#and also bc they are legal documents they would have to be translated Officially which makes sense

[rubberbandballqueen]

i like how legally, since the united states has no official language, government offices must be able to provide translations of all legal documents into any language, and yet i am the only government employee in this office who speaks any modicum of chinese in the heavily chinese immigrant city

[arofili]

i haven't read the silmarillion or anything related but i was wondering how do elves's fëas work?? like i read somewhere about them sharing this fëa bond with people they marry so their fëas meet and that's what makes the marriage marriage in the first place. but im not really sure about that, don't people's fëas normally touch even if they're not married? and what happens if they do touch? this is weirdly specific but im just curious,,,you don't have to answer if you don't want to ofc! thank you if you do answer my curiosities haha and you still don't, ty too! (i asked you this bc i feel like you have a lot of knowledge about elfs)

Hey anon! So, a lot of what you're talking about is fanon, though it does have basis in canon. From "Laws and Customs among the Eldar" we learn about fëar and hröar and elvish (largely Noldorin, to be specific) marriage customs.

It's worth noting, though, that LaCE underwent many revisions and is a highly dubious document as it was written in-universe by Aelfwine, a mortal from the 9th century CE who found the Straight Road to Valinor. That concept in and of itself is a framing device for Tolkien's "translation" of the Red Book into English, and isn't one he kept consistent throughout his writing or one he was ever fully satisfied with - it never made it into the texts published within his lifetime, and doesn't make an appearance in the published Silm, either. And as I said in a previous meta dealing with LaCE:

Maybe this is something Tolkien changed his mind on between writing LaCE and writing this section of what became the published Silm. Or maybe this is an in-universe distinction: the in-universe writer of LaCE is unclear but implied to be a human, not an elf, possibly Aelfwine; the writer of the Silm as we see it is Christopher Tolkien’s edits of JRRT’s translation of Bilbo’s translation of Noldorin loremasters, the chief of whom was Pengolodh. It’s complicated.

That being said:

LaCE doesn't actually offer that much information on the nature of elvish fëar in relation to marriage. We do get the quote that "It was the act of bodily union that achieved the marriage, and after which the indissoluble bond was complete." Since human concepts of marriage are mostly legal/social engagements, and by no means indissoluble, this strongly implies something different is going on with elven fëar when they marry, but it's not stated outright. Still, the wording of "bond" in relation to "marriage" gives rise to the fan-embellished concept of a "marriage bond" that is very popular in fic/meta about elf marriages.

This concept is further supported by the description that a "greater share and strength of their being, in mind and body" is required for elves to create children (when compared to Men). It implies a closeness between a married couple where their "minds" (aka fëar) are as involved in the child-making process as their bodies. Later it is specified that after marriage, elves remain individual people with individual "gifts of mind and body that differ" - a strange thing to emphasize if there was not the possibility for misconstruing married elves as becoming literally one being.

For elves, marriage is forever: the Valar state that "marriage resides ultimately in the will of the fëa." Yet later in the same paragraph, it is explained that elves who are re-embodied need to be married again, because marriage is also of the body and the first body had perished. Confusing!

There are more notes about fëar in this essay, and the concept is mentioned in other places as well, but that's the basic gist of the concept AFAIK. (I highly recommend perusing LaCE yourself if you're interested in this topic! And remember that this is fandom, you can accept or discard certain aspects of the document as you see fit. I know I do.)

Most of your questions deal in extrapolation from canon - I would argue there's a strong basis for the concept of a marriage bond in LaCE, but it's not explicitly spelled out. I can't give you firm answers, but here are my personal headcanons about fëar and bonds. Everything that follows is headcanon, unless I explicitly state otherwise.

Elves are born with bonds with their parents; these bonds are important for the health and happiness of a growing child. (There's another line in LaCE about how the parting of parents and children in their youth is "a grievous thing," which is my starting place for this particular headcanon.) I also think that they have bonds with their siblings, though this is less supported; I just think that living with and sharing parents with someone is likely to foster the slower/less formal creation of a bond. Twins, however, are born with strong bonds between one another, having shared a womb.

