Template:Apostles
Many modern Christians do not practice "pure Religion". In fact, they often engage in "covetous practices' going to the Fathers of the earth who call themselves benefactors but exercise authority one over the other to set the table of which early Christians would not eat.
Apostolos
The word Apostolos is from the Greek word apostello meaning to send, to order (one) to go to a place appointed. An ambassador from Greece would be called an Apostolos and certainly the Apostles were ambassadors from the kingdom of God to the world. It appears 78 times as apostle but twice as messenger. It could include anyone who is a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders.
While it might be "specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ" but also in a broader sense applied to others who are spiritually sent or delegated by God as prophets or teachers or any task based on the righteousness and Will of God.
The kingdom of God is one form of government where its ministers are servants with no offices where men exercise authority one over another because Jesus said it was not to be that way with us.
There is only one denomination of His Church because Christ and His doctrine is the only common denominator.
Only God delegates men to be His Apostles. If any man preach a doctrine other than that which Jesus taught he is clearly not an apostle of Jesus.
An apostle may have authority over things that by their nature and circumstance belong to God. This would be things freely given to men who actually are separate from the world and actually belonged to God.
The apostles seemed to actually belong to God as they considered themselves to be His bondservants saying their is another king, often doing contrary to the decrees of Caesar.[1]
Ambassadors of Christ
An ambassador of Christ could certainly be called an apostle if he or she was truly sent from the kingdom of God to the world by way of the Holy Spirit.
The term Apostolos clearly appears 78 times as apostle in the Bible but the real question is how would you know if someone was truly sent by God?
And what would that look like?
They would be doing what Christ commanded and conforming to the directives of Christ to His Disciples and the Doctrine of Jesus concerning his ministers.
Christ was the king of Judea and took the kingdom from the false ministers of Moses and appointed it to His trained disciples.
What the early Church did can give us Ensight into what an ambassador did.
Ambassadors of others
Many people claiming to be ambassador of Christ fail to meet the guidelines for Christ's ministers.
If men calling themselves apostles or bishops are not conforming to the instructions of Christ the may be some other kings apostles.
Ambrose was a bishop of a church overseen and funded by Constantine. But many of these new bishop who oversaw that daily ministration of free bread which included covetous practices with an appetite for the dainties of Constantine or other.
The people who chose to at the tables of rulers should have put a knife to their throat because what should have been for their welfare was a snare.
Listen to Audio The Church (Ekklesia in Greek or Qahal in Hebrew) - Then and Now. How is the church different today than the first century?, Essenes, Dead Sea Scrolls, Apostles = Ambassadors, "Swear not!"...
Audio notes
Was Christ really King? Structure of government in Christ's time,
Why did the pharisees ask permission from Rome to kill Christ?
Making covenants
What is "faithfulness"?
Herod the Great's method,
Dead stones vs living stones,
A word or two on oaths
Hosanna in the highest!
The "palm" tradition,
Christ in the treasury,
Apostles = ambassadors,
Church is a government,
"This Rock",
Who has the Keys of the Kingdom?
- ↑ Acts 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.