What is an Apostle?

Firstly, we see in Scripture there were certain men appointed directly by Christ as apostles. The purpose of these men was to lay the foundation of the church through direct revelation from God and to write Holy Scripture. They heard directly from God in order to say, "Thus says the Lord." These men even had special places reserved for them in the new heaven and earth. They had the gifts of signs and wonders to confirm their appointment and authority as apostles.

Paul met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and was even caught up to heaven where he saw the risen Christ in person. By that Paul was affirmed by Christ as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Subsequent to that event we see that most of the New Testament letters were written by Paul through the Holy Spirit. Paul says that the sign of a true apostle is the gifts of signs and wonders. Paul also wrote that the church is built on the foundations of the apostle and prophets. This is a reference to their teachings and practices.

They played such a vital role that the church was built on what they taught and practiced. Today we do not write new revelations. We merely built on what was revealed by God through them. This was the case because God gave them the office and authority to speak on His behalf. Therefore, we can conclude that they had some special authority endowed to them by Christ himself to speak authoritatively on behalf of God. Which is why what they said were recorded in the Bible as Holy Scripture.

Lastly, like Moses, they were given special gifts to perform signs and wonders to prove their status as special messengers of God - to prove their validity as appointed by God - to prove the new revelations given by them - to prove their authority to speak on behalf of God. Some of the signs and wonders that God did through them were never repeated again. In that initial phase of the church, shortly after Pentecost, we see signs and wonders that were a norm which was not repeated later in the NT. If we take these criteria of the NT we must conclude that there are no men like them ever since.

We also see in the NT that there were other men that were called apostles. But, we see a difference. These “apostles” were subject to the real apostles and worked under their authority. We even see that the things they did were commanded by the apostles. What we see in the NT is that there was an office of an apostle and those who worked under them in that office - who were commissioned by them. These men were called apostles in the sense that they did apostolic work. They were sent ones to continue with the work of the real apostles - based on their teachings - not their own. So what we see in the New Testament is the office of apostle as appointed by Christ in person with certain men commissioned by them. These men worked under the authority of the apostles. They did not have the same authority as the apostles. They could not give new revelations like the apostles. They had to build on the teachings of the apostles.

To summarize then; in the Bible, we see apostles appointed by Christ, and they were unique and limited in number. They had the authority to give new revelation, which was recorded as Holy Scripture. After them, no new apostles were appointed. We also see men commissioned by these apostles to do apostolic work - to build on what the apostles revealed and practiced. To be apostolic messengers. They were not the same as the apostles although some were called apostles. They could not speak on behalf of God. They could not give new revelations. Hence, the conclusion that the word apostle had two meanings - those appointed by Christ himself, and those sent out by the apostles to continue with the apostolic work. That is where we fit in today.

We continue with apostolic work as sent out ones UNDER the teachings and practices (foundations) of the apostles with Christ as the HEAD APOSTLE. In the new covenant, Christ is our Prophet, Priest, King, and Apostle, so that we do not need another. Today we have pastors, teachers, elders, evangelists and shepherds as appointed by the Holy Spirit through God's gifting and Providence. They do apostolic work but they are not apostles or prophets. They were not commissioned directly by Jesus to lay new foundations, neither do they have the gift of signs and wonders to prove their apostolic authority.

When the Bible says God has given prophets and apostles to the church, it means we have them through their teachings. They are in the foundations. Their words still speak to us through Scripture. They are not dead. They are alive through the Bible because what they spoke was the words of God breathed out by the Holy Spirit. Their ministry was completed when the Canon was closed. Therefore, the church does not need more apostles. As members of the body of Christ, we continue to work in the office of the apostles as send ones to perform apostolic work in the planting and building up of local congregations.