1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God

…an apostle of Jesus Christ…

Language is essential to civilization. It is how we share ideas. Without language so many things we take for granted would disappear. For example, look at the concept of time. For time to have any value, all of us have to agree on what time it is. Imagine a world where nobody could agree on what time it is. We all set our watches and clocks to whatever time we felt was right. We could all agree to “meet at 6 PM” but no two people would show up at the same time.

By the same token, if we cannot agree on the meaning of words, then we are at a loss to communicate. If we have a different understanding of a word’s meanings, then we might assume we have communicated when, in fact, we have not. The more technical the topic, the more critical a correct understanding of words becomes. Engineers have extremely detailed understandings for specific words. Without them, we couldn’t build bridges or send rockets into space.

Our common language is different. We allow more flexibility in how words are used. I am not sure that this is a good thing. In the ’50s the word “cool” used to mean “almost cold.” Then it came to mean “socially fashionable” by certain groups. In the ’90s the word “sick” meant that you were not feeling well. Soon after certain groups adopted it to mean “cool.” Now, depending on who you talk to, “cool” can mean a cold temperature, fashionable, or “sick.”

Changing the meaning of words has the effect of fracturing our society. Not understanding the meaning of words waters down our ability to understand anything. In terms of its impact on our lives, nothing is more important than understanding who Jesus is and what he stands for. So words about Jesus and used by Jesus are important.

The word “apostle” is one of those words that are especially important to Christianity. What is an apostle? How is an apostle different than other people? Are there different kinds of apostles? Peter tells us that he is an apostle. What does he mean by that?

It turns out that the word is used in two ways. The first is to people who, like Peter, were appointed apostles by Jesus personally. The second usage is more generic and is applied to people whose work is similar to the apostles. In Luke 6: 12-16, we are told that Jesus chose twelve of his disciples and designated them apostles. Strong’s Concordance defines an apostle as “an ambassador of the Gospel.” In addition to being ambassadors, Jesus gave the twelve special authority, power, and knowledge. Some of this knowledge was given by Jesus while he walked the earth. Some of the knowledge came to the disciples by the Holy Spirit, after Jesus ascended into Heaven.[1]

Application: The Holy Spirit is a direct line to God (John 16: 13). Listen to Him!

Food for Thought: What credentials do modern apostles carry?

[1] Judas was the exception. The twelfth Apostle chosen by Jesus was Paul. The disciples selected Matthias to replace Judas. (Acts 1: 12-26) Interestingly this pattern echoes the pattern of the original twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Joseph was split between his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. These two replace the Levites in the distribution of land in Canaan so while the Levites were not allocated land of their own, there were still twelve clans represented.