Does the Gift of Apostles still exist today?
The Twelve were apostles in a special sense, however. After a night of prayer, Jesus chose the Twelve out of a large group of disciples and called them apostles (Luke 6:13). The fellowship of the Last Supper was limited to them (Luke 22:14). Peter recognized the Twelve had a special ministry and overseership (Acts 1:20, 25, 26), probably with the promise in mind that the Twelve would in the future judge (rule) the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). Thus, no more apostles were chosen after Matthias to be among the Twelve. Nor were any replacements chosen when they were martyred. In the New Jerusalem there are just twelve foundations with the names of the twelve apostles in them (Revelation 21:14). The Twelve were thus a limited group and performed a special function in preaching, teaching, and establishing the Church as well as in witnessing to Christ’s resurr
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| The Exhortation to the Apostles (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
There were other apostles, however. Jesus sent out seventy others also. These were a different group from the Twelve altogether (Luke 10:1). But Jesus used exactly the same word in sending them as He did of the Twelve (in Luke 9:2), the Greek word apostello, from which apostle comes. He also gave the seventy the same commission and they returned with the same results.
Paul and Barnabas are also called apostles (Acts 14:4, 14). Paul also calls Andronicus and Junius “outstanding among the apostles” who were before him (Romans 16:7). However, Paul refers to all the other apostles as apostles who were before him (Galatians 1:17). In speaking of the appearances of the risen Christ, he mentions that Christ was seen by Peter, the Twelve, then five hundred, then James the brother of Jesus, then by all the apostles, “and last of all” he was seen by Paul, “as to one abnormally born” (1 Corinthians 15:5–8). Thus, it appears that the rest of those who are named as apostles in the New Testament also belonged to a limited group of which Paul was the last.
This is confirmed by the qualifications laid down in connection with the selection of a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:21, 22). An apostle had to be a firsthand witness to both the Resurrection and the teachings or sayings of Jesus.
This is the reason the apostle Paul constantly f ound it necessary to defend his apostleship. He told the Corinthians, “Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” (1 Corinthians 9:1). Then he went on to say that they are the seal, the results, the confirmation, of his apostleship. Paul also made it very clear to the Galatians that he received the facts of the gospel, not from man, not from the other apostles, but from Jesus himself (Galatians 1:1, 11, 12, 16, 17). Thus he was a firsthand witness to both the resurrection and teachings of Jesus.
Paul also fulfilled the functions of the apostles. After Pentecost,
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| The Resurrection of Christ (Kinnaird Resurrection) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Yet in spite of these limitations on the office of apostle, there is a continuation of apostolic ministry indicated through the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32). We see also that God has set in the Church apostles, prophets, teachers, “workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28). Exactly the same expression is used of these gifts as is used of the various parts of the human body in 1 Corinthians 12:18. In other words, just as eyes, ears, hands, and feet are all necessary for the proper functioning of the body, so these ministry gifts, by the very nature of the Church, are necessary for its proper functioning.19
Apostolic ministry, then, is a church-building, fellowship-building work, exercised with accompanying miracles that are the work of the Spirit. The apostles left behind them established churches, organized with their own elders (also called bishops or overseers, as superintendents, administrative officers elected out of the congregations) and deacons (helpers, also elected out of the congregation). Surely, such ministry has continued throughout Church history and is still needed today. False apostles have come too (Revelation 2:2), but they need to be tested by their teaching (Galatians 1:8) and by their lives. The true apostles built the Church. None of them ever tried to build a following for themselves.
Horton, S. M. (2005). What the Bible Says about the Holy Spirit (pp. 264–267). Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House.