(I also think certain Unbegotten elves - aka the first 144 elves who awoke at Cuiviénen - came into being with bonds, thus allowing for Unbegotten elves to have siblings, like Elwë, Olwë, and Elmo. But you could also argue that, depending on how you deal with timelines, those three brothers are not Unbegotten and were born the "normal" way.)

Then there are chosen bonds. These are the kind we hear discussed (albeit vaguely) in LaCE. Marriage bonds specifically are formed when elves "unite in body" and invoke the name of Eru. My personal (aroace) take on this is that sex makes the process of bonding much easier and faster, the naming of Eru and the intent to bond is what's really important, so if a couple would rather not have sex they can still bond. And it also opens up room for debate on which specific sexual acts count when it comes to bonding, what would happen if Eru's name wasn't invoked, etc.

But I also think bonds can be created in contexts other than marriage - found family, for example. I've seen this most discussed in the context of Kidnap Dads, but it could apply in many scenarios: you decide you want X person to be part of your family, and that means you want to bond with them. In the case of orphaned children, if you go with the idea that they need a parent-child bond in order to develop properly, this could provide substitute/adoptive parents to fill that role. Or it could be that you feel like a certain person is your sibling, but you weren't born of the same parents, but you still want them to officially be your family, so you form a sibling-bond with them. These are bonds that occur without the ~physical union~, and therefore take more time and effort, and thus are less common - but they do happen.

All these bonds are basically the same in terms of function: they make ósanwë (mind-to-mind/telepathic communication) much easier and more natural, they connect two fëar together in an indissoluble way, they show a depth of commitment and love between the bonded eldar. But they are valued differently in society, and created/brought into being in different circumstances.

As for fëar "touching" - that is, in my opinion, poetic license for communication/closeness through such a bond. If you touch your spouse's fëa, for example, that's connecting with them to see how they're feeling, possibly passing along comfort or a message, etc. This "touching" is basically ósanwë, I guess? Which, in my headcanon, you can do if you're not bonded to someone, it just takes more effort and closer proximity if you don't have a bond in place.

Hope this helps, anon! Feel free to send in another ask if you have more questions!

[collidewithgalaxies]

hisoka and illumi’s engagement in the manga- an explanation!

so we’ve all seen the “it’s a mistranslation” explanation for hisoka and illumi’s engagement in chapter 377. but it’s not actually a mistranslation, and here’s why.

here’s the japanese scan of the panel:

and here’s the english translation:

the text we’re going to be focusing on is this one:

the kanji for that says 婚前契約 (which means prenuptial agreement), and the katakana* next to the kanji says エンゲージメントリング (which literally says “engagement ring”)

*the katakana is there for pronunciation help! so it would have the meaning of prenup, and be pronounced as engagement ring.

here’s what google translate says about the prenup kanji:

and here’s what GT says about the engagement ring katakana:

so, what exactly is a prenuptial agreement?

a prenuptial agreement (or prenup for short) is a legal document that is typically used for married couples to divide up their assets in the case of their marriage failing, or in this case, one of them dying. (sources: here and here)

the addition of the “engagement ring” katakana next to the kanji adds legitimacy this.

going off of togashi’s writing:

togashi wouldn’t put something in there that he doesn’t mean, and the prenup kanji along with the engagement ring pronunciation shows that the idea of their marriage was intentional. there’s also probably a reason that togashi has illumi stating the fact- he’s very blunt, and wouldn’t play around with words just for the fun of it, unlike hisoka.

togashi also has stated that he wanted to write gay manga- he’s said that in a couple interviews that i believe are on youtube (once i find them, i’ll link them in this post!!). there is a lot of gay subtext in the hxh series (ex. killua handing gon the rainbow diamond for proposals), so it’s quite believable that togashi meant for hisoka and illumi to be married.

hisoka and illumi have pretty messed up ideas about love, affection, and friendship. they’re most likely not going to have a wedding, complete with vows and an audience, but they’re still bound by marriage, even if it’s less romance-based and more murder-based.

anyway, that’s my two cents on the whole hisoka/illumi marriage situation. sorry if it’s hard to read or anything, i wrote this at around 2am and did not edit it.

tl;dr it’s not a mistranslation bc the official japanese scans show the kanji for prenuptial agreement, and put the katakana for engagement ring right next to it. also bc togashi’s writing has lotsa gay subtext.

