What is an Apostle?

The foundational role of an apostle is something that the Church seems to have nearly lost in its long history. This was a direct result of institutionalization and becoming the State Church of Rome rather than the aggressive, Kingdom declaring Church it was designed to be. We’ve lost our understanding of what apostleship is all about. At times it has been replaced by crazy ideas that can do a lot of damage but don’t actually fulfill the biblical role. So, I’d like to dedicate this blog to apostleship, as it was originally designed in the New Testament. Think of it as Apostleship 101. Below there will be links to other posts which will further develop apostleship and share some modern day stories. Apostolic ministry is also developed in my upcoming book The Jesus Virus.

Apostles Expand the Kingdom by Building Foundations

Apostles are sent to expand the Kingdom where there is no Kingdom. They are like sodbusters opening up the frontier. A biblical metaphor for this in Eph. 2:19-20 is that they are foundation builders: Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Apostles are Sent by Jesus

Jesus is called an apostle in Heb. 3:1. That is because he was sent by the Father to expand His Kingdom. Jesus’ ministry is the model for all other apostolic ministry. What do apostles do? Look at what Jesus did. However, the specific outline of apostolic ministry in found in Jesus teaching, as he sends out his disciples in Matt. 10; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-6 and seventy-two others in Luke 10:1-23. Note that in Matt. 10:1 the disciples are renamed apostles when Jesus sends them.

The Signs of an Apostle

The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance (2 Cor. 12:12). Everyone was filled with awe, and many (Acts 2:43). Since Apostles are breaking new ground among people who probably have never heard of Christ (or have rejected Christianity because of the excesses of Christendom), they often need to have a supernatural divine stamp of approval on their ministry. This is so that non-Christians can see their message isn’t just their opinion, but they are truly sent from God.

True apostleship replaced by crazy ideas which do a lot of damage

Apostleship is a Gift

Apostleship is a spiritual gift. It is not an intuitional position. It is mentioned in Eph. 4:11-13 with the other foundational gifts: It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s 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. Apostles work together with prophets to build the foundation of the Kingdom (see below). The other gifts mentioned here have other tasks to bring the Church to full maturity.

These are all spiritual gifts, not institutional positions. One is not more important than the other. Nor are they more important than any other spiritual gift. They are foundational and may be more “showy,” but they are not more important. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” (I Cor. 12:21). There isn’t any status rank in the Kingdom.

Apostles Work with Prophets

As Eph 2:20 says God’s household, his Kingdom, is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets. Apostles are spiritually designed to boldly take the gospel into new territory. They are gifted to think strategically and often get God’s strategy for a given situation directly from the Holy Spirit. So they are a highly strategic ministry. Good strategy needs good intelligence. That’s where prophets work hand in hand with apostolic ministry. They hear from God and allow the apostle to be more closely attuned to what he wants to do.

There is much more to be said about apostleship. But suffice it to say that apostles are spiritually gifted people, sent on a mission by Jesus, who break new Kingdom territory, working closely with prophets. But they are not positional, titled leaders with a special status.

You can read other posts on apostolic ministry here: Spirituality Isn’t Chemistry, Looking for Trigger Events, Peace to This House, Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #2,  Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #3,  Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #4, Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #7, Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #8, Four Keys to Church Planting, An Oikos Isn’t a Building and Building on the Right Foundation. You can read some modern stories of apostolic ministry in: Cesar, Man of Peace, Why Simple Churches Don’t Work, Reason #6, Confronting Legalism-A Story from the Harvest, Francisco- Another Story from the Harvest, and Burgers and Jesus.

  • Does it make sense that apostles and prophets can be foundational without being more important than anyone else?
  • Why would institutionalism and becoming a State Church cause apostleship to be ignored?
  • Some people believe that apostleship ended with the original twelve + Paul? Can you see any scriptural reason to believe this? Why do you think this idea became popular in certain theological circles?
  • Does apostleship automatically mean maturity and/or God’s stamp of approval?
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