Biblical Apostleship

The title of Apostle has created a lot of confusion over the years. Many of Christians think Apostle only refers to the twelve disciples or that apostles can only be people who physically met Jesus.  Some Christians believe that the only need for the gift or office of apostles is in missions work — planting churches overseas and continuing to speak with authority over the pastors of the churches they planted. It can seem like a great idea for churches abroad, but what about planting, sending, building, and overseeing churches here?  Have we come so far that we no longer need this gift ourselves?  Has the western church arrived? We believe that the foundation that is laid out in Scripture is still applicable today, even in the western church.

WHAT IS AN APOSTLE?

Unlike titles such as priest or prophet, which have a rich heritage in the Old Testament, apostle first appears in our Bibles in the New Testament and was introduced by Jesus Himself.

The English word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which literally means “one who is sent or dispatched.” By New Testament times, however, apostolos had come to be used by Greeks and Romans to refer to specially commissioned leaders who were sent out to advance their empires. These apostles were typically proven generals or admirals, and were given power and authority to pioneer into new territories, transforming the culture as they went.

Similar to what we have seen with the Greek words baptizo and ekklesia, Jesus deliberately took this familiar word, with everything it already conveyed of authority, commissioning, and kingdom advancement, and gave it new application and significance. We will benefit by keeping its original meaning and use in mind as we now consider the nature and role of apostles in the Church.

APOSTLES IN THE BIBLE

The word apostle(s) is used 81 times in the New Testament, in each case referring to an individual(s) chosen, authorized, and sent out to accomplish a specific mission. We can, however, identify at least three “categories” of apostle referred to in Scripture:

First and foremost, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate “sent one,” and as we saw in the last session, He is the “apostle and high priest of our confession” (Hebrews 3:1).

Secondly, the twelve apostles in the Gospels. As mentioned earlier, it is from Jesus that we first hear the word apostle in the New Testament, as the designation He gave to those He specifically selected to be with Him and to be sent out by Him (Mark 3:14). The Twelve (Judas Iscariot having been replaced by Matthias: see Acts 1:26) are referred to in Revelation 21:14 as the “twelve apostles of the Lamb.” They were clearly unique, and their role as witnesses of the events in Christ’s earthly ministry was of particular significance (Acts 1:21-22).

Thirdly, the apostles given by the risen Christ. Having chosen and sent out the twelve apostles, the Lord subsequently gave other apostles to His Church after His resurrection and ascension. These are obviously the apostles referred to in Ephesians 4.

Of course, the most prominent New Testament apostle, Paul, comes within this category. Other apostles mentioned in the New Testament are James, the brother of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19), Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6, 9), Silvanus/Silas (in the “we” of 1 Thessalonians 2:6), and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25). Note also the general reference to the “apostles of the churches” in 2 Corinthians 8:23 (NIV 1984). 

Paul’s condemnation in 2 Corinthians 11:13 of “false apostles” shows that the Church must have accepted that there were many apostles beyond the Twelve, otherwise no one would have been able to pretend to be one. Similarly, in Revelation 2:2, the church in Ephesus is commended for testing those who claimed to be apostles but were not. If there could be no legitimate claim to apostleship beyond the Twelve, what testing would there need to be?

This “category” of apostles continues to the present day. The Scriptures are clear that apostles (along with prophets and the more traditionally accepted ministries of evangelists, pastors and teachers) are to function “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). Unless we believe this is an accurate description of the state of the Church today, we need apostles now.

APOSTLES TODAY

During the first 100 years of the Church (known as the Apostolic Period), apostles were widely recognized and received, and functioned effectively. However, the increasing institutionalization of the Church contributed both to it drifting farther and farther away from true apostolic ministry, and to the distortion of the very concept of the apostle. It ceased to be a term that could be applied to ordinary men with a practical and necessary ministry in the Church, but instead took on a mystical aura.

