Matthew 10
apostles The word apostle, = "one sent forth," is used of our Lord Hebrews 3:1. Elsewhere it is used for the twelve who were called to that office by our Lord during His earth ministry; of Paul, called to the apostleship by the risen and ascended Lord, and of Barnabas Acts 14:14 specially designated by the Holy Spirit Acts 13:2. Of Matthias, chosen by lot by the eleven to take the place of Judas Iscariot, Acts 1:16-26 it is said: "And he was numbered with the eleven." Acts 1:26. The "signs" of an apostle were- (1) They were chosen directly by the Lord Himself, or, as in the case of Barnabas, by the Holy Spirit Matthew 10:1,2; Mark 3:13,14; Luke 6:13; Acts 9:6,15; 13:2; 22:10,14,15; Romans 1:1
- (2) They were endued with sign gifts, miraculous powers which were the divine credentials of their office Matthew 10:1; Acts 5:15,16; 16:16-18; Matthew 28:8,9.
- (3) Their relation to the kingdom was that of heralds, announcing to Israel only Matthew 10:5,6 the kingdom as at hand. (See Scofield "Matthew 4:17") and manifesting kingdom powers Matthew 10:7,8.
- (4) To one of them, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, viewed as the sphere of Christian profession, as in Mat 13, were given Matthew 16:19.
- (5) Their future relation to the king will be that of judges over the twelve tribes Matthew 19:28.
- (6) Consequent upon the rejection of the kingdom, and the revelation of the mystery hid in God Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 3:1-12 the Church, the apostolic office was invested with a new enduement, the baptism with the Holy Spirit Acts 2:1-4 a new power, that of imparting the Spirit to Jewish-Christian believers; a new relation, that of foundation stones of the new temple Ephesians 2:20-22 and a new function, that of preaching the glad tidings of salvation through a crucified and risen Lord to Jew and gentile alike.
- (7) The indispensable qualification of an apostle was that he should have been an eye- witness of the resurrection Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1.
- (1) "Peace with God" Romans 5:1 this is the work of Christ into which the individual enters by faith ; Ephesians 2:14-17; Romans 5:1.
- (2) "The peace of God" Philippians 4:7 inward peace, the state of soul of that believer who, having entered into peace with God through faith in Christ, has also committed to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving all his anxieties ; Luke 7:50; Philippians 4:6.
- (3) Peace "on earth" Luke 2:14; Psalms 72:7; 85:10; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:1-12 the universal prevalency of peace in the earth under the kingdom. Matthew 10:34 was Christ's warning that the truth which He was proclaiming would not bring in the kingdom age of peace, but conflict rather. John 14:27.
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