@xiu21chen99 here you go!!! i hope it’s ok!!

[straight-outta-hobbiton]

A Few Notes About American Legal Documents (Specifically For Proving Citizenship/Legal Residency and Traveling)

I work with a lot of legal documents associated with citizenship and legal residency. With the rise of legal residents and citizens unlucky enough to actually look like their ethnicity, I thought it might help to give a basic rundown of legal documents that could help in a sticky situation. It’s mostly simple stuff, but there might be something of value to your personal situation or the situation of someone you know, so, y’know.

VALID BIRTH CERTIFICATES:

Your birth certificate needs a raised seal on it, with as little damage as possible. I see a lot of folded/fucked up BCs from people in less than ideal living situations, and I understand that there are times when the only thing you can do to protect yourself is keep your shit with you all the time (abusive/controlling parents, foster care, intermittent homelessness, etc), but if the print is illegible, the seal torn or damaged, or the BC is in pieces, YOU NEED TO GET A NEW ONE. Most state ID places won’t accept it if there’s too much damage— it fucks with the security features, and most government worker grunts aren’t going to chance their jobs on faith in your puppy dog eyes.

If you need a new BC and you don’t have a way to get to the county clerk’s office (you need to go to the county you were born in, which is a hassle for some people)— vitalchek.com is a website where you can securely order your documents and have them delivered to whatever address you feel is best. It takes a little while sometimes, though, so it isn’t a perfect solution to more immediate issues.

If possible, see if you can get yourself a wallet-sized BC. I typically see older folk carrying them, but I’m pretty sure some states still offer the option. I highly recommend this for anyone who might be targeted by the current administration— again, it doesn’t solve every problem, but for right now, all American-born Latine and other non-whites can only benefit from having as much paperwork as they can. At the very least, it might slow some officers down.

IF YOU HAVE A PUERTO RICAN BIRTH CERTIFICATE, MAKE SURE IT’S THE MOST RECENTLY UPDATED VERSION. Plain PR birth certificates have been stolen from legal agencies on multiple occasions in the past to be used in the forgery of false documents for other Latin immigrants of a less-than savory nature, and it happened again in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The only BC most government agencies accept at this point have English translations next to the Spanish, and they won’t take anything older/untranslated.

PASSPORTS/PASSPORT CARDS/GLOBAL ENTRY CARDS/NEXUS CARDS:

Google the nearest place you can go to get your passport. I went to a post office and they took my picture, but not every place offers the option— you might have to go to Walgreens or some equivalent first to get your picture taken and bring it with you to the office. 

They’ll need your birth certificate when you go get your passport. They will take it from you and ship it out to whatever undisclosed location it needs to go to in order for them to print your paperwork. You’ll get it when your passport is sent to you.

It costs around $145 dollars including service fees to get your American passport, which is an unfortunate reality.

Passports take up to eight weeks to get to your house, so it isn’t a solution to immediate problems. That being said, GET IT DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Passport cards exist, and they’re pocket-sized. If you’re eligible to get one (meaning you were born here or were naturalized), DO IT. GET A PASSPORT CARD AND KEEP IT WITH YOU. It’s just as good as a regular passport and far easier to keep with you if the worst happens and you need to get out. They’re also a cheaper than the average passport at a total of $65 (including service fees).

Passports/passport cards work as federal ID as well as international. In some states, children under a certain age might be unable to get state identification (in my state you have to be at least fourteen). If you have American-born/naturalized children that could be targeted and they’re under a certain age, get them their passports, get them their cards. Our government has proven they have no issue with snatching kids, but it’s a little harder to justify when the kid has legal US identification.

Global Entry Cards are accepted at every land and sea port in the US. They’re available to US citizens, legal US residents, and Mexican nationals, as well as citizens of Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Panama, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the UK. This I would recommend for people who already have passports/other legal documentation within the realms of the above listed countries but are uncomfortable with the idea of carrying a passport with them. It costs about $100.

Global Entry fingerprints you, no exceptions.

Global Entry does not help you enter countries not listed above.

Nexus Cards are the Canadian equivalent of Global Entry. It allows passage between Canada and America at any land crossing as well as airports. If you have one of these already and they’ve already fingerprinted you, you can get a GEC with minimal hassle, with the added bonus of being able to cross the Canadian border freely.

