Why Apostles Today?

To start this series, David begins with the biblical foundation on why Apostles today? Exploring what is Apostolic ministry and how it is valid today.  

FOUNDATIONAL APOSTOLIC MINISTRY TODAY  |  Session 1 -  Why Apostles Today?

1/ Introduction

• • I believe that all 5 of the Ephesians 4 ministries, apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher are valid and important for the church today. In the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches this has been accepted for many years now. In the missions world similarly many (but not all) would accept the apostolic nature of pioneer church planting e.g. 
  • A Vision of the Possible – Pioneer Church Planting in Teams – Daniel Sinclair
  • However, in stressing Ephesians 4 ministries we must not overlook the fact that the main point of Ephesians 4 is the proper functioning of the church in unity and maturity with each person functioning according to the gifts of grace given to them.

2/ Biblical Foundation

• • Scriptures:
    • Eph 2:19-22.
    • Eph 4:11-16.
  • Key verse of Paul’s apostolic mission: Rom 1:5  – main features and call for us as well as Paul:
    • For His names sake – to bring glory to God everywhere
    • Grace – understanding the origin of both our calling and our ongoing service
    • Apostleship – sent with authority and gifting on our mission
    • Among all the nations (gentiles), a worldwide call (including those totally unreached).
  • Reaching the totally unreached is a very important part of apostolic ministry – in Paul’s case it was a major motivation, Romans 15 : 20-21.

3/ Is Apostolic Ministry Still Valid Today?

• • In my book I summarise different views on spiritual gifts particularly apostleship:
    • Most of the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in the New Testament ceased after the first century, including the gift of the apostle.
    • The apostles were a very small group of people, comprising the twelve and the apostle Paul.  (Some have even argued that the original eleven got it wrong in Acts 1 when they appointed Matthias, and should have waited for Paul.)
    • There were many more apostles in the time of the New Testament, and most spiritual gifts continue today, but not the gift or office of the apostle.
    • All the gifts of the Holy Spirit in New Testament times continue today, including the gift of the apostle.

• • In the New Testament, others are called apostles and not just the twelve plus Paul and this is:
    • Andronicus and Junias.
    • Apollos.
    • Barnabas.
    • Epaphroditus (though this reference is usually translated ‘messenger’, a point that we will examine later).
    • James - the half-brother of Jesus.
    • Silas.
    • Timothy.

• • Not all of these had seen the risen Lord – “Can anything be said in our day about ‘apostles’?  Given the two criteria expressed here [seeing the risen Christ and having effectively planted churches], one would have to allow that apostles do not exist in the sense that Paul defines his own ministry.  But it should also be noted that this might be too narrow a view, based strictly on Paul’s personal experience.  His more functional understanding of apostleship would certainly have its modern counterpart in those who found and lead churches in unevangelized areas.  Only when ‘apostle’ is used in a non-Pauline sense of ‘guarantors of the traditions’ would usage be narrowed to the first century.”  Gordon Fee.

• • The issue has come to the fore in recent years:
    • In the 1980’s the Restoration movement in the UK and elsewhere.  This meant 2 things:
      • Restoring the church to New Testament practices – hence all the gifts of the Holy Spirit including Ephesians 4 ministries and therefore the gift of the apostle.
      • Restoration of Biblical promises for the church and the Kingdom – for Christ ruling through His church and its effect being felt into the world until the time when all things are restored (Acts 3:21 – This will be fully accomplished when Jesus returns).
    • The new apostolic reformation – observed by Peter Wagner how new networks of churches were run on a relational basis recognising apostolic leadership.  These were very valid observations but the danger was that it became a new status with certificates of apostleship being given out which doesn’t quite fit with the style adopted by families of churches in the UK and elsewhere.
    • The restoration style itself was in danger at one time of becoming simply “covering” rather than energy for world mission which could then become controlling.  Others use that term in a non-controlling way as expressing accountability of local pastors.
    • There are now different views particularly within the “missions world”. 
      • At one time, in common with evangelicalism generally, there was no recognition of the apostolic gift as continuing today.  Some missionary pioneers were referred to as ‘apostles’ to country x in biographies after they died, but otherwise there was very little use of the term.
      • More recently the term has been widely used in some organisations to describe all those involved in leading church planting teams – explain why I don’t believe every church planter is an apostle- give examples from Samaria.
    • Fresh expressions of church life – recognising the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4 e.g. Mike Breen, Alan Hirsch – missional church context.  Seeing the five-fold more broadly than offices of leadership – e.g. Eddy Leo – foundation of motivation in a church’s small groups.

• • Danger of hierarchies and titles.

• • That is not the apostle Paul’s description of apostolic ministry.   
    • 1 Cor 4:9-13.
    • One of the problems today is that the word “apostle” is used in all sorts of contexts:
      • Titles to show an exalted Christian leadership position – used to just see “pastor” or “evangelist” or “bishop”.
      • Self-appointment and lack of credibility.  Therefore, lack of accountability.
    • I believe it is a function, not a title.

• • Why I believe apostolic ministry is for today.  Just briefly – there is a fully theological outline of this in my book:
    • As already stated in the New Testament, it was not only the 12 plus Paul that were referred to as apostles but others (some of whom could not have been witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus like the 12) e.g. Silas, Barnabas, Timothy, Apollos, Andronicus and Junias etc.
    • All Eph 4:11 ministries are given to equip the church until it reaches unity and maturity according to Ephesians 4:13, “This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”  Has that happened yet?  No.  Indeed it is needed in every generation.
    • If the church doesn’t have apostles (those called, commissioned and empowered by God to take a fatherly role within the church and leading and encouraging world mission), you have to invent their equivalent!  Different names are given according to different denominational traditions or become leaders of para church organisations.  Why not use the Biblical terminology for leaders of the church rather than invent others? It is a missional function rather than primarily pastoral, organisational or “diocesan”.

4/ What Is Apostolic Ministry?

• • What Apostolic Ministry is not necessarily:
    • Head of a large missionary organisation.
    • Leader of a big church – they may be apostolic but often they are prophetic or a pastor/teacher gift of a very high capacity.
    • Head of a network of churches – they simply could have been elected to it.
    • A title for a successful healing/evangelistic ministry.

• • What Apostolic Ministry is then:
    • The word 'apostle' simply means 'sent one'.  It implied the meaning of power being conferred on someone to perform a task.  It later came to have a specialised sense of a naval expedition sent on foreign service.  The naming of the twelve as 'apostles' during the ministry of Jesus fits that understanding of the word; they were sent out to represent the one sending them, with his authority do specific things.  They may have different gift mixes; the essential thing is that they are 'sent'.  Paul refers to his own gift mix in 2 Tim 1:11. They shared a commission rather than a gifting.  Nevertheless they would need the gifts and wisdom necessary to do the function that apostles undertook in the New Testament.
    • There are three "types" of apostles in the New Testament:-
      • Jesus Christ himself
      • The apostles of the resurrection - the twelve – unique
      • Those gifts of the ascended Christ sent out by the churches.

• • In a sense Paul straddles the last two categories. Also, this is set out in my book: Fathering Leaders, Motivating Mission.

© David Devenish

Why Apostles Today? - Foundational Apostolic Ministry Today - Broadcast - July 2021