Mark L. Dawes | Apostles among us?

IT IS quite noticeable that a number of clergy persons, local and foreign, have the title ‘apostle’. I would respectfully like to know the basis on which those titles are ascribed to contemporary clergy.

My inductive reading of the New Testament has caused me to form the view that apostles – in the sense of Peter, James, John and Paul – do not exist today.

Also, I have been influenced largely by the arguments advanced in chapter 5 of Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship by John F. MacArthur. My arguments in this article are largely drawn from the above-mentioned book.

In the New Testament, there are at least three criteria for anyone to be described as an apostle.

The three essential criteria are:

(1) Being a physical eyewitness of the resurrected Christ;

(2) Being personally appointed by Jesus Christ; and

(3) Being able to authenticate apostolic calling with miraculous signs.

Let us look in a bit more detail on these three mentioned criteria.

1. BEING A PHYSICAL EYEWITNESS OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST

An apostle had to have seen the risen Jesus with their own eyes. Acts 1:21-22 states, regarding Judas’ replacement: “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

The Apostle Peter emphasised this in Acts 10:40–41: “Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.”

The Apostle Paul defended his apostleship in 1 Corinthians 9:1 asking, “Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?” and in 1 Corinthians 15:7–8, he said, “After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.”

It seems to me that claims of visions or dreams do not meet this criterion. One must have seen with one’s naked eyes, the resurrected Jesus Christ as a prerequisite to becoming an apostle.

2. PERSONAL APPOINTMENT BY JESUS CHRIST

Apostles were directly chosen by Jesus.

Mark 3:14 records, “Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.”

Luke 6:13 confirms, “He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.”

Acts 1:2 speaks of “the apostles whom He had chosen”, and Acts 1:24 shows the disciples praying for God’s choice of Judas’ replacement: “ You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.”

The Apostle Paul asserted his divine appointment to the office of apostle in Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead).”

It seems to me that no modern individual can claim a personal, direct appointment by Jesus.

3. AUTHENTICATION THROUGH MIRACULOUS SIGNS

Apostles authenticated their calling with miraculous signs.

Matthew 10:1–2 states, “He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”

Acts 2:43 says, “Many wonders and signs were done through the apostles,” and Acts 5:12 adds, “Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.”

The Apostle Paul affirmed in 2 Corinthians 12:12, “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.”

Hebrews 2:3-4 connects apostolic miracles to the Gospel’s confirmation: “God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.”

It seems to me that modern claims to apostolic miracles lack the scope and verifiability of first-century signs (e.g., Acts 3:3–11; 9:36–42).

Let us say a few things about the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul met all three criteria but described his apostleship as unique. In 1 Corinthians 15:5-9, he listed Christ’s appearances, concluding, “Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

Paul’s statement that he was the “last” to see the risen Christ (verse 8) precludes anyone after him from claiming apostleship. His description as “one born out of due time” (verse 8) and “least of the apostles” (verse 9) underscores the extraordinary nature of his calling – and as such, Paul’s call to apostleship was not intended to be a model for others.

Apostles enjoyed unique authority. Apostles were Christ’s authorised representatives, holding unparalleled authority in the early Church. Jesus promised the apostles the Holy Spirit to reveal truth (John 14:26; 16:12–15), and their teachings carried divine weight. Their authority was crucial for the acceptance of the 66 books that form the Bible. The books written by apostles, or under their oversight, were recognised as Holy Scripture.

If there are modern apostles – in the biblical sense – then what is to stop such persons from adding to the 66 books that now form the Bible. And if modern apostles cannot add to the Bible – then their apostleship lacks legitimacy.

It should be noted, as per Ephesians 2:19-20, that apostles (and prophets) laid the foundation of the Christian Church.

Ephesians 2:19-20 states, “You are… members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”

This implies apostleship was limited to the Church’s foundational stage. A foundation is laid once, not repeatedly. Early Church fathers, like Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 35-115) in his Epistle to the Magnesians, spoke of apostles like Peter and Paul in the past tense, indicating the apostolic age ended in the first century.

The New Testament prescribes elders and deacons, not new apostles, for church leadership. The Apostle Peter instructed elders to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), and Paul directed Titus to “appoint elders in every city” (Titus 1:5).

When the Apostle Paul charged Timothy to entrust teachings “to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2), this presupposed ongoing church leadership by non-apostolic figures. Early Church fathers, such as Augustine and Chrysostom seemed to have confirmed the end of the apostolic age. They viewed themselves as disciples of the apostles, not apostles.

It should be noted that apostles will be honoured in eternity. Revelation 21:14 describes the New Jerusalem: “The wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” This eternal honour underscores the apostles’ unique role. I hardly think that those who claim to be modern apostles would be included in the foundation stones on the city wall of the New Jerusalem. This, to me, is further evidence of the exclusivity of first-century apostleship.

CONCLUSION

It seems to me that the biblical criteria for apostleship of eyewitness testimony of the risen Christ, personal appointment by Jesus, and miraculous signs cannot be met today.

The Apostle Paul’s unique calling as the last apostle, the apostles’ foundational role, and the transition to elder-led churches seem to confirm that apostleship ceased after the first century.

I am yet to learn of biblical support for contemporary claims of apostleship. That is why I have penned this article with the hope that those who wear the title ‘apostle’ may share with me the biblical basis for such. I hope some of the modern apostles will kindly respond to this earnest plea.

Mark L. Dawes is a former religion reporter and now an ordained minister in evangelical church. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.