And remember. I responded to it.
The term apostle in the first century was an exclusive title which referred to the 12 "sent ones" of Jesus. Almost every church father affirms that this title was exclusive to the twelve. Jesus never uses the term apostle outside of his chosen twelve. The ONLY reason you think people like yourself can claim this title is because of Paul! Once again, circular logic.
Oh it's circular, alright. Mainly because you can't read for yourself, you've set out with confirmation bias to cling to your black helicopter theories from various apostate websites, rather than just reading
for yourself.
That said, I've never seen anyone cling so tightly to an otherwise loosely used term.
Mark 3 is a good place to start:
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (
whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.
Timothy, Apollos, and Silas are named as apostles (1 Thes, 1 Cor). Acts 14:14, we've already cited for Barnabas.
Luke 9:
9 Then He called His twelve
disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He
sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
Also seen in Mark 6:
7 And He called the twelve to
Himself, and began to
send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in
their money belts— 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
Luke 10:
1 After these things the
Lord appointed seventy others also, and
sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly
is great, but the laborers
are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.
Looky there, the Lord appointing people to be "sent out," and it's not just the 12. Craziness.
Mark 16:
14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Amazing, the same things He told the 12 back before His death, and the 70 others He sent out after.
Shall I continue? Okay.
Matthew 28:
16 Then the
eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.” Amen.
This is also seen in Mark 16.
John 17:
18 As you sent me into the world,
so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “
I do not ask for these only, but
also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us,
so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
It's usually considered an interchangeable word, disciple/apostle (mainly because "apostle" is sparsely used in Matthew (once maybe?) but almost always said as disciple, and I don't think "apostle" even appears in John). Jesus may have started with 12, but it was never limited to 12. Throughout his ministry He calls people to follow, and many do, though none hold the honorary "twelve" title. Yet, He sends more than just the 12 out, and specifically leaves the remaining 11 with the command to go and make disciples of all nations, and that all who believe will have power and authority in His name. The twelve are church leadership, founders maybe you'd say, because they were the ones Christ selected to take this charge personally after prayer: but He prays for all who hear THEM and continue the church. He had to start somewhere, and these were His most loyal, hence the rewards for them seen in Revelation, perhaps.
But His parting words are for them to do, essentially, what He did with them. Elect and send out. And Peter does this in Acts. Paul does this throughout his letters (most of which pre-date the gospels, in fact, Paul is the first historical reference to the twelve apostles at all, in 1 Corinthians 15. Ironic you accuse him of subverting them). The twelve were a distinct group, for sure, and they are often called "the twelve" in honorary fashion. But the movement was by no means limited to 12 apostles only, otherwise, we would never have heard the gospel. The very nature of what Christ did was to continue naming apostles and sending them out.
Thus, your argument that the term "apostles" or "disciples" in the first century is only meant for the twelve is mostly baseless, the texts themselves use it for others. Christ Himself says it in Matthew 28. Immediately after His death, apostleship begins to increase (arguably before, as I've demonstrated, but the best argument you can really make is during His life and post-resurrection, but immediately after, apostles are named and sent out).
If you'd read to learn, you'd know. But you read to subvert, and so the texts will always elude you. You show so much legalism in this, to which I suppose I'll say, following the Torah and only the Torah, suits you well. And that's rather tragic.
Blessings.
