Biblically Speaking: What's an Apostle?

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,  to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up  until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph 4:11-13)

One does not need to go far to find the term “apostle” thrown around within the Church. A quick Google search reveals a wide range of ideas on the subject, from those who would personally claim the title, to those who believe that the role has passed away, to those who are unsure of what the word even means.

Most of us understand what the role of the apostles was in the early church, and we see throughout the New Testament what the original apostles did.

Where it gets a little tougher is in figuring out what that role looks like for today.

There are many who believe that there are no apostles anymore. They hold that the role was only intended to lay down the foundation for the early church, and thus is no longer required.

However, particularly in the context of the passage above from Ephesians 4, it would seem that the most logical interpretation is that the role is for today. Even for those who dispute the existence of apostles and prophets, we absolutely have evangelists, pastors, and teachers today, all to build up the church and prepare God’s people. If we, as the Church, still need to be prepared and built up, then why would apostles no longer exist? Given that there is no indication in the NT that this function would end, it is reasonable to conclude that the role is still meant to function in the church right now. We will see why this is so important shortly.

The term “apostle” is certainly one that has been abused, and many have claimed it for themselves as a title of honour and prestige, using to claim higher authority within the church. Since, in the Bible, the apostles were the overseers of the entire church, some have used the word to place themselves above submission or accountability. And Scripture clearly warns us about those who would “masquerade as apostles of Christ.” (2Co 11:13)

Because of this, many have avoided the word and role altogether, wishing to distance themselves from the abuse of power. Then, there are also many ministers running around out there calling themselves “Apostle Jones” or whatever their name might be, and it is a word that gets tossed around a lot in charismatic circles. So, given all of this, it is important to delve into what the role of an “apostle” really means, how an apostle is defined biblically, and what the office actually looks like.

The word “apostle” comes from the Greek “apostolos”, which means “sent one, messenger, ambassador.” Jesus is called an apostle (Heb 3:1), an acknowledgement of His role as the One sent from the Father to perform His will. And of course, the title was given to the twelve disciples who had walked intimately with Jesus (with new apostle Matthias replacing the deceased Judas – Acts 1:26).

However, there are several others who were added to the list of apostles in the NT. Most notable, of course, was Paul, who was not one of the original Twelve but who was called by Jesus to be an apostle (Rom 1:1). His partner in ministry, Barnabas, is also called an apostle in Scripture (Acts 14:14). At the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul acknowledges a married couple, Andronicus and Junias, who he declares “are outstanding among the apostles,” (Rom 16:7). This is particularly interesting, as Scripture appears to show that there was at least one female apostle in Junias (but that is a whole other topic!)

As well, some commentators believe that Silas and Timothy can be classified as biblical apostles, due both to the roles that they filled in the NT church, as well as Paul’s inclusion of them as possible co-authors of 1Thessalonians (1Th 1:1), since only apostles claimed authority to write to the churches and instruct them. This, however, is conjecture, as they are not expressly called “apostles” in Scripture. Likewise, some feel that Apollos’ inclusion in 1Co 4 implies that he, too, was apostolic in the early church. Again, this is certainly a possibility, but not clearly stated.

So, the role is obviously bigger than just Jesus and the Twelve. The original apostles had a unique role, in that they were laying down a one-time foundation for a brand-new belief system. Since the canon of Scripture is closed, it is safe to assume that this part of the apostolic role was a one-time event, where those who had seen Jesus face-to-face established a new Scripture and a new doctrine based on what Jesus had taught them personally, and what was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit. To that end, no modern-day apostle should claim a level of revelation or authority equal to the original apostles who wrote the inspired Scripture.

But, again, if we are not cessassionists, and if we believe that the spiritual gifts of Scripture are for us today, then we need to accept all of them and not just pick and choose the ones that we are comfortable with. We must wrestle through the text of God’s Word and discover the answers we are looking for.

So let us look specifically at what the role of apostle entails. What makes someone an apostle, from a biblical standpoint?

First of all, and most importantly, apostles are called by God. At the beginning of most of his letters, Paul acknowledged that he was an apostle because God had willed it (Rom 1:1; 1&2Co 1:1; Gal 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1; 1&2Ti 1:1). It is a divine calling, and not a title that can be created or given by man, either given by others or by someone claiming it for themselves. It is an office created by God, and should be acknowledged by the Body only when evidence is given of the other Scriptural characteristics listed below.

Apostles are overseers of the church. While pastors and elders and deacons oversee the local church, apostles have authority that moves beyond just one church. They minister to the Body as a whole. We obviously see this through most of the epistles of the NT, where apostles wrote to local churches to teach, correct, and encourage them, with an acknowledged and respected authority. This is also evidenced in Scripture by passages such as Acts 15, where the apostles gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the doctrinal issue of whether circumcision should be required of believers (a big deal for Jewish Christians!). After arriving at a consensus, the apostles’ decision became the official policy for all of the churches.

It is interesting, however, that at the Council at Jerusalem, after the apostles had weighed in, it was local Jerusalem pastor James who stood up and had the final word (15:13-21). So we see that, while the apostles were honoured as overseers of the church, they also worked in partnership with local pastors, in an attitude of mutual submission and respect. Apostles were not lording it over local leaders, but serving and helping them as they all grew together in their understanding of the Lord.