Nexus Cards require interviews, and once you’ve been approved they take your fingerprints and a retinal scan. Considering we’re living in the beginnings of a Big Brother dystopia, this might make some people uncomfortable, but again, it’s a cheap option for people who might not want to carry passports. Plus, it has the added benefit of being attached to Canada, and the potential disaster of arresting a possible legal Canadian resident might be enough to stall some of the more reasonable officers. It costs about $50.

LEGAL RESIDENTS AND VISA CARRIERS, GENERAL THINGS:

If you’ve gotten your Permanent Resident card you need to make sure you get a new social security card, one without the ‘NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT’ or ‘VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION’ on the front. These cards aren’t valid to use alongside your new green card, and they can get you into trouble if the person checking your paperwork is in the wrong sort of mood.

MAKE SURE ALL YOUR PAPERWORK MATCHES. I realize that American paperwork sometimes can’t handle non-white naming traditions and that makes it difficult for you to keep your shit together. Ideally, though, whatever it says on your immigration papers should be exactly what’s printed on all your other documents— your credit cards, mail, whatever. If your naturalization paperwork lists both your mother and father’s names, you need to either make sure you have that shit on everything and if it isn’t, you’ve got a decision to make. Far be it from me to tell you what to do, but they will use any excuse to detain a ‘suspicious’ person, and dropping your second middle name on your driver’s license so it doesn’t match your visa is exactly the sort of thing they’ll pick at. My grandparents had to make this decision a few years ago— for convenience’s sake, they changed everything to match the anglicized forms of their names. I realize for a lot of people it isn’t an ideal solution, but for now, we’ve got to work with what we’ve got.

If you’re here as a Dependent Spouse (H-4) I don’t have to tell you that you’ll need your partner with you to do a lot of legal stuff. That being said, when you need to get stuff handled, please make sure your spouse has ALL of their paperwork proving they’re here legally. Even if the focus is on you, if their shit’s not in order, you won’t be able to get anything done. It is an inconvenient facet of the nature of your visa, but you’ve got to work with it until you can change your status to something less limited.

If you’re here on a Student Visa, the SAVE won’t update your status until your classes start. Keep that in mind when handling paperwork reliant on your status as a legal immigrant.

If your Permanent Resident Card has no expiration date on it, if it’s a laminated paper card, or if it’s just plain damaged— REPLACE IT. They don’t accept the old cards now thanks to a huge boom in forgeries, so particularly if you have an older relative who hasn’t been naturalized, you need to make sure that shit is up to date.

MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES:

(Marriage certificates are less important in the grand scheme of legal residency, but any little bit helps, and if you’re an immigrant married to a citizen, it’s another little piece that proves you just might have a legitimate reason or two to be here.)

Nobody is going to take the pretty version of the MC. The one you get from your place of worship is NOT the official certificate. It needs to be from the probate//surrogate’s/orphan’s court, not just signed in accordance with the official document.

It MUST have a seal on it. Not every state does the raised seal, so you have to double-check with your local, but it will have something that makes it a recognizable, official document.

If you got married in a country that doesn’t have English as the official language, you NEED a translation. In my state, you have to go to an official state translator and get— you guessed it— an official seal.

When you get married, that receipt slip they give you is not the official certificate. The official certificate is supposed to be mailed to you (the first one’s usually complimentary) after about a month. If you didn’t get it or you lost it, GO AND GET A NEW ONE. Little things like that can make or break you in the eyes of a government official.

If you have older relatives who are immigrants, CHECK TO MAKE SURE THEIR PAPERWORK IS UP TO DATE. I know it’s common for older folk to let their IDs expire because they’re in in a care facility or simply unable to leave their homes. I know that shit gets lost in the shuffle of life and most of the time those documents just sit in a box and do nothing, but this shit is important. Make sure they have their stuff and make sure their documents are all up to federal standard— relatively undamaged, legible, and with the right seals.

I know this isn’t stuff we want to talk about, but it’s important. If you are a person of one of the groups targeted by this administration, you cannot make mistakes. You have to make sure there is no reason besides gross incompetence on the part of the ICE officers for them to detain you— as we all know, they will take advantage of any excuse they can find to fuck you and the people you love over.

