“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1 ESV).
The Gospel of Luke details an episode from Jesus’ life that relates to our text from 2 Peter 1:1…
“Now it came to pass in those days that [Jesus] went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles” (Luke 6:12-13).
The following verse identifies Peter as the first among those who were chosen by Jesus to serve in this capacity. One source defines the word “apostle” in the context of these passages…
“The word apostle is the translation of apostolos, a Greek word made up of apo ‘from’ and stello ‘to send,’ thus referring to the act of sending someone on a commission to represent the sender. It was used of a messenger or an envoy who was provided with credentials. Our word ambassador would be a good translation.” (1)
As noted earlier, an apostle serves as a commissioned representative, much like an emissary who represents a person or a nation. As a Biblical apostle, Peter served as an ambassador for Christ. In other words, Peter represented the one who had appointed him to that ministry. Although every follower of Jesus represents Him as well, the Biblical apostles possessed distinct qualifications that distinguished them from anyone else who might adopt that title. For example…
- Jesus personally appointed these twelve men to serve as Apostles during His earthly ministry (Matthew 10:1-4, Acts 9:10-16).
- They were firsthand eyewitnesses who saw Jesus following His resurrection (1 Corinthians 9:1).
- God endowed them with the ability to perform miraculous works (Acts 2:43).
Thus, it is important to keep these qualifications in mind if we should encounter those who self-identify as apostles today. While the title of “apostle” is no longer conferred upon anyone today as it was in the Biblical era, we can still fulfill our role as “ambassadors for Christ” in a similar manner.
Finally, we should not overlook the message Jesus conveyed to the church at Ephesus from the book of Revelation: “…you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” (Revelation 2:2). If fraudulent apostles existed in the Biblical era, then we must be equally watchful for their presence today.
(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (note on Galatians 1:1) Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.