You may be wondering about the title of this article. After all, were there not just twelve apostles? That is what children learn in Bible class. That is the number that immediately comes to mind for most Bible students of any age. If you count the men that Jesus chose during His time on the earth, there were just twelve apostles. But if you count every person mentioned in the Bible as being an apostle, you find not twelve, but sixteen.
Before noticing who these sixteen are, let us remember what the word apostle means. It is from the Greek word apostolos, which means one who is sent. In the context of Scripture, an apostle was one who was sent out on a divinely ordained mission with a message that came from above. His duty was to proclaim the good news of salvation.
So who were the sixteen apostles? We typically think of the twelve that were chosen by Jesus: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas (Matthew 10:2-4). Besides these, we read of Matthias (Acts 1:26), Paul (Romans 1:1), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), and even Jesus Himself (Hebrews 3:1) being called apostles.
Not every one of the sixteen was the same type of apostle – Barnabas and Jesus particularly were distinct in different ways, as we will notice. But what they all have in common is that their apostleships help explain how God has chosen to reveal His word and how He desires that it be spread. So with this in mind, let us consider the sixteen apostles.
Jesus: The Apostle Sent from Heaven
“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession; He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house” (Hebrews 3:1-2).
Jesus is the chief spokesman for God in the last days (Hebrews 1:2). While on the earth, Jesus made it very clear that His message was from above. He said, “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me” (John 12:49-50). Jesus was sent to the earth with a message from above. In this sense, He was the chief apostle.
The Twelve: The Apostles Sent by Christ
“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus designated. […] And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you’” (Matthew 28:16-20).
Jesus chose twelve apostles to help spread His message (Matthew 10:1-7). By this time, Judas had killed himself (Matthew 27:3-5), leaving just eleven apostles. These apostles were given what we call the Great Commission. Based upon the authority of Christ, they were to make disciples of all the nations. These disciples would be those who would be baptized into Christ and strive to continually obey Him.
Matthias: The Apostle Who Fulfilled Prophecy
“‘For it is written in the book of Psalms, “Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it”; and, “Let another man take his office.” Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection’” (Acts 1:20-22).
“And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26).
This passage is the only one that mentions Matthias. We can only assume that after being appointed as an apostle that he went out and carried out the Great Commission as the eleven were instructed by Jesus to do. But his appointment reminds us of the significance of Bible prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the most convincing proofs that the Bible is from God and not the product of man. Matthias’ appointment is another example of fulfilled prophecy (Psalm 109:8), helping to prove the validity of God’s word.
Paul: The Apostle Sent by Christ to the Gentiles
“But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry” (Romans 11:13).
Even though the eleven apostles were told to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19), there was a bit of hesitance at first to preach to the Gentiles. Peter had to be convinced by a vision from God that he should go preach to the household of Cornelius (Acts 10:28-29). After converting them, Peter was confronted by the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem about going to the Gentiles (Acts 11:2-3). Later, Peter acted out of fear and withdrew himself from the Gentiles so as not to cause problems with the Jews who had arrived (Galatians 2:11-12). Paul’s appointment by Christ as “an apostle of Gentiles” (Romans 11:13) shows without a doubt that God wants all men to be saved (John 3:16; Acts 10:34-35).
Barnabas: The Apostle Sent by the Church
“But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd” (Acts 14:14).
Barnabas was not an apostle in the same way that Paul was – selected by the Lord in order to carry out a certain mission. Barnabas was a different kind of apostle. He was “sent” by the church in Antioch to preach in various locations with Paul (Acts 13:2-3). This was according to the instructions of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:2, 4). The local church is the institution that has been divinely appointed to support men to spread the gospel.
Conclusion
As we consider the sixteen apostles, we get a picture of God’s revelation and how it applies to us today. Jesus came from above to deliver the gospel. Preaching would be done by His apostles – and must be done today – by His authority. The prophecies in Scripture confirm to us that the word of God is true. We work together in the church to spread the gospel, both through our own efforts and in helping to support those who are already busy doing the work of preaching the gospel.
So remember the sixteen apostles, especially with the lessons they teach us about revelation and preaching.
This article is one of the fifty articles included in the book Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years. Click on the link to read more about the book.
