The Apostolic Mandate
What is the Apostolic Mandate?
The term ‘Apostle’ is a Roman term and a political position of power in the Roman Empire. When Rome conquered a region, they would send someone who has the title of the Apostle to assimilate the conquered land into every aspect of the culture and mindset of the Roman Empire.
Ephesians 4:11-12 shows us the different offices of spiritual gifts that have been given to the body of Christ, as His ambassadors, which we refer to as part of the Five-Fold Ministry. Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. With each role having to play a significant role in the body of Christ, there is a clear task given to us by Jesus to accomplish according to Matthew 28:19-20-
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)
- which clearly defines the Apostolic mandate as we have been called to assimilate the earth into the culture of the Kingdom of God. Yet, there has only been one other time where God gave the Apostolic Mandate as a command to humanity, and we can find that in Genesis 1:26-28:
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28 NKJV)
As King and Creator, He has just given authority to man over the territory of the Earth. And when God commanded man to fill the earth and subdue it.
The Hebrew translation for fill the earth is “mālā' ”, which means to consecrate.
To consecrate means to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of the God.
Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:28-29 tells us that God is a HOLY Consuming Fire.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 shows us that anything that is not of God will be consumed and nothing will remain if it’s not of God. So, God cannot come into a place that is not consecrated without destroying it because there is nothing of Him, there.
According to Genesis 1:28, it was man’s role to consecrate the land so that man could have that personal relationship with His Creator that he was created for. And through that relationship with his Creator, all the land would be blessed and overflowing. The Apostolic Mandate of saturating creation with the glory and essence of everything that God is. So that all of creation would be blessed and overflowing with abundance. Replicating the economy and fruit of the Kingdom of Heaven.
As humanity was adopted into the family of God, the level of authority increased, while the mandate stayed the same. As a disciple, you are not only accepting the Gospel of Jesus Christ of what is being taught, but you are also choosing to make it your identity and spreading it to those around you.