75. 使徒 The Apostles
作者: 史鮑爾 (R.C. Sproul) 譯者: 姚錦榮
摘自《神學入門》《Essential Truths of the Christian Faith》p.203, 更新傳道會出版
由於基督的十二個門徒日後都成了使徒，因此門徒和使徒二詞常令人混淆。其實這兩個名詞雖可以互換使用，卻不是同義詞。在聖經中，門徒的定義是「學習者」 ，是指那些加入耶穌拉比式教導之團契的人。雖然使徒都是門徒，但不是所有的門徒日後都變為使徒。
使徒在新約教會中承擔著特別的職事，使徒一詞 是「受差遣者」之意 。實際上，使徒並不只是一位受差的使者而已，他也被授予權柄，代表差遣者說話。 新約聖經中最大的使徒是耶穌己，祂蒙父神差遣， 憑著父 神所賜予祂的權柄說話。拒絕耶穌，就等於拒絕差遣耶穌的父神。
同樣地，使徒也是直接受基督的呼召和差遣，憑著基督的權柄說話。凡拒絕使徒權柄的，也就等於拒 絕差遣使徒的基督之權柄。
在新約聖經中，主的十二位門徒蒙神賜予使徒的職分。按使徒行傳所記，猶大死後，教會選出馬提亞取代猶大。而耶穌又在這十二位使徒之外，另增加保羅作外邦人的使徒。保羅的使徒地位曾經引人爭議，因為保羅未能滿足使徒行傳所定的使徒條件。這使徒條件包括以下幾項：⑴當耶穌在世時作過祂的門徒；⑵ 是耶穌復活的目擊見證人；⑶曾直接蒙耶穌呼召和差遣 。保羅以前沒有作過門徒；他是在耶穌升天之後，才見到復活之基督的異象，因此，他不像其他使徒，是主復活的目擊見證人 。但保羅卻真是由基督直接呼召和委任使徒之職的，他的呼召也得其他使徒的認可。保羅的使徒身分是無容置疑的，神藉著他所行的神蹟，來印證保 羅確實擁有為神傳達啟示的使徒權柄。
第一世紀末葉時，那些使徒後期的教父，均清楚承認自己的權柄在原來的使徒以下。今天已沒有任何活著的使徒存在，因為已沒人能滿足聖經中的使徒標 準 ，也不再可能有如保羅一樣，蒙原來使徒所確認的使徒存 在。聖經是我們今天惟一所信的使徒權柄。
總結
1 .門徒和使徒不是同義詞。
門徒= 學習者。
使 徒 = 被授予權柄的受差遣者，代表差遣他的那一位說話。
2 . 耶穌是「父神的使徒」。
3 .聖經中使徒的條件包括：
(1) 是耶穌的門徒 。
(2) 是耶穌復活的目擊見證人
⑶由基督直接呼召。
4 . 保羅的使徒身分十分獨特，因此必須得到其他使徒的認可。
5 .今天已不再有按照聖經意義所立的使徒了。
6 .今天的使徒權柄是在聖經裏。
思考經文：
羅 1 : 1-6 ；羅 11 : 13；林前9 : 2；林前15 ：9；來3 : 1
The Apostles
Since
twelve of those who were disciples of Christ later became His apostles, the two
terms disciple and apostle are often confused. Although the terms are used
interchangeably, they are not exact synonyms. A disciple is defined in the
Bible as a “learner,” one who entered into the fellowship of Jesus’ rabbinic
instruction. Though the apostles were disciples, not all disciples became
apostles.
An
apostle enjoyed a special office in the New Testament church. The term apostle
means “one who is sent.” Technically, however, an apostle was more than a
messenger. He was commissioned with the authority to speak for and represent
the One who sent him. The chief Apostle in the New Testament is Jesus Himself.
He was sent by the Father and spoke with the authority invested in Him by the
Father. To reject Jesus was to reject the Father, who sent Him.
Likewise,
the apostles were called and commissioned directly by Christ and spoke with His
authority. To reject apostolic authority was to reject the authority of Christ,
who sent them.
In
the New Testament, twelve disciples were commissioned as apostles. After
Judas’s death, the church replaced the vacancy by selecting Matthias, as Acts
records. To this number Jesus added the apostle Paul as the special apostle to
the Gentiles. Paul’s apostleship was a matter of some debate because he did not
meet all of the requirements for apostleship set forth in Acts. The criteria
for apostleship included being: (1) a disciple of Jesus during His earthly
ministry, (2) an eyewitness of the Resurrection, and (3) called and
commissioned directly by Christ. Paul was not a former disciple, and his vision
of the resurrected Christ occurred after Jesus’ ascension. Paul was not an
eyewitness of the Resurrection in the same way the other apostles were.
Nevertheless, Paul was directly called to the office by Christ. His call was
confirmed by the other apostles, whose apostleship was not in doubt and was
authenticated by the miracles God performed through him, attesting his
authority as an apostolic agent of revelation.
By
the late first century, the postapostolic fathers clearly recognized that their
authority was subordinate to the original apostles. There are no official
apostles alive today as no one can meet the biblical criteria for the office or
be confirmed by the original apostles, as Paul was. The Bible is the only
apostolic authority for us today.
Summary
1.
The terms disciple and apostle are not synonyms.
Disciple
= learner
Apostle
= one who is sent with authority to speak for the one who commissioned him
2.
Jesus was the “Apostle of the Father.”
3.
Biblical criteria for apostleship included being: (a) a disciple of Jesus (b)
an eyewitness of Jesus’ resurrection (c) called directly by Christ
4.
Paul’s apostleship was unique, and it was necessary for him to be confirmed by
the other apostles.
5. There
are no apostles today in the biblical sense. 6. Apostolic authority today is
found in the Bible.
Biblical
passages for reflection:
Romans 1:1-6 Romans 11:13 1 Corinthians 9:2 1
Corinthians 15:9 Hebrews 3:1