Don’t let them.

[icharchivist]

God it keeps getting worse i think i need to at least. ramble about it bc i’m really starting to bottle it all up and it’s frustrating me

i’ve moved away from home bc i can’t stand my family anymore and they all put me into too much amount of stress

my mom is also currently sueing my dad so he pays back the allowance he had stopped paying, illegally, those past few months, and she is already being heaviy about it bc she is putting herself even more in debt for that endeavor as if it wasn’t a mess already

and ever since the trial officially started my father keeps sending messages alongside a “proposition” to avoid the trial all together (of course something that would be good for him y’know) He doesn’t say what the proposition is ofc, since if he writes it down he becomes engaged to it and he wants to avoid that; He just keeps taunting me into meeting him so he could make that proposition.

Meanwhile bc knowing my dad once we are done with the trial for him to pay back what he’s due, i’ve covered myself by hiring a lawyer  so later i could do a work so the allowance would be legally given to me, so my father doesn’t pull what he does to my sister ie blackmailling her into doing things if she wants the money he’s due to her but doesn’t have an official state document stating so

I should also remind that my fahter is very well off, like, very much so. this isn’t some petty scambling to get 2€ or something, the guy has a lot of money. He also holds back goods that belongs to us and would eventually bring us money that belongs to us.

anyway, birthday around the corner, my sister calls me to wish me a happy birthday- and start talking about what my mom had told her, that i moved away, and that we were gonna follow my father to court. So things my mom spilled to her. She tried to dissuade me, telling me not to.

She also worded what my father’s proposition was: to give us the money of the goods he’s withholding so he wouldn’t have to give the allowance instead. so basically she says that instead of the 780€ months i should just take the ~15k€ net, despite the fact the 15k€ actually belong to us and my father has no right withholding them (very long, propriety story not worth telling)

Anyway I told my sister the lawyer was mostly a protection not to talk about the rest and here we are since then:

my father knows that i moved away and knows where i live, which he had made sure to let me know through very ominous texts. He also keeps sending messages about the Proposition with emotional blackmail like he does so well. He also left a voicemail for that. He makes very clear my sister told him about my situation so he tries to have things going his way.

Meanwhile my mom, whom i don’t talk with much since i moved out, is still being harrassed by my dad and she complaisn about it everytime we talk so it adds to the very heaviness i was trying to run away from to start with (on top of her others problems like with my ex step dad)

Eventually today i brought to her attention that my sister had kept my father aware of my moves, without even accusing my mom, just that “what you told my sister about came back to my father’s ears”

My mom first started to defend herself that it wasn’t her who told my sister about my whereabouts which is... absolutly impossible (like my sister knew my friend paid for my caution since none of my parents helped out, she knew the name of the specific friend who helped out, so like... She has to know). But my mom rejected the blame. 

But apparently since then she’s also been yelling at my sister because of her telling my dad about it

which came back to my father’s ears who is now sending horrible messages because “how dare didn’t you keep our conversation between the two of us”, as well as well. Tasteful coments as always.

(”Since it doesn’t stay between the two of us. Your asshole of a mom is shitting all over your sister now. I remove myself from my good intentions. See you in court. It’s the judge who will decide since you refuse to grow up and take upon yourself the fact you decided to not do a fucking thing at 24yo. No more wanting to help you. Keep manipulating your mom, since she’s too stupid to understand your circus, but not enough still”. This is a rough translation of the text i’ve just received and no matter how much i’m used to those they always, always have an impact.)

He sent messages all day long and this is just... the last straw.

I’ve dealt with my father’s bad messages and never blocked him in case i could/should use his texts in court and all (which is such a fucked up way to see your dynamic with your family) but i ended up caving in and block him

and anyway i feel terrible about this whole situation despite knowing i have cause for behaving the way i do, that I can’t trust my family, and that every single of those problems that had got out of hands and are blamed on me were all based on my parents doing bullshit. and how they expect me to deal with their bullshit,that i somehow should control my other parent or something. 

