Question:
Do apostles still exist in the church today, or did their office end with the original twelve?
Answer:
The question of whether apostles still exist in the church today is one that deserves careful consideration from the Scriptures. After all, the Bible plainly identifies apostles as among the gifts Christ gave to His church. Yet the apostles also occupied a unique position in establishing the New Testament church.
How, then, should we understand apostleship today?
The answer requires us to distinguish between the foundational office of an apostle and the gift or work of apostleship.
What is an apostle?
The word apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means one who is sent, or a messenger commissioned to represent another.
When Christ established His church, He personally appointed twelve apostles. Luke 6:13 tells us:
“And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;”
These men occupied a unique position in the church. They were personally commissioned by Christ to bear witness to His life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
When Judas was to be replaced, the qualifications were very specific. According to Acts 1:21–22, his replacement had to be someone who had accompanied Christ during His earthly ministry and was a witness of His resurrection.
Paul was an extraordinary case, having been personally called and commissioned by the risen Christ (Galatians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 9:1).
However, the term apostle was not limited exclusively to the Twelve. Barnabas, for example, is also called an apostle in Acts 14:14. Therefore, we must be careful not to apply the particular qualifications for replacing Judas to everyone Scripture identifies as an apostle.
This distinction becomes important when considering whether apostleship continues in the church today.
The foundational office of the apostles
The original apostles held a foundational position in the church. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 2:20:
“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;”
Notice that the apostles are identified with the foundation of the church.
A foundation is not something that continues to be laid over and over again. Once it has been established, the rest of the building is erected upon it.
These apostles were entrusted with establishing the doctrines and order of the New Testament church. Their testimony and teaching became part of the inspired record by which the church would be instructed throughout the generations (Acts 2:42; 2 Peter 3:2).
In this sense, the foundational office of an apostle was unique and temporary. Once that foundation had been established, there was no need for succeeding generations to lay it again.
Consequently, there is no biblical basis for men today claiming the same foundational authority as the apostles whom Christ appointed to establish His church. Neither is there a need for new apostles to establish doctrines beyond what God has already revealed in His Word.
But does this mean the gift and work of apostleship have ceased altogether?
I do not believe so.
The continuing work of apostleship
Consider what Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11–13:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:”
Clearly, Christ gave these gifts for the building up of His church, and that work is not yet finished.
Paul also tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:28 that God has set apostles, prophets, and teachers in the church.
However, we should not conclude that every office mentioned in these passages must continue in precisely the same form throughout every generation.
The foundational ministry of the apostles continues to benefit the church through their inspired testimony and teaching, while the missionary work associated with apostleship continues through those whom God sends into the world.
Consider the work of the apostles.
They carried the gospel into territories where Christ was not known. They preached salvation, gathered believers, established congregations, instructed converts, and helped organize churches (Acts 13:2–3; 14:21–23).
That work has certainly not ended.
Even today, God calls and sends individuals into new territories to proclaim the gospel, establish congregations, and strengthen the church. Missionaries and gospel workers who engage in this pioneering work are carrying out a ministry that is apostolic in its nature.
This does not make them apostles in the same foundational sense as those appointed by Christ. Rather, it means that the work associated with apostleship continues as the gospel advances throughout the world.
Therefore, the foundational apostolic office has ceased, but the apostolic work continues.
The distinction is not that the church no longer needs the ministry associated with apostleship. Rather, it no longer needs men who exercise the unique authority given to the apostles in laying its foundation.
What about those who claim to be apostles today?
There is another consideration that should not be overlooked.
We must be careful about individuals claiming the title of apostle today, particularly when that title is used to assert authority over the church that belongs to Christ and His Word alone.
No individual, regardless of title, possesses authority to establish doctrines contrary to Scripture or to demand unquestioning submission from God’s people.
The true test of any ministry is not the title its leader assumes, but whether its teachings and practices agree with the Word of God.
Isaiah 8:20 provides the standard:
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”
The church does not need another foundation. It already has one, with Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.
What the church does need are faithful men and women who will carry forward the work Christ entrusted to His people, proclaiming the everlasting gospel, making disciples, and establishing believers in the truth.
Conclusion
So, are there still apostles in the church today?
The answer depends upon what is meant by the term.
If we are speaking of individuals who possess the same foundational office and authority as the apostles who established the New Testament church, the answer is no. That work was unique and is not repeated with each succeeding generation.
However, if we are speaking of the missionary function associated with apostleship—being sent to proclaim the gospel, enter new fields, establish congregations, and build up the body of Christ—then that work most certainly continues.
The office was foundational, but the mission continues.
And that mission will not be finished until the gospel has gone into all the world and Christ returns.
