The Narrow Path Ministries

I have been researching the New Testament's identification of apostles. We all know of the twelve apostles as having a distinct authority, but what about those who are given the same title?

Here are a few examples of individuals being described as "apostles":

Bamabas (Acts 14:3,4,14);
Andronicus (Rom. 16:7);
Junia (whose name indicates this might have been a woman, Rom. 16:7)
James, the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:19);
Silas or Silvanus (Acts 15:22; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6);
Timothy (1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6),
Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6-9);
Epaphroditus? (Phil. 2:25) (This example could be just a different use of the word apostolos)


So did these individuals have the same authority in the church as Paul or Peter? I was in conversation with some Christians who believe that the office of apostleship is still being exercised by church leaders or church planters. Currently, do those individuals also fall under the same category as apostles like Paul or Peter?

RichinChrist wrote:I have been researching the New Testament's identification of apostles. We all know of the twelve apostles as having a distinct authority, but what about those who are given the same title?

Here are a few examples of individuals being described as "apostles":

Bamabas (Acts 14:3,4,14);
Andronicus (Rom. 16:7);
Junia (whose name indicates this might have been a woman, Rom. 16:7)
James, the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:19);
Silas or Silvanus (Acts 15:22; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6);
Timothy (1 Thess. 1:1; 2:6),
Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6-9);
Epaphroditus? (Phil. 2:25) (This example could be just a different use of the word apostolos)

The meaning of "apostle" is "one who is sent with a commission". I am sure that those you have listed were in no way inferior to the better known apostles such as Peter, Paul, and John. I am not sure that the apostles had authority over the church. Indeed, it seems that the local church (in this case the church at Antioch) had authority over Paul and Barnabus. They not only appointed them to go to Jerusalem to settle the issue of whether circumcision was necessary for salvation, but they also sent them there.

...but some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved," and when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. Acts 15:1-3

Incidentally, I am that the Greek word "ουνιαν" in Rom. 16:17 is the accusative singular of either the masculine word "Junias" or the feminine word "Junia". Both have an identical form in the accusative singular. There is no way to determine from the Greek of the verse which of the two it is. If only Paul had used the nominative case, we would know.