Partnering with the “overseeing” portion of the apostolic function, apostles are also mentors. They are spiritual fathers and mothers. They do not need to do everything themselves, but seek to raise up others in their own giftings and purpose. This is clearly demonstrated in Paul’s letters to Timothy, where he instructed and advised the younger man in his Christ-centred destiny. Paul and Barnabas planted many churches, but then they mentored and released leaders within them before moving on (Acts 14:23). Paul also wrote to the Corinthians, saying “in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” (1Co 4:15). The original apostles moved from church to church, training up leaders and releasing them, keeping in touch through the epistles and continuing in their care through the letters of instruction.

Apostles are foundation-layers and builders of the church (Eph 2:20; 1Co 3:10; 2Co 13:10). Building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, apostles seek to see the church grow, numerically and especially spiritually. As already mentioned, none today will be functioning in quite the same manner of the original apostles, but apostles still serve the Body by pioneering new directions and breaking new ground. Scripturally, this often showed up as church-planting, which Paul and Barnabas did throughout Acts. Apostles establish new things, forge into new territory, build up churches and ministries, and give their lives to these tasks.

Apostles walk in the revelation of the Spirit (Eph3:5). All revelation must obviously be consistent with written Scripture, but apostles walk with God in such a way that they hear clearly what the Spirit is saying to the church. The authors of the epistles were remarkably gifted at bringing fresh revelation from established Old Testament Scripture, which was the only Scripture at the time. The written Word came alive through them, bringing new ideas and fresh understanding, as God gave them insight into what His Word meant for the church. As well, there was much that was revealed to them directly from the Holy Spirit, as He spoke His truths to the Church through them. Apostles have new ideas and fresh revelation, all of which will be in line with written Scripture.

Apostles show evidence of the other aspects of the five-fold ministry. This is not expressly stated in Scripture, but there is strong evidence for it nonetheless. It makes sense, really; if apostles are to serve as overseers of the church at large, then it makes sense that they should have some understanding of these other key roles within the church so that they can build them up.

Certainly we can see that the apostles of whom we have the most information were prophetic; Paul, Peter, and John all wrote letters containing predictive revelation concerning the end-times (1Th 4-5; 2Th 2; 2Pe 3; Rev), and throughout Acts gave evidence of clearly hearing and acting on instructions from the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-9; 10:9-20; 13:2-4; 16:6-10; 20:23).

As well, the apostles acted as evangelists. They were firmly committed to preaching the Gospel. Scripture says that “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33) Whatever other aspects an apostle’s ministry may have, a biblical apostle will have a heart for souls and for preaching the Good News.

Continuing the five-fold theme, apostles have a pastoral heart. They do not serve a local congregation, but really act as shepherds nonetheless, overseeing and helping many places, and pastoring local church leaders. Paul spoke with compassion to the Thessalonians, saying “As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.” (1Th 2:7). We see throughout all the apostolic epistles a very real concern for the people of God, a love for them, and a strong desire to see them grow in their relationship with God. This is a shepherd’s heart.

Rounding out the five-fold ministries, apostles are teachers. This is obvious and really needs no unpacking, as it marked the early church (Acts 2:42), was a major part of the apostles’ ministry (4:2; 5:42; 18:11), and much of the evidence of this is preserved for us through the epistles. Apostles are communicators and expositors of God’s Word, and use it for “teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16).

Moving on, the ministry of an apostle is proven by signs and wonders (Acts 5:12). Scripture specifically calls these, “the things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles,” (2Co 12:12). This is likely one area where the term “apostle” gets misused and misunderstood, where someone claims the title because of the fact that God works miracles through their ministry. This alone is not the only thing that marks an apostle. It appears, however, to be a biblical requirement for apostleship.

Finally, and one of the most important things to note, is that the life of an apostle will be marked by suffering. This was certainly true of the greatest apostle, Jesus. And church history tells us that all of the original apostles were terribly persecuted and martyred except John, who was terribly persecuted but managed to avoid martyrdom. In a passage of Scripture that the NIV subtitles as, “Apostles of Christ”, Paul wrote:

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” (1Co 4:9-13)

Knowing this information might change the desire to seek this title! Apostles pay a price for the authority and revelation that they are given. The term is not one to be bestowed on someone just because they teach well or lead well or because God performs miracles through them. To walk the path of an apostle is to walk a very difficult life and ministry.

Biblically, the seat of an apostle was not a place of “honour” in the traditional sense. They were certainly honoured at times within the Church, but they lived lives of unbelievable hardship, heartache, and brokenness (2Co 11:23-29). They were often outcasts and were mocked, even within Christian circles (2Co 10:1). Paul had to fiercely defend his ministry, even to a church that he had personally founded (2Co 11). And he teaches us an important principle through his “thorn in the flesh”: when there is great revelation and great authority and great gifting, God WILL send trials to keep his leaders humble (2Co 12:7-9). Paul embraced these things, saying, “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (v.9)

Some have claimed the title of “apostle” who have not paid the price of suffering for it. Some have taken it as a title of honour, given by man. Some are claiming it who may have a few of the above-mentioned attributes, but not the rest. And then there are some servants of the Lord who are actually properly walking in the biblical authority of an apostle, fulfilling their roles with power, with revelation, and with grace.

We need apostles in the Church today, as they will be the ones to build the Body up and take us to new places. By understanding what a scriptural apostle looks like, hopefully we can begin to encourage and recognize those who walk in this gifting, and then all of us can receive the blessing that comes when God uses apostles properly to guide and grow His Church.