And i hate how insidious it gets, how then it creeps into my mind thinking i’ve done something wrong for not playing in the hands of my parents, that i’m a bad person for such or such reason or how they twist my actions to fit their own narrative and i’m just... so tired of having to work everytime on the way i perceive myself to not get completely overwhelmed. And it adds to the general fear of not trusting my reality/my memories that I have had since forever with this family and honestly my only brink of sanity is having friends who had followed the case for a while and read my parents’s words directly so i am sure they have the raw thing and not however i would have “twisted it” (and even there it comes with its own weigh of guilt bc i throw at them a lot of heavy shits my parents send me and i wish i didn’t have to do this, it fucking sucks to read about. But i couldn’t have got this far without their help already).

This is exhausting and i’m tired and i hate that this is what i have to expect as family drama. 

I just want to be left alone. I’m so tired of it all and it drains absolutly all of my energy. 

I’ve left home because of that for crying out loud.

I just can’t wait until it’s finally all behind me and moving out was already a step forward but jfc is it always heavy to remember that 

So yeah when i meant a few days ago “woudln’t be a birthday without a family rama” this is the sort of things i am talking about and  i hate that this is my normal. 

God I have so much enough of this family i swear to god.

[nolimitsongrace]

October 25: The Historical Meaning of the Word ‘Apostle’ The Historical Meaning of the Word ‘Apostle’October 25, 2020And He Himself gave some to be apostles…. — Ephesians 4:11 NKJVToday I want to cover some of the historical usages of the word “apostle.” You will see that it had many uses in the Greek language of early New Testament times, and you’ll also see how all these uses have application to a New Testament apostle. I believe this discussion will not only enrich your understanding of this ministry gift, but it will also help you more fully receive from this gift that, among other purposes, is given to help establish and strengthen you in the faith. And if you’ve ever sat under a true apostolic ministry, you will probably recognize the operation of that gift by many of the distinct characteristics that are found within the meaning of the word apostolos.The Admiral of a Fleet of ShipsDuring the time of the ancient Greek orator Demosthenes (384-322 BC), the word apostolos was a naval term that described an admiral, the fleet of ships that traveled with him, and the specialized crew who accompanied and assisted the admiral.10*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

