12 No More & No Less. --- There'll Be No More Apostles. Series

# 2 Intro. #2 APOSTLES STUDY 2-23-14

We begin talking last time talking about the Apostles, and pointed out what the qualifications to be an apostle were, we can't go over all that was said last time again today; however we did point out that the Lord Jesus hand picked His 12 Apostles Himself. -- These 12 the Lord would use in laying the FOUNDATION of His True church, Jesus Himself being the Chief Cornerstone.

There is not going to be any more Apostles, 12 would be the total number, one reason we know this is because the New Jerusalem, the home of the Bride, will have 12 foundations, and in each of the 12 foundations there will be the name of one of the 12 Apostles.

>Rev. 21:14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

~Also we're told that the 12 foundations would each be the color of a precious stone or jewel.

> Rev. 21:19-20 And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

~Notice, 12 no more & no less. --- There'll be no more apostles.

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~ Paul was also personal chosen by the Lord Jesus as well, Paul was to the Apostle too the gentiles.

>Rom.11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

>Rom.15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God,

* We'll have more to say about Paul in a few minutes.

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~ Let me say once again that before Jesus chose His 12, He prayed all night.

> Luke 6:12 -16 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

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-- He had many disciples, meaning, followers, and from the many disciples He chose 12, --- the one's He had already call to follow Him were among these 12. -- The first 4 disciples Jesus called? (Andrew, Peter, James, and John in Matt.4:18-22, -- the next 2 was Philip and Nathaniel in John 1:43-50. ~

~ And so these 6 were among the disciples that Jesus made His choose of 12 Apostles from.

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* PAUL:

The Apostle Paul, he was also personally chosen by the Lord Jesus.

~Saul; at that time was on his way with papers from the Jewish leaders to hunt out and bring believers in the Lord back to Jerusalem for persecution.

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@@@ Acts 9: 1-2 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

~Let me say, that as SAUL he had a great zeal to persecute Christians, but after he was saved he still had the same great zeal but is was for lifting up Christ.

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@@@ Acts 9:3-6 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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~NOTICE, Saul had not personally persecuted the Lord Jesus but those that believed in Him, but to persecute His believers was the same as persecuting Him. --- Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

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>5-6 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

~ Saul is pictured as a rebellious beast that fights against the goad, the prod of its master. -- {Pricks] ------

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6And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

~This man Saul who did not believe in the Lord Jesus, who did everything he could against Him, now calls Him "Lord."