Marion Fox
QUESTiON: Was Barnabas an apostle? it has always been my understanding
that he was a disciple, but not one of the apostles. However Acts 14:14
seems to identif him as such.
Acts 14:14: “!l7iich when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of
they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people crying out...”
ANSWER: The word “apostle” refers to one sent with a mission. First,
it is used for
Jesus, who was sent by God the Father (Hebrews 3:1) Second, it is used
for the apostles of Christ (the twelve plus Paul). Third, it is used for
someone sent out by the church on a mission. Acts 14:14 is an example of
this third usage of this word. Paul was an apostle of Christ and also an
apostle (one sent out) of the church in Antioch (Acts 14:14). Other passages
(in the Greek) that have the word “apostle” are: 2 Corinthians 8:23 (“messengers”)
and Philippians 2:25 (“messenger”). Paul implies that the word “apostle”
has wider meaning than an apostle of Christ in Galatians 1:1). Note that
he says “Paul, an apostle, not of men, l implying that one could be an
apostle of men. Remember that the Greek word existed before there were
apostles of Christ, so it had a usage of its own.
The word translated “apostles” was used for an ambassador. Greek authorities
define the Greek word arroa-roAo, as “a delegate, messenger, one sent forth
with orders” (Thayer, page 68), “ambassador, delegate, messenger” (Bauer,
Arndt, and Gingrich, page 99).
Hence, this word had a broader meaning that we generally give to it.
In fact, a missionary of the church could rightly be called an apostle
of the church (not an apostle of Christ though). I would not advise this
because of the confusion it would generate because of the ignorance of
most people.
—Barnes Church of Christ, bulletin, July 15-01