Planting Churches among the City's Poor - Volume 1

P ART III: P LANTING U RBAN C HURCHES • 337

The Heartbeat of a Church Planter Discerning an Apostolic/Pastoral Identity Rev. Dr. Don L. Davis • The Timothy Conference: Building Church Plant Teams . Wichita: The Urban Ministry Institute, 2005. Gal. 1.1-5 (ESV) – Paul, an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I. Definitions and Distinctions of the Apostleship

A. Linguistic considerations of apostolos : (the literal meaning “one sent forth,” an envoy, messenger)

1. Classical Greek: distinction between aggelos (messenger) and apostolos (a delegate or representative of the person who sent him) 2. Later Judaism: apostoloi envoys sent by the elders in Jerusalem to collect tithe and tribute from the Jews of the Dispersion New Testament Senses of Apostleship The term apostles designates three different groups of people. Initially, only the original disciples (meaning “students, learners”) of Jesus were called apostles (meaning “those sent forth with a mission”). Later, the name was given to missionaries involved in church planting who were also eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection, such as Paul himself (1 Cor. 9.1-18) and a group of Jesus’ followers other than the Twelve (1 Cor. 15.5,7). Finally, the designation was extended to people who had never seen Christ but who were involved with apostles in pioneer missionary efforts – Apollos (1 Cor. 4.6,9); Epaphroditus (Phil. 2.25); Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thess. 1.1, cf. 2.6). The definition of “apostles” as one of the higher gifts to be desired bears evidence to the continued accessibility to this ministry for qualified individuals (1 Cor. 12.28, cf. 31). Corinthian Christians could aspire to become apostles, prophets, or teachers. The term apostle was still used in this broad sense in the post-apostolic writings