Apostles

The word 'apostle' means someone who is 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.

When we think of apostleship, we usually think (and rightly so) of where they're sent 𝘵𝘰, and what they're sent to do - but the word itself also includes the meaning of being sent 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮.

(The Greek word ἀπόστολος pronounced apóstolos was composed of the prefix apó which meant 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮, and the verb stéllō 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥.)

There is a sending 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮, as well as the sending 𝘵𝘰.

There is a 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, unto.

"𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭, 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦, 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 (𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 1:1).

There was a letting go, as well as the going.

We see this in how Paul and Barnabas became apostles.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝟏𝟑:𝟏-𝟒
𝟏 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬; 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐲𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐞𝐧, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐥.
𝟐 𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.
𝟑 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲.
𝟒 𝐒𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲, 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚; 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐲𝐩𝐫𝐮𝐬.

Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were at first 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘴 and/or 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 in the church that was at Antioch. They were never yet described as apostles.

Then the Holy Ghost said, "𝘚𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them".

So the church 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺.

They were 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 by the Holy Ghost.

And they 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥.

There was a letting go, as well as the going.

The rest of chapter 13 goes on to describe Barnabas and Paul departing to Seleucia, and from there sailing to Cyprus, preaching at Salamis, going through the island to Paphos, being loosed from Paphos and coming to Perga, departing from there and coming to a city in Pisidia, and having to leave there and arriving in Iconium.

It's only by the time we get to 14:14 - after all that traveling and new ministry, having been let go from the church at Antioch - that Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were for the first time in Acts now referred to as 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝟏𝟒:𝟒,𝟏𝟒
𝟒 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝: 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒.

𝟏𝟒 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒, 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐋, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭,

Had Barnabas and Paul stayed in Antioch and held onto their roles in the church there, they couldn't have fulfilled the work to which the Holy Ghost had called them. Only after there was a letting go, and their going, were they called apostles.

It was also only in the leaving and the going that Paul started to be referred to in Acts by his name Paul and no more Saul. He was stepping into what he was separated from his mother’s womb to do.

It mightn't have been easy for the Antioch church to let go of Barnabas and Paul. And it mightn't have been easy for Barnabas and Paul to go and not stay. The church at Antioch was a happening place!

But letting go of places, people, churches and ministries - as well as embracing new ventures, places, people churches and ministries - and doing so on repeat - was all part of what it meant to be an apostle.

The offices of elders, bishop, the presbytery, and deacons in the New Testament tended to be appointments to serve local churches - whereas apostles were 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.

In time Paul and Barnabas did come home to their church again, and reported all that God had done.

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘤𝘩, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥" (Acts 14:26).

They went back to their home church from which they'd been 'recommended' (Strongs surrendered, yielded up, entrusted, transmitted) to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.

They stayed for a while, then they embarked again.

The Holy Ghost calls some at times to be let go, to be sent, to depart, to go, and not stay.

"𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘚𝘖𝘔𝘌, 𝘈𝘗𝘖𝘚𝘛𝘓𝘌𝘚; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘴; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴" (Ephesians 4:11).

Such a calling is "...𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 (Galatians 1:1).

Have you got the 𝘨𝘰 in you?

You might need to be okay with letting go, as well as with the going.

I don't know which would be easier and which might be more difficult: the letting go, or the going.

As Paul said, speaking of the hardships apostles face:

"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩: 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯" (I Corinthians 4:9).

But Jesus Christ doesn't only call, He also gives grace.

"𝘉𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦" (Romans 1:5).

It will be His grace doing the work in you, not of yourself.

"𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮: 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘯; 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭: 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘐, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦" (I Corinthians 15:10).

You "...𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘩..." you (Philippians 4:13).