140 See p. 315, n. 29.
139By rendering the θεμέλιος τѽν ἀποστóλων ϰαὶ πϱοφητѽν thus, the NEB is able to continue: “and Christ Jesus himself is the foundation-stone” (but “foundation-stone” is an unnatural translation of ἀϰϱογωνιαῖος, whatever may be said of the OT background of the word).
140See p. 315, n. 29.
141As in Eph. 3:5 and 4:11, “apostles” is probably used here in the rather broad sense in which Paul habitually employs the word. For Paul, the designation is not confined to those who were sent out by Jesus during his earthly ministry (in that case he could not have used it of himself); it includes others, who received some special commission from the risen Christ, such as (probably) James the Lord’s brother (Gal. 1:19). “All the apostles,” mentioned along with James in 1 Cor. 15:7 among those to whom the Lord appeared in resurrection, are evidently a larger body than “the twelve” (1 Cor. 15:5). Andronicus and Junia are described in Rom. 16:7 as “of note among the apostles” (ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστóλοις) in a way which suggests that they themselves were “apostles.” See p. 38 with n. 2 (on Col. 1:1) for further observations and bibliography. For Christian prophets see G. Friedrich, TDNT 6, pp. 828-61 (s.v. πϱοφήτης); É. Cothenet, DBSupp. 8, cols. 1222-1337 (”Prophétisme dans le Nouveau Testament”); T. M. Crone, Early Christian Prophecy (Baltimore, 1973); U. B. Müller, Prophetie und Predigt im Neuen Testament (Gütersloh, 1975); J. Panagopoulos (ed.), Prophetic Vocation in the New Testament and Today (Leiden, 1977); E. E. Ellis, Prophecy and Hermeneutic in Early Christianity (Tübingen/Grand Rapids, 1978); D. Hill, New Testament Prophecy (London/Richmond, VA, 1979); W. A. Grudem, The Gift of Prophecy in 1 Corinthians (Washington, D.C., 1982); D. E. Aune, Prophecy in Early Christianity and the Ancient Mediterranean World (Grand Rapids, 1983).
142Compare the acclamation of Peter in Matt. 16:18 as the πέτϱα on which Jesus planned to build his church.