What is an apostle?

Many years ago I served in the ministry and rode motorcycle with a friend who would come from the Mainland now and then to check up on churches he was overseeing.  He called himself, “Apostle John.”

You might have come across people who have used the apostle designation.  What do they mean? 

In the Bible, there are two kinds of apostles:

First, are apostles of Jesus Christ.

These are the original 13 – including Paul. Remember, there were twelve who followed Jesus.  One dropped out – Judas, and Matthias was chosen to take his place (Acts 1:24-26).  In the height of severe persecution, God reached down and chose Saul (who later had his name changed to Paul) and made him an apostle (Acts 9 and Gal. 1).

In order to be an apostle of Jesus Christ – i.e. one of the twelve -- there were some qualifications:  ²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms: “‘May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, “‘May another take his place of leadership.’ ²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection” – Acts 1:20-22.

Peter states what the qualifications were:  The person who was chosen to take the place of Judas had to be with Jesus from the time of His baptism to the time of Jesus’ ascension when he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). 

Therefore, based upon these qualifications – no one today can ever be rightly viewed as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The office of an apostle of Jesus Christ ceased to exist when the last apostle – that would be John, died on the island of Patmos at the age of 100, right around A.D. 98.  There is no such office as an apostle of Jesus Christ today.

But, there is another category of apostles mentioned in the Bible, and that is:

Second, Apostles of the Churches.

2 Corinthians 8:23:  “As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.”

See the word “representatives” in the above verse?  It comes from the word, “apostolos,” meaning, “apostle.” An apostle is a representative or messenger of someone.  A missionary who is called by God to plant churches can rightly be called an apostle or representative.

But notice carefully what they are representing:  “of the churches.”  Not an apostle “of Jesus Christ.”  That office died with John the apostle. But apostles (or representatives or messengers) “of the churches.”

This category of apostles – “of the churches” still exist today. These are men who are chosen to be placed as representatives or messengers of a church or group of churches.

So when someone comes along and says to you, “Aloha, my name is John. I am an apostle.”  Ask him, what kind of an apostle are you?  If he says, “I am an apostle of Jesus Christ,” then you say to him, “How can that be? For one to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, he had to witness the resurrection of Christ. You look mighty young to be that old.”  Then you can politely say out of respect, “I know what kind of an apostle you are.  You are a representative of a church or a group of churches that have chosen you.”