Acts 14 - Introduction

Excursus A.

On the Apostolic Office.

Perhaps from the mysterious verse (Revelation 21:14), ‘And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,' an opinion has existed from very early times respecting the college of apostles being limited to the mystic number of twelve. Hence such interpretations of Holy Scripture which see in the twelve wells of Elim the twelve apostles foreshadowed, and in the threescore and ten palm trees a reference to the seventy disciples (Tertul. adv. Marcion). The name, however, and rank of apostle was not so strictly limited. James the Lord's brother is called an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:7).

In this passage others besides James are possibly included under the designation ‘apostle.'

Andronicus and Junius, mentioned in Romans 16:7, are certainly designated not merely as apostles, but as ‘of note among the apostles;' and in Thess. Acts 2:6, Sylvanus is probably included in the ‘We,... the apostles of Christ,' not Timothy, who is excluded from the apostolate by Paul in his opening salutation, 2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 1:1 (see Professor Lightfoot, Epistle to the Galatians., in his note on the Name and Office of an Apostle). Paul and Barnabas are directly called apostles in this chapter of the ‘Acts,' and with the name Paul constantly assumes the rank and authority of an apostle, as in 1 Corinthians 1:1; Romans 1:1, and in many other places. Still, notwithstanding these certain instances of apostles in excess of the mystic number ‘twelve,' of Paul and Barnabas, and the more doubtful ones of Andronicus, Junius, and Sylvanus (Romans 16:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:6), the title and authority seem to have been restricted by certain indispensable conditions.

The first was the apostle must have seen Christ, He must have been an eye-witness of the resurrection. Those few above alluded to may well have satisfied this indispensable condition, which would, of course, exclude all who did not belong to the generation contemporary with our Lord. Paul's case was a special one. The Risen One, after His ascension, showed Himself to His chosen missionary, and talked with him; but this privilege was vouchsafed to no other of the early Christian teachers, except to the Apostle John.

The second condition requited was that the actual call to the office should come directly from the Church; and the only record we possess of such a call closely connects the Church's official act with the direct instructions of the Holy Ghost (Acts 13:2-3). The doubtfulness of the reference, direct or indirect, to any apostles other than the ‘Fourteen, (perhaps with the exception of the three, Sylvanus, Andronicus, and Junius), the absence of any account of the Church's appointing any one except Barnabas and Paul to the nigh office, shows us clearly that the apostolate was certainly confined to very few. The especial work of the apostle was the oversight and care of all the churches in respect to church government and discipline. After that the Lord withdrew His visible presence from men, the Apostolic College formed the highest tribunal of appeal. They were also the inspired interpreters of the Divine system of salvation, and to this day their writings are held as the infallible rule of faith and life. They possessed though they were not the solitary possessors of these highgifts great powers, moral and spiritual, such as a brave, untired patience, heroic self-denial, the ability at times to work what we term supernatural signs and wonders (in the first age a few others were gifted with like powers). When, however, the first century wore away, and these few leaders whom men call apostles divinely chosen, and then officially commissioned by the Church fell asleep, no attempt was made, either in the Palestinian or Gentile churches, to fill up the empty chairs. A feeling of awful reverence perhaps deterred the various Christian communities from attempting to supply their vacant places.

Excursus B.

On the Office of Presbyter in the Early Church.

The presbyterate of the Church of the first days was no new creation. The Christian Church in its earliest stage, as has been well said, ‘was regarded by the body of the Jewish people as nothing more than a new sect springing up by the side of the old.' The term ‘presbyter' or ‘elder' was well known in the synagogue. It was applied to the rulers of these Jewish congregations.

They appear to have formed a college under the presidency of the chief rulers, and to have assisted him with their advice; upon this presbytery devolved in every synagogue the conduct of the religious affairs of the congregation.

The term in the first instance refers to age, and then derivatively to official dignity. On the formation of the first Gentile communities in Asia Minor, the organization of the synagogue was imitated as closely as possible, and the title and the functions of the elders of the synagogues were bestowed on those converts who from age or other special qualifications appeared to the apostles the best fitted to direct the religious services, and watch over the general interests of the new society. The duties of these presbyters, who, we read, were appointed by the two missionary apostles, were by no means confined to ruling and superintending; they were also, we know, instructors. Elsewhere (Ephesians 4:11), Paul styles them ‘shepherds and teachers.