An apostle is someone who is sent out as a representative of another, often with a special message or purpose. The word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos which means “one who is sent out.” In the New Testament, there are two primary usages of the word apostle:
1) To refer to the twelve disciples that Jesus specifically chose and commissioned. These twelve disciples were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. Jesus chose these twelve to be his closest followers and students during his earthly ministry. After his resurrection, Jesus commissioned these disciples to go out into the world and spread the gospel.
2) To refer to other early Christian missionaries who helped spread the message of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul is the most notable example of an apostle who was not part of the twelve disciples. Paul refers to himself as an apostle, but distinguishes his apostleship from the twelve in 1 Corinthians 15:5-8. Other individuals such as Barnabas (Acts 14:14), Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25), and Silas (1 Thessalonians 2:6) are also referred to as apostles in the New Testament. These individuals helped advance the mission of the church in the decades following Jesus’s ministry on earth.
Some key characteristics of the New Testament apostles:
– They were directly chosen and commissioned by Jesus. The twelve disciples did not appoint themselves, but were specifically selected by Jesus at the start of his public ministry to be his followers and students (Mark 3:13-19). After his resurrection, Jesus again commissioned them to carry on his mission in the world (Matthew 28:16-20). The term apostle signifies their role as authorized messengers of Jesus Christ.
– They were eyewitnesses of Christ’s ministry and resurrection. Part of being an apostle meant you were a firsthand witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:21-22). The apostles could authoritatively testify to who Jesus was and what he taught.
– They were granted authority from Jesus to establish the church. Jesus gave the apostles unique authority to lead the early church, which included preaching, teaching, appointing leaders, and establishing doctrine and practices (Matthew 16:19, Acts 2:42). The church was “built on the foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20).
– They were enabled by the Holy Spirit. The apostles received the Holy Spirit in a special empowering way to equip them to preach the gospel with boldness and authenticate their message with miracles (Acts 2:1-4). The sign gifts associated with the apostles helped establish their divine authority.
– They planted and built up churches. The apostles did not just evangelize, they were also responsible for establishing local churches, appointing leadership, and nurturing these new Christian communities (Acts 14:23, Titus 1:5). They had a broad ministry mandate from Jesus to make disciples and encourage their growth in the faith.
– They wrote and inspired authoritative Scripture. Some of the New Testament books were written by apostles, like Matthew and John. Other books record their witness, like the book of Mark based on Peter’s testimony. The apostolic teaching was considered authoritative and binding for the early church (1 Corinthians 14:37).
So in summary, an apostle was someone specially commissioned by Jesus Christ to represent him through their eyewitness testimony of his resurrection, their groundbreaking ministry in the power of the Spirit, and their Christ-given authority to establish the foundational doctrines and practices of the early church. The qualifications and ministry of the apostles distinguish them from all other followers and leaders within Christianity.
There has been much debate over whether there are still apostles in the church today. Those who believe apostles exist today use the term differently than the New Testament, often to refer to missionary church planters or pioneering Christian leaders. Most Protestant evangelicals limit the apostolic office to the earliest generation of church history, since to be an apostle one had to be directly commissioned by the resurrected Christ and establish foundational biblical doctrine. The qualifications of eyewitnessing Christ and receiving revelation from him preclude later Christians from filling the apostolic role. There is only one historical “foundation of the apostles” (Ephesians 2:20) that the church is built upon.
While there are no exact modern equivalents to the first century apostles, all believers are called to participate in the apostolic mission of proclaiming the gospel message the apostles were commissioned to spread. All Christians are “sent ones” carrying forth the redemptive purposes of God into the world. But no individual today functions in the same authoritative manner as the original twelve disciples or Paul in establishing normative doctrine and practices for the church. The apostles fulfilled a historical role in founding and building up the early church that is unrepeatable.
There are several lists of the names of the twelve apostles in the New Testament (Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:16-19, Luke 6:13-16, Acts 1:13). By comparing these lists, we see some consistent details about this group Jesus chose:
– Peter is always listed first, highlighting his importance and leadership among the twelve. He is also referred to as Simon Peter or Cephas.
– The pairs of brothers – Peter and Andrew, James and John the sons of Zebedee – are always listed together.
– The twelve are divided into three subgroups of four people, and the first name listed in each subgroup is always the same: Peter, Philip, and James the son of Alphaeus. This may represent different internal groupings within the twelve.
– Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Jesus, is always listed last. The name Iscariot may indicate he was from the town of Kerioth. He was replaced in the apostolic office after his death by Matthias (Acts 1:26).
– Matthew and Thaddaeus are also referred to as Levi and Jude in different apostolic lists. Thomas is also called Didymus which means twin. So some of the twelve apostles had multiple names.
– All four Gospel writers – Matthew, John, Peter (Mark), and Paul (Luke) – were apostles, which gave their accounts eyewitness authority.