The fleet would be sent out to sea on a mission to locate territories where civilization was nonexistent. Once an uncivilized region was identified, the admiral (called the apostolos) — along with his specialized crew and all their cargo and belongings — would disembark, settle down, and work as a team to establish a new community. Then they would begin the process of transforming a strange land into a replica of life as they believed it should be. Their purpose was total colonization of the uncivilized territory.Within this special fleet of ships were both the personnel and the cargo required to establish a new culture, a new life, and a new community. When that fleet pulled up to shore, it contained workers trained to build roads, construct buildings, and teach uncivilized natives how to read, write, and function in a new kind of social order. Thus, the admiral became the team leader for the construction of a new society.Once the job was completed, a majority of the team members got back on the ships and launched out to sea again to find another uncivilized area and repeat the entire colonization process all over again. Thus, we find that the word apostolos described an admiral or team leader who led a team to establish new communities in uncivilized territories.10David Francis Bacon, Lives of the Apostles of Jesus Christ (New Haven: L. H. Young, 1836), p. 8.You can easily see how this definition had application to a New Testament apostle, whose primary task was to travel with an apostolic team to establish the Church in places where the Church was non-existent. This is one historical usage of the word apostolos that has bearing on its meaning in the New Testament.A Passport or Travel DocumentThe word apostolos was so closely associated with the idea of traveling that it also eventually became synonymous with a passport or a travel document.If a person wanted to exit a country, he had to possess a travel document that was essentially an exit visa or a passport. This legal document was called an apostolos — the same word translated “apostle.” The document guaranteed the right of passage and the ability to move freely from one place to another.When the word apostolos was applied to early New Testament apostles, it implied that an apostle was a spiritual passport that gave believers right of passage into heavenly realms and into deeper spiritual truths. One can certainly see that those who were under the apostleship of Paul were taken into realms of revelation that they could have never attained on their own. His ministry was a spiritual passport that gave them right of passage into spiritual revelation.It should be noted that any person who operates in a genuine apostolic calling will lead people into new spiritual realities.An Ambassador or EnvoyThe word “apostle” also described a person who had the authority to act much the same way an ambassador represents his government to another government. This classical and secular meaning of the word apostolos meant an envoy sent to do business on behalf of the one who sent him. Thus, a governmental apostle served as a personal representative, emissary, messenger, agent, diplomat, ambassador, or charge d’affaires.This person officially possessed the clout and influence to speak and act in the place of the one who sent him on his assignment. So when the ambassador — apostolos — spoke, his words were counted as the words of his sender. When the apostolos acted, his actions were interpreted as those of his sender. The connection between the sender and the person who was sent was almost inseparable.This reveals the New Testament apostle’s position to speak and act on behalf of the Lord. This is a governmental position within the Body of Christ, and as such, an apostolic ministry gift should be received as one with great spiritual clout and the backing of Heaven.It is very important for you to understand this truth and its powerful implications. You see, when a genuine apostle ministers, he is authorized by Heaven not only to lead you into new spiritual realities, but also to help mobilize you into position to fulfill your unique function in the Body of Christ!But we are only getting started, as there is so much more to learn about the word “apostle” and how it is applied in the New Testament. In tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, you’re going to discover a surprising new answer to the question “How many people in the New Testament were called apostles?”The answer to this question may shock you and open you to the reality that there are still apostles functioning in the Body of Christ today. They may not be called or recognized as apostles; nonetheless, they carry an apostolic calling and anointing. Don’t miss tomorrow — it will be a real eye-opener!MY PRAYER FOR TODAYFather, what I’ve read today describes a whole world of information about the function of the apostolic ministry both in the New Testament and today. I thank You for accurate knowledge that reveals the enormity of Your great plan and the significance of every distinctive part of the Body of Christ. Lord, I ask You to open the eyes of my heart to see and understand more about the role and value of this fivefold ministry gift overall and to me personally, because I want everything You have to offer me and Your Church!I pray this in Jesus’ name!MY CONFESSION FOR TODAYI confess that I believe in and honor the ministries of prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers according to Ephesians 4:11, which says that each ministry gift, including the apostolic ministry, is essential for the growth and the building up of the Church. So I will embrace in my life this aspect of Christ’s character and function that He expresses in His Body through each ministry gift to the Body of Christ! As a result, I grow strong in my own identity in the part I am ordained to fill as a member of the Body.I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDERHistorical definitions of the word apostolos shed light on the function of the apostle’s ministry. What is the modern application of the three definitions shared in today’s Sparkling Gem?Have you ever observed the work of an apostolic team that traveled extensively to establish churches in new places? Have you ever been a part of such a team either directly or by supporting it in prayer or with your finances?As you’ve read these descriptions of how apostles work, do you recognize that certain individuals or ministries whom you’ve known were actually doing an apostolic work that you did not realize at the time?

[nolimitsongrace]

October 25: The Historical Meaning of the Word ‘Apostle’

The Historical Meaning of the Word ‘Apostle’October 25, 2019

And He Himself gave some to be apostles…. — Ephesians 4:11 NKJV

Today I want to cover some of the historical usages of the word “apostle.” You will see that it had many uses in the Greek language of early New Testament times, and you’ll also see how all these uses have application to a New Testament apostle. I believe this discussion will not only enrich your understanding of this ministry gift, but it will also help you more fully receive from this gift that, among other purposes, is given to help establish and strengthen you in the faith. And if you’ve ever sat under a true apostolic ministry, you will probably recognize the operation of that gift by many of the distinct characteristics that are found within the meaning of the word apostolos.

The Admiral of a Fleet of Ships

During the time of the ancient Greek orator Demosthenes (384-322 BC), the word apostolos was a naval term that described an admiral, the fleet of ships that traveled with him, and the specialized crew who accompanied and assisted the admiral.10

The fleet would be sent out to sea on a mission to locate territories where civilization was nonexistent. Once an uncivilized region was identified, the admiral (called the apostolos) — along with his specialized crew and all their cargo and belongings — would disembark, settle down, and work as a team to establish a new community. Then they would begin the process of transforming a strange land into a replica of life as they believed it should be. Their purpose was total colonization of the uncivilized territory.

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

Within this special fleet of ships were both the personnel and the cargo required to establish a new culture, a new life, and a new community. When that fleet pulled up to shore, it contained workers trained to build roads, construct buildings, and teach uncivilized natives how to read, write, and function in a new kind of social order. Thus, the admiral became the team leader for the construction of a new society.

