Timothy an Apostle?

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brody196
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Timothy an Apostle?

Post by brody196 » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:02 pm

Hey Brother Steve,

When I got off the phone with you earlier today, I looked up some of the references we talked about, and could not find where Timothy is called an Apostle either by direct statement, or implied.

Any help would be appreciated.

God bless.

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Paidion
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Re: Timothy an Apostle?

Post by Paidion » Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:24 pm

The New Testament doesn't definitely say. But the following passages may suggest to some that he was an apostle:

1 Corinthians 16:10 When Timothy comes, see that you put him at ease among you, for he is doing the work of the Lord, as I am.

2 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia...

Phillipians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons...

1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.


Some may think that in these passages, Paul indicates that Timothy served the same function as himself, and was therefore an apostle.

My view is that Timothy was an "apostolic deacon" similar to those first 7 deacons elected in the book of Acts, men who assisted the apostles. The deacon Timothy, assisted the apostle Paul.

There were also "local deacons" who assisted the overseers in the local churches.
Paidion

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steve
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Re: Timothy an Apostle?

Post by steve » Wed Sep 17, 2008 5:45 am

As Paidion pointed out in the above post, Timothy is listed along with Paul and Silvanus (a.k.a. Silas) as one of the senders of the epistle to the Thessalonians (1:1). Therefore, it is most natural to believe that he, Paul and Silvanus, are to be identified as the "we" in 1 Thessalonians 2:6— "Nor did we seek glory from men...when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ."

Timothy and Titus are also named as associates of Paul's in 2 Corinthians (1:1 and 8:6). In 2 Corinthians 8:23, Paul specifically refers to Titus as "my partner and fellow worker," and then refers to all of his traveling associates (which would include Timothy) as "apostles of the churches" (in the Greek).

It is this statement, as well as the activities ascribed to him in Acts and the epistles, which make me identify Timothy as either an apostle or an apostolic legate—which is essentially the same thing, in terms of ministry duties and ranking.

As Jesus had sent the apostles in His place to evangelize regions to which either He could not go Himself, or to which He would later go (Luke 9:1-2; 10:1), so did Paul do with Timothy and Titus (1 Tim.3:14-15/ Tit.1:5). It is not appropriate to speak of these men as pastors (as many are accustomed to call them), but as apostles. It is clear that the duties assigned to Titus included the appointment of pastoral leaders (Titus 1:5), placing him in a role separate from such, and analogous to that of the apostles, Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23).

Like Titus, Timothy's mobility precluded his settling into a pastoral role, such as we think of that term. He, like Paul, had some itinerant pastoral activities, but this involved appointing and training pastoral leaders and deacons (1 Tim.3:1-13; 5:5:22/ 2 Tim.2:1-2). He, like Paul, was more involved in itinerant evangelism, church-planting and organization than in settled pastoral care of a congregation (2 Tim.4:5).

When he ministered in a certain location, he was, of course, linked to the local church in the area, and may have even regarded himself as a temporary part of the local presbytery (eldership). Even so, this was not below the dignity of an apostle to do, since Peter and John (both apostles) were not above calling themselves "elders" (1 Peter 5:1/ 2 John 1). Paul also (probably while visiting Lystra on his second missionary tour), apparently joined with the local presbytery in the ordination of Timothy (comp. 1 Tim.4:14 with 2 Tim.1:6).

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