Are Apostles for Today?

Did the office of apostle end with the twelve disciples of Jesus?  Is Ephesians 4:11 (which mentions the ministry of apostle) for today? What is an apostle?

Merriam-Webster defines apostle as “one sent on a mission”  It comes from the Greek word, apostolos. The Latin words relate to the idea of being sent, missio and mittere, are where we get the words mission and missionary.

A good example is found in Matthew 10:1-5 “¹And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
²Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
³Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
⁴Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
⁵These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

Notice that in verse 1 Jesus calls his “twelve disciples” to him, but in verse 2, after they have been given their mission, they are “the twelve apostles”

Another example is Acts 13 1-3 “¹Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
³And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”


In this passage, Saul (Paul) and Barnabas are sent out on Paul’s first missionary journey.  They are not chosen for this work by the Christians but by The Holy Spirit.  They become apostles, chosen by God, to go out and start churches in other lands.

Does God call people today to go out and begin churches?  Does God give gifts to believers to not just spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, but to help found groups of believers in a community where together they can learn and grow?  Of course He does.

These modern-day  apostles could be going to foreign lands as missionaries helping to translate the Bible into other languages and helping to establish churches in the jungles of Vanuatu.  They could be people called by God to create a new church here in our own country.  No matter where God calls an apostle to go, an apostle knows the necessary strategies for planting churches.

Note: The picture is of a missionary family who are taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to jungle tribes in Vanuatu.  They will be living with former cannibals, learning their language, translating the Bible into their language, preaching the gospel and establishing a church.  To read more about them click “HERE.”   

To read about other Five Fold Ministires:

Prophet
Evangelist
Pastor
Teachers

This post is based upon the book "Viral Jesus" by Ross Rohde 

Photo Credit: Richards’ Family by Houghton Richards