The Apostolic Calling

.... In the beginning, Jesus appointed the twelve apostles "that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach." (Mark 3:14). This passage shows three primary qualifications for an apostolic ministry, which are sustained through examining additional Scriptures:

1. In some way, an apostle must be chosen by the Lord Himself (1 Corinthians 12:5)

2. They must be thoroughly acquainted with the Lord's life and His teachings (Acts 1:21-22).

3. They must grow so mature in this understanding that it thoroughly re-shapes their character, with the effect of making them very Christ-like persons and a good example for other Christians to follow (Luke 22:28; John 15:26-27).

.... The original twelve apostles are called the ‘foundational’ apostles (Based on Revelation 21:14), but other apostles would later be called as well. For instance, in our previous posting we gave the example of Paul and Barnabas, and in the comments section we spoke of Silas, who all became apostles in later years. For them, the same three-fold criteria that we have just mentioned would apply, though it could not have proceed from personal contact with Jesus during the years of His earthly ministry. The important thing is in knowing Him, not neccessarily to have known Him at the time.

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.... But beyond even these qualifications, a certain type of personality is also needed:

.... "Then Jesus said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you become fishers of men".’

(Mark 1:17)

.... Let’s think back on the sort of men Jesus called, when He chose the original twelve apostles. Have you ever noticed that He never called a shepherd? To the best of our knowledge, He never called a person from a passive profession at all. So what can we see of His mind through this approach?

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.... When it came to choosing apostles, Jesus called those who had the drive to go out and gather whatever was available: four of His apostles were fishermen, one was a tax collector, one was a thief (okay, so that one didn’t work out so well. But still . . . )

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.... Also, one of his apostles was a zealot. Zealots, as you may know, are rabble-rousers. They go places and stir up people. We would later see something similar when He chose Saul of Tarsus (Acts 26:11); and Silas showed a similar, though far more wholesome, zeal and drive (Acts 15:30-32).

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.... So apostles are people who recognize opportunity, who take risks, and are resourcefully minded. They are also energetic enough to actively pursue their calling. When they become too old for this pace, though remaining apostles, they traditionally settle into a city to oversee the local church leadership in an advisory role, and are sometimes referred to as bishops.

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Daily Bible Reading: Ephesians 3