Therefore, from the first century until relatively recently, though God still graced certain individuals with clear apostolic gifting (for example Martin Luther, John Wesley, William Booth, and Watchman Nee), few were actually called apostles in their day.

THE GIFTING AND CALLING OF APOSTLES

Unlike the other Ephesians 4 ministries, the function of the apostle is not obvious from the name. Prophetsbecome recognized as such by their prophesying, evangelists by evangelizing, teachers by teaching, and pastors by shepherding. There isn’t an equivalent verb for the apostle. How, then, can we recognize true apostles, and what do they do?

APOSTLES ARE PIONEERS

One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. — Acts 13:2-3 NLT

When considering apostles, we should keep in mind the simple core meaning of the word: an apostle is “one who is sent”—sent by God to pioneer new territory for His Kingdom. Apostles are initiators, often sparking off new projects, breaking ground with the gospel, and planting new churches. One of the characteristics of an apostle is the ability to function to a significant degree in all of the other Ephesians 4 gifts, i.e. prophecy, evangelism, teaching, and shepherding. This is essential, particularly in the formative stages of a newly-planted church, when other ministries are not yet in place and the apostle must supply what is lacking.

APOSTLES LAY FOUNDATIONS

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” — Ephesians 2:19-20 NLT

Nothing determines what can be built more than the foundation. To build well requires not just a plan or blueprint, but also an architect’s visionary skill and experience. Apostles bring the necessary insight, skill, and experience to the building of the Church, in accordance with the blueprint we have in Scripture. Apostles and prophets are often together known as foundation ministries, because their visionary interaction and impartation lays the foundation for local church life (see Ephesians 3:2-5).

In Acts 9, we read of Paul’s dramatic encounter with Jesus and his consequent conversion. Blinded by a heavenly light, he was made to realize that, in persecuting the Church, he was persecuting Jesus. His natural sight was restored three days later, but more importantly he went on to receive extraordinary vision and insight into the heavenly realms and God’s intention for the Church. A defining moment for Peter in his apostolic calling was his God-given revelation of Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” and it was on the basis of this revelation that Jesus said His Church would be built (Matthew 16:13-18). Apostles carry a major significance in church-planting and leadership because of their ability to understand Church in the context of the overall plan of God, and to see what the Church should look like if it is to manifest Christ. They can see the overall “shape” of a church situation and have the God-given authority, wisdom, and gifting to do what is necessary to help it.

APOSTLES ARE GIFTED BUILDERS

“Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful.” — 1 Corinthians 3:10 NLT

Although we have used the term architect to highlight an aspect of the apostle’s role, it could misrepresent the true nature of his labor. When Paul describes himself as “a skilled master builder,” it conveys the “hands-on,” rather than merely advisory, nature of his apostolic work.

Of course, with all these building analogies, we must not forget that the apostle is working with “living stones”— people (1 Peter 2:5). Subsequently, the masterful dynamic of true apostolic gifting is often evidenced most in the ability to envision, inspire, and win the hearts of others.

APOSTLES ARE TEAM LEADERS

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. — Philippians 1:3-5 NLT

The apostolic heart is to work in team, and apostles are able to draw leaders and other gifted ministries into effective working relationships. As noted above, apostles tend to be able to move in all of the other Ephesians 4 gifts, and this allows them to identify, connect with, encourage, and inspire these ministries. Apostles will typically work alongside such men and women, and will send them at times to work with other individuals and churches.

Rather than being hierarchical, these partnerships are built on mutual love and respect, and the recognition of the joining of God. For example, though Paul clearly carried authority within his apostolic sphere, he spoke of those joined to him as “fellow servants,” “fellow prisoners” (literally, “co-fighters”) and “fellow workers” (Colossians 4:7-11). He was clearly committed to them, expressing love, concern, and appreciation for them. In return, they responded in loving and enthusiastic service, submitting their gifts and their very lives for the accomplishing of the apostolic mission. Far from being crushed or limited when working with apostles, many leaders find that they become clearer as to their identity and purpose, and experience a wonderful expansion and fruitfulness in their ministry.

