Are There Modern Day Apostles?

Are there modern-day apostles? This is a very important question because of the seriousness of the consequences if they do, in fact, exist. So we will seek to define Scripturally what an Apostle is, how he is qualified, if there are any qualified individuals living today, and if there is a need for this office for the New Testament church to be faithful to the Biblical pattern. 

What is an Apostle?

There are some in the religions of the world that claim that they are apostles. Some religions believe in what is called “Apostolic Succession” (i.e. Roman Catholicism, Mormonism, et al). So what does the Scripture say regarding such a claim? To begin with, we must define our terms. The term apostle (apostolos) means in the original Koine Greek “one sent, or one commissioned.” In a general sense, we understand our obligation of the great commission that is given to Christians (see Mark 16:15-16; Matt 28:18-20). We are sent out to teach, baptize, and teach more. Is this the same as the apostles of our Lord that we find in the New Testament? No, it is not the same, however, this term is used with specificity to a first-century office. So, for clarity we will reference those that held the first-century office of Apostle (i.e. John, Peter, Paul, Thomas, etc.) with a capital “a”. 

Why a Replacement for Judas was Needed

In the first chapter of Acts, after the Lord had ascended, the Apostles of our Lord are named as being together in Jerusalem as they awaited the promise of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:8; 12-14). As they waited, Peter stood up and explained that there was a need for a replacement Apostle after the falling away of Judas. Peter made the application from Psalm 69:8 of the need for the office to be given to another. The word used by Luke is episkopēn, which means overseeing. The function of the Apostle will be to oversee the transmission of the Gospel to the hearers by the power of the Holy Spirit and carry out the mission they were sent to fulfill by the building of the Lord’s church on the foundations of the Apostles and prophets with Christ being the chief cornerstone (see Eph 2:20).

Qualifications and Paul

The most important question we must ask concerning the Apostles is, what qualifies one to be an Apostle? Today we look at the qualifications of two offices that remain in the New Testament church, those of elders and deacons. We are right to hold those men to the Biblical standard as is written in Timothy and Titus. Similarly, we must look to the Biblical record to find out what an Apostle is. Two such qualifications are set in Acts 1:21-22, 

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. 

First, the one selected must have been with Jesus, and the other eleven from the time of John the Immerser’s baptism to the time the Lord ascended. He must also be a witness of the resurrection. The one exception to this is the case of Paul. Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 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. (emphasis mine). 

From the passage, we find that Paul does meet the latter of the two qualifications to be an Apostle in Acts 1, but not the first. When we look at the Scripture, we find a special purpose for Paul to be a messenger to the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel (Acts 9:15). God qualified Paul specifically for that purpose. His Apostleship is confirmed throughout the New Testament, including a formidable defense in 2 Corinthians. Paul was not a lesser Apostle than any of the others, but one who, with great humility, understood his task as a slave of Christ. There was evidence to His Apostleship as noted in 2 Cor 12:11-12, 

I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent Apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an Apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. (emphasis mine)

In the Scripture, we do not see the pattern in Acts 1 being carried out thereafter. In Acts 1, Matthias is selected to replace Judas right before the day of Pentecost. However, as the twelve die, first starting with James the brother of John (see Acts 12:2), we have no record of anyone taking his place, nor an additional special selection by the Lord, save Paul. It is highly likely that at that time there were still those among the brethren who had walked with Jesus at this time and had witnessed His resurrection. Thus, it was not a lack of qualified individuals; it was a lack of purpose in the will of God to do such.  We must therefore conclude that no man, despite his claim, can hold this office because he is simply unqualified. 

An Office No Longer Needed

If there is no record of Apostolic succession, then we must conclude that after the death of the Apostles, there was no longer any need for the office. The Apostles of our Lord had a particular purpose in their ministry. They would receive the Holy Spirit and deliver the truth of the Word of God to man. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help them accomplish their ministry. It is written, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:13).  They would be able to pass on the miraculous gifts exclusively to those who received them (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:14-17). Are those not the signs of an Apostle that Jesus and Paul referred to in Mark 16:15-20 and 2 Corinthians 12:11-12? 

The church of Christ no longer has a need for the office of Apostle because the Word has been delivered once for all unto the saints (Jude 3, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, 2 Peter 1:2-4). There is certainly no one that is 2000 years old living today. Thus, one must conclude that there is no such thing as “Apostolic Succession” taught in the Scripture, and thus, no man can call himself an Apostle. We do have the Word of the Apostles our Lord selected, and we can learn and apply it in all that we do.