The office of the apostle
Ephesians 4:11-16 - And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The apostolic ministry is one of the five perfecting ministries God gave to men so that Christians may come to spiritual maturity. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors are the governing body of the church. The office or ministry of the apostle falls into this category.
Apostles are given to help train and equip God’s people and to bring them to maturity.
They are to prepare the saints for works of ministry and to teach them how to build up the body of Christ. The purpose is to bring the church into unity of the faith so that the body of Christ can grow into the full measure of Christ Himself.
This is also true for the other four ministry offices that have been given to the church.
a. Definition
The word “apostle” comes from the Greek word “apostlos” which means "one who is sent". It is applied to a messenger, ambassador, or a delegate who is sent with authority on a mission and faithfully represents the purposes and intentions of the sender.
Apostles have the divine ability to start and oversee the development of new churches or ministry structures and to exercise general leadership or oversight over a number of churches with an authority in spiritual matters, which is readily recognized.
It is the gift whereby the Spirit appoints certain Christians to lead, inspire, and develop churches by the proclamation and teaching of true doctrine.
b. Their function
The nature and work of their office is best described by the commission which Jesus gave them when He was on earth.
Mark 16:15-17 - And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.
Acts 1:8 - But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
The office of the apostle is only given to certain individuals who God anoints with supernatural enablement to minister.
A person cannot simply study to be an evangelist and no one can teach someone to be an evangelist. You cannot choose to be an evangelist and they are not trained in the religious schools of man, nor are they raised up from among the leadership of the organized church.
Apostle set up churches and church leaderships in cities, countries, and nations. Their main gifts are found in their ability to lead, organize, develop, build, and expand. They strengthen local churches, pioneer churches, facilitate the ministries of others and often perform signs and wonders.
Apostles set standards for the church but are not subject to the hierarchy of church leadership. However, the primary nature of their work is always spiritual.
c. Apostles in the New Testament
In the early days of the church, the apostles served as the primary means of inspired communication and direction from the Lord to His people. Paul and Barnabas then went through Asia Minor establishing new churches. Once they had been sent out, Luke referred to Paul and Barnabas as apostles.
Some apostles mentioned in the New Testament are:
* The twelve disciples
* The seventy (Luke 10:1-3)
* Matthias (Acts 1:26)
* James, the Lord's brother (Galatians 1:19)
* Paul (Acts 14:14; Romans 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, etc.)
* Barnabas (Acts 14:4 & 14; 1 Corinthians 9:5-6)
* Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:6-9)
* Andronicus (Romans 16:7)
* Junia (Romans 16:7)
* Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25)
* Titus (2 Corinthians 8:23)
* Timothy (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:6)
* Silas (1 Thessalonians1:1, 2:6)
d. Marks of a true apostle
The church today is in desperate need of strong, inspired, visionary leadership to help win the world for Christ. God is restoring all the ministry gifts of the New Testament, including the gift of apostle and we must beware of those who do not fulfill the standards of a true apostle.
The apostolic movement has emerged in the global church and carries a special anointing to mobilize the church to achieve its mission. Many conform to the mandate set out in Scripture.
But much as we need apostles, we also need to be cautious of those who call themselves apostles, but who are actually false prophets.
Revelation 2:2 - I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.
2 Corinthians 11:13 - For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
Paul makes a powerful case for his own apostleship which can become a sound foundation for how we build apostolic ministries today. These characteristics can help the leadership in the local church recognize the gift and encourage the ministry.
Some of these characteristics are:
* Revelation of Jesus Christ - Galatians 1:12; 15-16
* Love and intimacy towards God - Philippians 3:8-10
* A spirit of humility - Titus 3:1-2
* Not greedy for money - 2 Corinthians 12:14 & 1 Thessalonians 2:5
* Support themselves - 1 Corinthians 4:12
* Not men pleasers - 1 Thessalonians 2:4
* Gentle and loving - 1 Thessalonians 2:7 & 2 Corinthians 11:11
* Did not seek their own glory - 1 Thessalonians 2:6
* Persevering in affliction and hardship - Romans 12:12
* Miracles, signs, and wonders in evidence - Matthew 10:1 & 2 Corinthians 12:12
* Passionate about holiness - 1 Thessalonians 3:13
* Passionate about the Gospel - 1 Corinthians 9:16
* Concerned for the churches - 2 Corinthians 11:2-3
* Church planting - 1 Corinthians 9:2
* Spiritual fatherhood - 1 Corinthians 4:15
* Spiritual authority - 1 Corinthians 7:12
* Boldness - Philippians 1:20
* Christ-like character - Galatians 5:22-25
* Passion for prayer - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 & 1 Corinthians 14:18
Foundational ministries
Ephesians 2:20-22 - Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
The apostles and prophets are the two foundational ministries in the body of Christ.
Jesus revealed Himself to be the cornerstone of the church and continues to build it through His apostles and prophets.
1 Corinthians 12:28 - And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets…
Apostles are the first and prophets are second among the ministries in building the church of God because they lay a foundation of understanding concerning the mystery of Christ.
Unfortunately, these are the two ministries that are least recognized in the church today. God is bringing order back to His church and is fully restoring the ministry of the apostles and prophets.
Without the ministry of apostles and prophets the revelation of the blueprint necessary for the building is incomplete.
The prophet works closely with the apostle as they lay a foundation and bring strength and order to the body of Christ. God has given His grace to apostles and prophets to receive a revelation of His mysteries and to reveal them to the body.
When we look at the current state of the church, it is clear that it needs to make significant foundational shifts and changes. It is evident that the ministry gifts of the pastors, evangelists, prophets, and teachers are active in the church today. When we make a comparison of where the church should be headed in terms of its maturity and unity, the office of the apostle has not been fully restored to the church. The bride of Christ can only prepare for the Bridegroom once all five of these anointing are fully active.