Once the job was completed, a majority of the team members got back on the ships and launched out to sea again to find another uncivilized area and repeat the entire colonization process all over again. Thus, we find that the word apostolos described an admiral or team leader who led a team to establish new communities in uncivilized territories.

10David Francis Bacon, Lives of the Apostles of Jesus Christ (New Haven: L. H. Young, 1836), p. 8.

You can easily see how this definition had application to a New Testament apostle, whose primary task was to travel with an apostolic team to establish the Church in places where the Church was non-existent. This is one historical usage of the word apostolos that has bearing on its meaning in the New Testament.

A Passport or Travel Document

The word apostolos was so closely associated with the idea of traveling that it also eventually became synonymous with a passport or a travel document.

If a person wanted to exit a country, he had to possess a travel document that was essentially an exit visa or a passport. This legal document was called an apostolos — the same word translated “apostle.” The document guaranteed the right of passage and the ability to move freely from one place to another.

When the word apostolos was applied to early New Testament apostles, it implied that an apostle was a spiritual passport that gave believers right of passage into heavenly realms and into deeper spiritual truths. One can certainly see that those who were under the apostleship of Paul were taken into realms of revelation that they could have never attained on their own. His ministry was a spiritual passport that gave them right of passage into spiritual revelation.

It should be noted that any person who operates in a genuine apostolic calling will lead people into new spiritual realities.

An Ambassador or Envoy

The word “apostle” also described a person who had the authority to act much the same way an ambassador represents his government to another government. This classical and secular meaning of the word apostolos meant an envoy sent to do business on behalf of the one who sent him. Thus, a governmental apostle served as a personal representative, emissary, messenger, agent, diplomat, ambassador, or charge d’affaires.

This person officially possessed the clout and influence to speak and act in the place of the one who sent him on his assignment. So when the ambassador — apostolos — spoke, his words were counted as the words of his sender. When the apostolos acted, his actions were interpreted as those of his sender. The connection between the sender and the person who was sent was almost inseparable.

This reveals the New Testament apostle’s position to speak and act on behalf of the Lord. This is a governmental position within the Body of Christ, and as such, an apostolic ministry gift should be received as one with great spiritual clout and the backing of Heaven.

It is very important for you to understand this truth and its powerful implications. You see, when a genuine apostle ministers, he is authorized by Heaven not only to lead you into new spiritual realities, but also to help mobilize you into position to fulfill your unique function in the Body of Christ!

But we are only getting started, as there is so much more to learn about the word “apostle” and how it is applied in the New Testament. In tomorrow’s Sparkling Gem, you’re going to discover a surprising new answer to the question “How many people in the New Testament were called apostles?”

The answer to this question may shock you and open you to the reality that there are still apostles functioning in the Body of Christ today. They may not be called or recognized as apostles; nonetheless, they carry an apostolic calling and anointing. Don’t miss tomorrow — it will be a real eye-opener!

MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, what I’ve read today describes a whole world of information about the function of the apostolic ministry both in the New Testament and today. I thank You for accurate knowledge that reveals the enormity of Your great plan and the significance of every distinctive part of the Body of Christ. Lord, I ask You to open the eyes of my heart to see and understand more about the role and value of this fivefold ministry gift overall and to me personally, because I want everything You have to offer me and Your Church!

I pray this in Jesus’ name!

MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I believe in and honor the ministries of prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers according to Ephesians 4:11, which says that each ministry gift, including the apostolic ministry, is essential for the growth and the building up of the Church. So I will embrace in my life this aspect of Christ’s character and function that He expresses in His Body through each ministry gift to the Body of Christ! As a result, I grow strong in my own identity in the part I am ordained to fill as a member of the Body.

I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

Historical definitions of the word apostolos shed light on the function of the apostle’s ministry. What is the modern application of the three definitions shared in today’s Sparkling Gem?

Have you ever observed the work of an apostolic team that traveled extensively to establish churches in new places? Have you ever been a part of such a team either directly or by supporting it in prayer or with your finances?

As you’ve read these descriptions of how apostles work, do you recognize that certain individuals or ministries whom you’ve known were actually doing an apostolic work that you did not realize at the time?