Apostleship (651) (apostole from verb apostello - from apo = from + stello = withdraw from; Click related word apostolos or here) means a sending forth, sending off, sending away, a dispatching. In secular Greek it was used of an expedition (LS).
As noted earlier not every believer is an apostle in the technical NT sense, but every believer is in a real sense "sent forth" from God and privileged to be an ambassador for Him, going forth with the life transforming message of the gospel of grace and truth. Are you fulfilling your purpose beloved? (cp Eph 2:10-note)
Apostole - 4x in 4v in the NT -
Acts 1:25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."
Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles, for His name's sake,
1Corinthians 9:2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
Galatians 2:8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),
There are 5 uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (LXX) - Dt 22:7; 1Ki 3:1; Ps 78:49; Eccl 8:8; Song 4:13; Je 32:36. (Note: Although the Lxx uses can sometimes help amplify the Scriptural meaning of a Greek word, that is not always the case and these 5 uses are an example. They are included for completeness sake).
After one of D. L. Moody’s sermons, a highly educated man came to him and said,
Excuse me, but you made eleven mistakes in your grammar tonight.”
In a gracious rebuke Moody replied,
I probably did. My early education was very faulty. But I am using all the grammar that I know in the Master’s service. How about you?”
On another occasion a man came up to Mr. Moody and said, “
I don’t like your invitation. I don’t think it’s the right way to do it.”
I appreciate that,” Moody responded. “I’ve always been uncomfortable with it, too. I wish I knew a better way. What is your method of inviting people to Christ?”
I don’t have one,” the man replied.
Then I like mine better,” Moody said.
When God calls us by His grace, He gives us a purpose to every saint, calling each one to His service.
TO BRING ABOUT THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH AMONG ALL THE GENTILES: eis hupakoen pisteos en pasin tois ethnesin: (Acts 15:14, 15:18, 19;16:19, 16:26; Acts 6:7; 10:4, 10:5; Heb 5:9)
To bring about - This is one Greek preposition eis which is (literally) a preposition of motion into any place or thing. Figuratively eis marks the object or point toward which anything ends. The idea could be paraphrased the point or object toward which faith ends is obedience. Obedience does not save anyone, but is the beautiful fruit of faith, testifying to the genuineness of a person's salvation. Don't tell me you're saved...show me! Notice how this latter statement can be so easily twisted by one who does not rightly divide the Word of Truth -- they might say for example "See there, I told you it was "works" which God wanted to see and those "works" merit salvation." This is heresy and the one who believes it to eternal separation from the presence of God's glory (cf 2Th 1:7-9 where "obey the Gospel" means to believe the Gospel, such belief being authenticated by one's Spirit enabled obedience). Charles Haddon Spurgeon has an interesting sermon on the relationship of Faith and Obedience entitled The Obedience of Faith (on Hebrews 8).
Regarding the relationship between faith and obedience, compare Ro 1:8 with Ro 16:19 - What had been "proclaimed throughout the whole world" in Ro 1:8-note? What had "reached to all" in Ro 16:19-note? Interesting!
Obedience of faith - see discussion below regarding the interpretation of this passage (see related discussion )
the obedience that comes from faith (NIV)
who bring people from every nation to the obedience that is associated with faith (GWT),
in order to lead people of all nations to believe and obey (TEV)
so that they will believe and obey him (NLT)
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Greek Word Studies ( - )
Read freely Greek Word Studies from the Austin Precept text commentary of the Bible in text and pdf format. Precept Austin is an online free dynamic bible commentary similar to wikipedia with updated content and many links to excellent biblical resources around the world. You can browse the entire collection of Commentaries by Verse on the Precept Austin website.We have been "bought with a price" to be "ambassadors for Christ" and our "salvation is nearer to us than when we believed" so let us "cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" "so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." (1Cor 6:20, 2Cor 5:20, Ro 13:11, 2Cor 7:1, 1Jn 2:28)