Answers to some questions about Apostles

By John Chopores

 

Question: Did Apostles have to be disciples of Jesus from the time of His Baptism to His resurrection?

 

Answer: No!

 

St. Paul was an Apostle; and he was not one of the Original twelve that Jesus had called! Cf. Mr 3:13 ¶ And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him.
 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter;
 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";
 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;
 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.[NKJV].

 

As far as I know; neither was Paul one of the seventy.  Cf. Lu 10:1 ¶ After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.

 

St. Paul did however, see Jesus; but this sighting of Him (Jesus) may have bee a vision. Cf. 1Co 15:8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

1Co 9:1 ¶ Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? [NKJV].

 

Also, there were other apostles mentioned in the New Testament. Such as Barnabas. Cf. Ac 14:14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out

 

Question: Were apostles only needed, in the first century AD?

 

Answer: No. They will be needed until the Church is perfect!

 

Also, the church universal has not come into perfect unity considering that there are over 1,200 denominations in the USA alone. Some are Calvinists, Some Armenians, some Catholics, some Lutherans, some ultra-dispensations, and some Pentecostals!  Cf. Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;