APOSTLES REPRESENT GOD’S PARENTAL HEART

“For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me. — 1 Corinthians 4:15-16 NLT

It is not just about gifting. Many passages of Scripture, including the one above and the following ones, give us wonderful insights into the heart of the apostolic ministry:

“As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we certainly had a right to make some demands of you, but instead we were like children among you. Or we were like a mother feeding and caring for her own children. We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too. Don’t you remember, dear brothers and sisters, how hard we worked among you? Night and day we toiled to earn a living so that we would not be a burden to any of you as we preached God’s Good News to you. You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers. And you know that we treated each of you as a father treats his own children. We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.” — 1 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NLT

“Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.” — Acts 20:31

No matter how gifted a person might be, we must keep in mind the heart the apostle should have if he is to care effectively for a church—the heart of a loving father and nursing mother. Apostolic ministry has been misrepresented and given a bad name by those who have behaved like company CEOs, or operated in an unapproachable, authoritarian style. This is the opposite of the humble, servant-hearted expression we see in Scripture—and could indicate that the men in question are false apostles! True apostles recognize that they are servants of Christ and that they must prove faithful with that which has been entrusted to them (see 1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

“An apostle does not just set up an empire of churches over which he reigns and from which he receives glory and honour. Instead the charge of all the local churches that God gives him becomes a gut-wrenching, intensely emotional, heartfelt, passionate ministry of life to precious souls! It is an awesome responsibility. It is not an arms- length transaction. The apostle must feel the very heartbeat, the pulse of the church, and be in touch with the lives of its people.” — Dick Iverson

APOSTLES GOVERN AND BRING ACCOUNTABILITY

While apostolic ministry is expressed at times in tender encouragement and advice, that only reflects one aspect of the parental role. It is also evident from Scripture that apostles bring government and direction into the affairs of the local church. As well as exhorting and comforting the elders and churches, Paul was not averse, when necessary, to instructing, admonishing, and commanding:

“Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches.” — 1 Corinthians 7:17 NLT (see also 2 Thessalonians 3:10)

The government that apostles are to bring to churches goes, of course, to the very foundation. Ideally, apostles should be involved in the birthing of churches and in the initial establishing of leaders within them. One of the growing, biblical trends in the Church these days is the shift from a one-man leadership model to that of a plurality of elders. However, what is often ignored is the fact that biblical eldership was built on biblical apostles. Local elders were not the product of a democratic church vote, but were appointed by or at the direction of apostles:

“Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia.” — Acts 14:23 NLT

“I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you.” — Titus 1:5 NLT

Apostolic involvement did not end there. It is clear in the New Testament that the apostles continued to bring instruction, direction, warning, and correction to the elders and deacons of the churches, not just through their written communications, but by taking every opportunity to meet with them:

“Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.” — Acts 14:23 NLT

“But when we landed at Miletus, he [Paul] sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.” — Acts 20:17 NLT

Though all Ephesians 4 ministries are God’s gifts to the entire Church (see 1 Corinthians 3:21-22), and in a very real sense are the blessing of God to all who will receive them, this does not mean that every apostle can or should seek to carry government into every church. The apostle Paul recognized this:

“Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.” — 1 Corinthians 9:2 NLT

“We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you. We are not reaching beyond these boundaries when we claim authority over you, as if we had never visited you. For we were the first to travel all the way to Corinth with the Good News of Christ. Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended. Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.” — 2 Corinthians 10:13-16 NLT

WORKING WITH APOSTLES

The governmental authority that apostles bring is critical for a church’s protection and development. However, it only works in the context of voluntary submission and loving relationship—which is the only context in which a true apostle would want to work. The following scripture shows us how apostolic authority should be received in the local church: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” — Acts 2:42 NLT

RECOMMENDED READING

• Apostles Today by David Matthew

• Does the Future Have a Church? by Terry Virgo