 14:27) Paul had daily care of the churches. (II Corinthians 11:28) Paul & Timothy set in order. (I Corinthians 14:40; Titus 1:5)
Apostolic Team Financial Support – Walk of faith, trusting God for resources “70” and “12” take nothing and look for “man of peace”: (Lk.10:1-17; Matt.10:5-14) Churches supported Jerusalem: (Acts 2:44-45); Philippi (Philippians 4:15) Individuals supported: Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37), Lydia (Acts 16:12-40) and Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43) Tent making: Paul and Aquila. (Acts 18:13)
JESUS OUR EXAMPLE – Apostle (Hebrews 3:1) Prophet (Luke 24:19) Evangelist (Luke 4:18) Pastor (I Peter 2:25, 5:4) Teacher (John 3:2)
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