Topical Bible: Election: Apostles

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The concept of "election" in the context of the apostles refers to the divine selection and appointment of certain individuals by Jesus Christ to serve as His closest followers and primary messengers. This election is a significant theme in the New Testament, highlighting the sovereignty of God in choosing those who would lay the foundation of the early Church and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Divine Selection by Christ

The election of the apostles is first and foremost an act of divine choice by Jesus Himself. In the Gospel of Luke, it is recorded that Jesus spent an entire night in prayer before selecting the twelve apostles from among His disciples: "When day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles" (Luke 6:13). This deliberate act underscores the importance of their role and the divine guidance involved in their selection.

The Twelve Apostles

The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus are listed in several passages, including Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, and Luke 6:14-16. They are: Simon Peter, James the son of Zebedee, John the brother of James, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus (also known as Judas the son of James), Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus. These men were selected from diverse backgrounds, including fishermen, a tax collector, and a zealot, reflecting the varied nature of the early Church.

Purpose and Mission

The apostles were elected for a specific purpose: to be with Jesus, to learn from Him, and to be sent out to preach and perform miracles in His name. Mark 3:14-15 states, "He appointed twelve, whom He named apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons" . Their mission was to bear witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as emphasized in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" .

The Role of Judas Iscariot

Judas Iscariot's election as an apostle, despite his eventual betrayal of Jesus, is a complex aspect of apostolic election. Jesus' foreknowledge of Judas's betrayal is evident in John 6:70-71: "Jesus answered them, 'Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!' He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus" . Judas's role fulfills Old Testament prophecies and serves as a sobering reminder of human free will and the mystery of divine providence.

The Replacement of Judas

Following Judas's betrayal and subsequent death, the apostles sought to maintain the number twelve, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. In Acts 1:24-26, the remaining apostles prayed for divine guidance and cast lots to choose Matthias as Judas's replacement: "Then they prayed, 'Lord, You know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.' Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles" .

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

Although not one of the original twelve, Paul is often referred to as an apostle due to his unique calling and significant contribution to the early Church. His election is described in Acts 9:15, where the Lord tells Ananias, "Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" . Paul's apostleship emphasizes the expansion of the Gospel beyond the Jewish community to the Gentile world.

Conclusion

The election of the apostles is a foundational element of the New Testament narrative, illustrating the divine initiative in establishing the Church and spreading the Gospel. Through their diverse backgrounds, unique callings, and faithful witness, the apostles played a crucial role in the unfolding of God's redemptive plan for humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 13:18
I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eats bread with me has lifted up his heel against me.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 15:19
If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

On the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul (June 29).
... must not make distinctions, because they were equal in their election [1172] , alike ...
of special interceders, that we may be raised by the Apostles' merits in ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/sermon lxxxii on the feast.htm

The Twelve Apostles were not a Type of the ??ons.
... is unreasonable to suppose that the junior, and for that reason inferior ??ons, were
set forth by the Saviour through the election of the apostles, while their ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxi the twelve apostles were.htm

Apostles To-Day?
... first place among the apostles and his writings highest in authority among the
Scriptures of the New Testament, to the person of Matthias the election to the ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/xxxii apostles to-day.htm

Of the Teachers and Ministers of the Church. Their Election and ...
... man, or by man, seeing he is not there speaking of the ordinary election of ministers,
but claiming for himself what was peculiar to the apostles: although the ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 3 of the teachers.htm

constitutions of the holy apostles
... holy apostles. Book VIII. Concerning Gifts, and Ordinations, and the Ecclesiastical
Canons. Sec. I.--On the Diversity of Spiritual Gifts. Sec. II.--Election ...
//christianbookshelf.org/various/constitutions of the holy apostles/

Election and Ordination of Bishops: Form of Service on Sundays.
... constitutions of the holy apostles. Book VIII. Concerning Gifts, and Ordinations,
and the Ecclesiastical Canons. Sec. II."Election and Ordination of Bishops ...
/.../constitutions of the holy apostles/sec ii election and ordination of.htm

Now this Election the Apostle Demonstrating to Be...
... but "died for the ungodly." [2676] And ere that He died, He elected the Apostles,
not of ... that they should not be of the world was by His own election of them ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/on patience /17 now this election the.htm

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists.
... the original apostles survive in their teaching, and need and can have no successors
or substitutes. [702] Some commentators wrongly hold that the election of ...
/.../section 60 apostles prophets evangelists.htm

Chrysostom Evades Election to a Bishopric, and Writes his Work on ...
... impression that Chrysostom had already been consecrated, reluctantly submitted to
the election. ... farce, which was shrewdly arranged by the two apostles for the ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/chapter iv chrysostom evades election to.htm

As the Doctrine of Divine Election by the Most Wise Counsel of God ...
... As the doctrine of divine election by the most wise counsel of God was declared
by the prophets, by Christ Himself, and by the apostles, and is clearly ...
/.../various/the canons of dordt/article 14 as the doctrine.htm