– Most of the twelve were common, ordinary men – fishermen, a tax collector – showing God’s choice of the humble to reveal his truth. They reflected wider Jewish society, with the exception of the inclusion of the zealot Simon, showing God’s diverse kingdom.
While each apostle has a unique story, some significant events shaped them collectively as a group during their three years following Jesus:
– Jesus called them from their fishing boats and tax booths with the directive, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). This commission began their journey.
– The twelve witnessed Jesus healings and miracles firsthand, experiences that no doubt shaped their faith.
– Jesus sent them out to preach, teach, and heal as his authoritative representatives (Mark 6:7-13). This built their apostolic ministry.
– They saw the risen Christ, an experience establishng their eyewitness authority (Acts 1:22).
– At Pentecost, they received the Spirit and miracles, equipping them for their ministry (Acts 2:1-4).
– The apostles led the early Jerusalem church, though persecution quickly scattered them further (Acts 8:1).
– Their apostolic commission sent them out across the ancient Mediterranean world to spread the gospel despite the threat of death. Tradition holds nearly all the apostles suffered martyrdom, with John being the lone exception.
While the twelve apostles faded from history, their eyewitness testimony remains through the inspired New Testament Scriptures. The church continues to be built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). The apostles continue to inspire new generations of Christians to participate in the apostolic mission of declaring the gospel to all people.
Though not part of the twelve, the apostle Paul is a central figure in the New Testament story. Here are some key facts about his background and apostolic ministry:
– Paul’s original Hebrew name was Saul. He was born around AD 5 in Tarsus, a major Roman city in Cilicia (modern Turkey).
– Paul was a Pharisee who studied in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, one of the most respected rabbis of the day (Acts 22:3). He became zealous for the Mosaic Law.
– Before his conversion, Paul persecuted the early Christians and was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58, 22:20).
– Paul’s dramatic conversion occurred on the road to Damascus around AD 35, when the risen Christ appeared to him (Acts 9, 22, 26).
– After this encounter with Jesus, Paul realized Jesus was the Messiah and began proclaiming him as the Son of God instead of persecuting Christ’s followers.
– Paul went to Arabia for a time before returning to Damascus and later Jerusalem to meet with Peter and James to confirm his gospel (Galatians 1:11-24).
– Paul undertook three major missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire: Cyprus, Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia, Asia Minor and possibly Spain. He established churches and appointed leaders (Acts 13-21).
– Paul wrote 13 New Testament books outlining theology and ethics for these churches. The letters are Romans, 1/2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1/2 Thessalonians, 1/2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon.
– As a former Pharisee, Paul linked the gospel to Israel’s messianic hopes and helped explain Christianity’s Jewish roots. As a Roman citizen from a Hellenistic city, he contextualized the faith for Gentiles.
– Paul was imprisoned multiple times by Roman authorities. Tradition holds he was martyred in Rome sometime between AD 64-68.
In his letters Paul asserts his apostolic authority and defends his ministry against detractors. He notes three key qualifications:
– Having seen the risen Christ and been appointed by him (1 Corinthians 9:1, 15:8-9)
– Performing “signs and wonders” through mighty works (2 Corinthians 12:12)
– Successful church planting and unselfishly serving new converts even amid hardship (1 Corinthians 9:1-2)
Paul is perhaps the most influential apostle because 14 books of the New Testament come from him, providing the theological framework for much of Christianity. Next to Jesus, no figure has shaped the faith more than the apostle Paul. His special calling as the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13) led him to adapt the gospel for non-Jewish cultures and spread the faith across the Mediterranean world.
The New Testament theology of apostleship gives us several implications for ministry today:
1) The office of apostle, in the strict sense, ceased with the first century. The qualifications of seeing the risen Jesus and establishing the foundation of the church limit apostleship to that era.
2) Yet in the general sense, the church has an ongoing apostolic mission – to preach the gospel and make disciples worldwide. All believers carry forth Jesus’ commission.
3) No leader today has the divine inspiration and authority over doctrine and Scripture that the apostles exercised in their time. Teachings must be evaluated against Scripture.
4) However, God does still gift certain individuals as pioneers to advance his mission into new environments or ministries. Missionaries, church planters, and innovative ministry leaders carry out the apostolic spiritual gift of groundbreaking ministry.
5) All believers should maintain the apostles’ devotion to evangelism, discipleship, holiness, and service even if they do not hold an office. The apostles’ teachings guide our practice of the Christian life.
6) The greatest way modern Christians carry out the apostolic calling is through a life of sacrificial service for the gospel. Are we willing to lose our lives for the sake of Christ and his mission?
The New Testament apostles became “living martyrs” who gave everything for the cause of Christ. While no modern Christians can replicate the apostles’ unique authority and Scriptural role, all can follow their passionate devotion to knowing Christ, living holy lives, and spreading the good news through selfless service. The highest calling is to live as an “apostolic Christian” empowered by the Spirit on mission with God.