Are there apostles today?


There is a heated debate in Latin American churches about the continued existence of apostles.   This matter has been taken up in Ayuda Pastoral.

How should Christians view claims to contemporary apostleship?

A biblical perspective on the issue indicates the following:

The word "apostle" means  someone sent.  The Greek noun "apostolos" comes from the verb to send.  So as a "sent one" every believer is an apostle:  " no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger ("apostolos") greater than the one who sent him. (Joh 13:16 cf.  Heb.  13:1).

In a general sense an apostle is a gospel messenger.    The mission of the "apostolos" in the New Testament is to take the gospel message.  "as for our brothers, they are representatives ("apostolos") of the churches and an honour to Christ" (2Co 8:23).    To emphasize this,  the apostle is sometimes connected with the prophet:  "I will send them prophets and apostles" (Luk 11:49 cf. Rom 1:5).

In a special sense an apostle was one of the 12.  There was a particular group that Christ chose to start the primitive church which he called apostles.   After praying all night Jesus "called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles" (Luk 6:13).  Paul was later also to receive this title (Rom.  1:1).

The apostolic message is the foundation of the church.  The 12 had authority because they helped to establish the teaching and practice of Jesus.  By means of their message many were converted and the church was:  "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone"  (Eph.  2:20). In a connected way,  the New Testament was written by those who were apostles or their companions.

Thus the biblical sense of contemporary apostles exists in:

·         the missionary activity of every Christian

·         the message of the New Testament

·         the doctrine and practice of the church of Christ

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