Duration
The first question we must
answer is, are Apostles for today? One devastating tactic of deception
the enemy uses against the advancement of the Church has been to communicate a
misconception that Apostles were not intended to operate beyond the first
century. Some in the redeemed community assume the ministry of Apostles ceased
along with the writing of the Gospel and Epistle. They fail to differentiate
between the original apostolic function represented in the twelve and the
perennial apostolic function. The result is the Church is denied the benefits
of an essential apostolic ministry, making it very ineffective.
This complex,
subtle, intellectual, and demonic argument has been erected against this valid
biblical Office, despite the clear teaching of Scripture. Reflecting on this
position, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer wrote: "The service of those designated here (in Ephesians 4:11) as apostle
evidently ceased with the first generation of the Church, for no such qualified
ministry is to be recognized in the Church today."[1]
Others contend the
functional role of the apostle has always remained in the Church. Alan R.
Tippett writes: The word apostle is not confined to the twelve. For example,
Barnabas was called an Apostle (Acts 14:14), having been called and sent (Acts
13:2-3). Here the sender is the Holy Spirit acting through the church. It would
seem from such references as Romans 16:7 and Ephesians 4:11 that YAHVEH
intended the functional role of apostleship to continue in the Church.[2]
The question of the potential
function of the Apostle can only be answered by examining the Bible. It is
evident that the twelve Apostles hold a unique and authoritative position in
the Kingdom. The existence of apostles beyond the number of the twelve in the
New Testament is equally clear. Paul was one of them and, as we have already
seen, Scripture provides a list of others that are called apostles. The
confusion between the twelve apostles and the other apostles in the New Epistle
has fueled the error of believing that the office has ceased.
Peter Wagner wrote that,
"The biblical evidence strongly supports the continuity of the gift of
apostle. The original twelve apostles have a unique place in Redeemed history
and they will be commemorated permanently in the New Jerusalem (Revelation
21:14), but they were not the only apostles. First Corinthians 15 mentions that
after the resurrection Yahushua appeared to the twelve and then also to all the
apostles, indicating that there were apostles other than the twelve, (I
Corinthians 15:5,7). Furthermore, the warnings against false apostles would be
nonsense if Apostles were limited to the twelve (I Corinthians 11:13;
Revelation 2:2). He also notes, through the ages as well as today, many of YAH’S
gifted servants have been and are true Apostles."
Three additional compelling
reasons for the existence of apostles today must be considered:
·
We
need their foundational ministry more than ever. It is hard to imagine how the
Church can expand and influence the world apart from Spirit-empowered people
who can match the work of the first apostolic movement. Every building that has
been built has a foundation. Apostles is a foundational ministry so they are
greatly needed in the Church today, by destroying the foundation the rest of
the building will not be able to stand the stormy onslaught of the evil one.
·
Scripture
never indicates that the office of the apostle would cease. They are not
perceived in Scripture as spiritual dinosaurs who were meant to become extinct
in some kind of preordained spiritual ice age. Not a single verse can be
reasonably construed to suggest that apostles were temporary.
·
The
Bible teaches that they will function perennially. This is, of course, the most
compelling argument to validating a present-day apostolic function. Paul states
that Apostles will continue to perform in the plan of YAHVEH until we all come
to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of YAHVEH, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of The Messiyah
(Ephesians 4; 13). That word “until” is important. Clearly the Church has not
yet arrived at that place of perfection and maturity. The Apostle must remain
an enduring integral part to function as an office and as an essential part of
the Body of The Messiyah until that objective is achieved.
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