The Importance of the Apostles

# 298 - Today's Living Word comes from (Mark 3:14-15) Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:'

The Strong's concordance defines apostle as a delegate. So Jesus appoints or “delegates” these twelve men. Strong's continues the definition with, “specifically an ambassador of the Gospel, officially a commissioner of Christ with miraculous powers.”

The word “apostle comes from another Greek Word that means to set apart, to send out on a mission.” Pretty much sums up what's taking place here.

These twelve (with the exception of Judas, hence the use of the phrase, that He might send them out) would be the pillars of the New Testament church, with Jesus of course, the foundation.

To be a commissioner of Christ is to be so linked with Him, that all that is done by the commissioned is the act of Jesus through the commissioned. Jesus gave them a temporary taste of being such conduits, when he sent them out to preach and heal with the seventy in Luke 10.

The permanent power to preach and heal was given to them on Pentecost. All of this is vital for us to understand so that we may hold a high view of the apostolic teachings found in the New Testament.

Their “New Testament” teachings came directly from Jesus. The New Testament church then “continued steadfastly in these apostle's doctrine, and so should we. Receive their teachings as if they come directly from Jesus, because they do.

Maybe if we would heed ALL of the New Testament teachings, the church wouldn't be in the mess it's in today.

I’m Duane Matz and that’s today’s Living Word.