Biblical evaluation of the role of apostles in the church today

The orthodox view of apostleship in the church was that they were a unique group chosen by God to establish the church. Once the church was established and the cannon of Scripture closed the role of apostleship accordingly ceased.

Which simply means that when all the apostles died, the office of apostle no longer existed. Disciple John was the last surviving apostle (A.D.100) and since then no one in church history could ever legitimately claim to be an apostle.

We often read in the New Testament about disciples and apostles, and we tend to think that the two words are synonyms. They are not. A disciple is a learner, a student. An Apostle is one who is commissioned by his master with the master’s own authority, then sent out in the master’s name.

This distinction is critically important for us because the New Testament tells us that the prophets and the Apostles are the foundation of the Church (Eph 2:20), they were a selected group of individuals that were sent, and empowered by God for a specific period in the history of the church.

These apostles shared a particular purpose and responsibility as the foundation of the church.

That means the Apostles had what we call “apostolic authority” over the church of all ages given to them by Jesus Himself.

In the following section we will look at five biblical criteria for an apostle that would make it impossible for anyone today to legitimately claim to be one.

5 biblical criteria for Apostles

Here are five reasons why the gift of apostleship was unique to the early church and why it is not something that can be experienced today:

(1) Eyewitness of the Resurrected Christ: An apostle had to be a physical eyewitness to the resurrected Christ. (Acts 1:22; 10:39–41; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–8).

(2) Direct Appointment by Christ: An apostle had to be personally appointed by the Lord Jesus Christ. (Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:2, 24; 10:41; Gal. 1:1).

(3) Validation through miracles: An apostle had to be able to authenticate His apostolic appointment with miraculous signs. (Matt. 10:1–2; Acts 1:5–8; 2:43; 4:33; 5:12; 8:14; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3–4).

(4) Unique Authority and foundational doctrine: the Apostles held a unique authority in the early Church, tasked with laying the foundation doctrines and practices (Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:42).

(5) Transition to Elders / Deacons: As the apostolic era concluded, the leadership of the Church transitioned to elders and deacons, reflecting a shift in structure and governance. Apostles established foundational teachings, after which local church leadership was entrusted to elders (overseers) and deacons, ensuring the continued growth and stability of the Church (1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5).

As we can see, there is a distinctive role for the apostles in the early Church, which according to many scholars, is not a continuing office but was specific to the church’s foundational period. The cessation of this role means a shift to a church governed by elders and deacons, rather than one based on ongoing direct divine appointments and miraculous signs.

Term apostle in the Bible

Being an apostle of Jesus meant being His representative / proxy. The apostle was someone on whom Christ had bestowed His authority.

It is true that the New Testament sometimes uses the term apostle to refer to “Apostles” or “Messengers” of the churches in a non-technical sense. It should not be confused with Christ’s choice of the twelve apostles, including Paul.

2 Corinthians 8:23 (NKJV)

If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

Some translations will include a footnote for the above word “messengers” to also mean “apostles.”

When referring to the Twelve apostles or Paul, apostolos carries a technical and unique meaning: those directly chosen and commissioned by Jesus Christ to lay the foundation of the Church, bear eyewitness testimony to His resurrection, and perform miraculous signs validating their divine authority (Luke 6:13, Acts 1:2, 2 Corinthians 12:12).

In contrast, the usage in 2 Corinthians 8:23 describes church-appointed messengers sent on specific missions, such as delivering aid or representing congregations. These individuals, while important, were not commissioned by Christ Himself, nor did they possess the foundational authority of the apostles.

To conflate these two uses would be an error. While the same root word (apostolos) is used, the distinction lies in its context:

• Technical sense: Apostles personally appointed by Christ (e.g., the Twelve and Paul) with unique authority.
• Non-technical sense: Church messengers or delegates, such as Titus, appointed for specific tasks.

This distinction underscores the uniqueness of the apostolic office, which ceased once its foundational purpose was fulfilled and should not be confused with the broader use of the term in a general sense.

The designation as an apostle, such as the twelve who were appointed by Christ, was a specific calling and a profound privilege. This was completely different from being merely a messenger sent by a local congregation.

To be an apostle of the Lord was to have been personally appointed by Him and was the highest possible position of authority in the Church.

Apostles seeking honor and pride

There have been no significant leaders in the history of the church such as Augustine, Athanasius, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, or Whitfield who have ever claimed the title of apostle.

If any in modern times wish to take on the title of apostle, they immediately raise suspicion that they may be motivated by an inappropriate desire for self exhalation. This is coupled with an excessive ambition for more authority in the church than anyone should have the right to.

Not only did the apostles hold the highest position of authority in Church history, they were also given an exclusive place of honor in eternity. The book of revelation records the walls of the city, with 12 foundation stones and on them were the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:14 (NKJV)

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Throughout eternity, these stones will commemorate God’s relationship with the Church, whose foundation was the apostles.

Further, Christians from the second century onward saw the Apostolic Period as an exclusive and unrepeatable office; no earthly church father claimed to have been an apostle. It is only in the 21st century that we are suddenly being told that apostles are reemerging in the church.