Is the Capital "A" on Apostle Also Applicable to Today's Apostles?

by Apostle Randall A. Muse | randallmuse@hotmail.com | www.apostolicfathering.org/apostolic_index



CMccain125@AOL.COM writes:

> I am not by any stretch a Greek scholar, but I do have a question or two.

> In reading the NT I find that the word "apostle" is never in front of the

> person's name, i.e., Paul, Peter, etc. Could someone explain why?

ANSWER:

Neither is the word Pastor or Dr. or Reverend, though there were obviously

Doctors and Pastors in the New Testament. They also did not use last names but

rather we regarded them as the son or daughter of their father or mother. They were

also sometimes referred to by what they did, where they were from, or even

what disease they had, like "Simon the leper."

Matt 1:1

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of

Abraham: (NKJ)

Matt 10:4

4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. (NKJ)

Mark 6:3

3 "Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses,

Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" And they were

offended at Him. (NKJ)



I believe this change in how we call people who they are like using the term

"Apostle Paul" as we do now instead of "Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ," is

primarily base upon culture and the differences in our language and its use. I

am Randy Muse, but they may have called me Randy, the son of Jerry; Randy the

plumber, or Randy of Long Beach.

> It is capitalized only once, in Heb.3:1, and that reference is to the Great

> Apostle and High Priest, Jesus Christ. Maybe someone could explain how it

> got moved to the title position and not remained as it is in the original?

ANSWER:

This capitalization is not how it was worded in the original Greek but was

rather worded such by translators to honor the Apostleship of Jesus Christ

above all others, like writing "He (upper case)" instead of "he (lower case)"

when referring to Jesus, etc. We call Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ.

The shorter phrase, "Apostle Paul", does not denote that we have changed the

functioning of the apostle's ministry nor does it mean we've elevated all

apostles to the level of the apostleship of Jesus Christ as the Great High

Priest. All apostles or Apostles receive their gifts from Him and are an

extension of His ministry on earth, as are all True Saints of the Most High

God. We call ourselves Christians, not necessarily christians, to denote who

we are as a proper noun, which is capitalized in the English language. The

original Greek had no capitalization or punctuation whatsoever.

Jesus is the chief Shepherd, that is to say, "Pastor", but that fact that He is

the capital "P" pastor has not prevented pastors from capitalizing the "P" in

Pastor on their business cards. The practice is not offensive in any way.

The Bible forewarned that apostles would be persecuted, and this persecution

shall arise primarily from within the Church. The world does not care about

whether apostles exist or do not exist. But the devil, working through

religionists, does dread the re-emergence of the apostle. The apostle's presence

shakes inflexible ecclesiastical hierarchies which fear encroachments to their

system of totalitarian rule. Religionists want NO activity that they have not

personally endorsed and sanctioned. Because of this mind-set, people oppose

the use of the title, "apostle." They assume all apostles have delusions of

grandeur, when it is actually visa versa---men's church traditions exalt their

proud and glamorous pontiffs, while the apostle goes on being despised

and rejected of men, as was the chief Apostle, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The servant is not greater than his Master.

"Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets;

for God hath avenged you on her." Revelation 18:20

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