There have also been some endeavours to link gifts with
apostleship in such an inextricable way that the early
apostles were the only true bearers of gifts in a form which
was communicable to others. This of course would mean
that gifts would cease at the end of the ‘apostolic era’. This
phrase, ‘apostolic era’, is not a Biblical phrase but is
terminology used to describe the life period of the first
apostles who were, according to some cessationists, also
the last apostles, because it is claimed that the apostles
were necessarily those who had seen the resurrected Lord
Jesus Christ. This of course included Paul, who met the
risen Jesus on the road to Damascus.
Again, there are a number of difficulties with this theory,
not least of which is that the Bible does not support it. The
difficulties begin with how we define an ‘apostle’.
Apostles were not primarily people who bore witness to the
resurrection, but primarily men sent by God. 1 Corinthians
15 verses 6 to 8 tells us that, “Jesus, after appearing to
Peter and the brothers, then appeared to more than five
hundred of the brothers and then to the apostles.” The five
hundred did meet with the resurrected Jesus and yet they
are not counted as apostles. It could easily be asserted that
the first person to bear witness to the resurrection was
Mary Magdalene, who is neither mentioned as an apostle
nor a writer of Scripture. The one did not of necessity
follow the other, so it cannot be sensibly asserted that the
term apostle should apply only to those who saw Jesus, and
that only those who saw the risen Lord can be called
apostles. The term ‘apostle’ has a much broader meaning
than that.
Some have laid great store by the fact that Paul said in
verse 8, “And last of all he appeared also to me,”
emphasising that Paul is the last apostle and therefore also
the last bearer of the communicable gifts. Let us look
again at the Biblical facts here. Paul did not say that he
was the last bearer of the communicable gifts, or even the
last apostle. He said that he was the last to see the risen
Lord. As we have already discussed, the title ‘apostle’ and
the fact that Paul saw the risen Lord Jesus are not
necessarily linked. He then received the gift of the Holy
Spirit at the hand of a very average disciple. In Acts 9
verse 10, Ananias is referred to as disciple, not a gift
communicating apostle. In Acts 9 verse 17, this disciple,
who saw a vision in the Holy Spirit, laid hands on Paul, and
Paul received the Holy Spirit at his hand.
As though this were not enough, in Acts 10 verse 46, after
Paul’s conversion, Peter was preaching at Cornelius’ house
when the Holy Spirit fell on a Gentile congregation. Peter
said, “They have received the Holy Spirit, just as we did.”
Peter didn’t lay hands on them; he was preaching at the
time. The Holy Spirit Himself poured out over them. Is it
possible that Peter got it wrong and should not have taken
their experience as evidence? I submit that what Peter
saw, evidenced by speaking in tongues – something which
he too found hard to believe – was that the Holy Spirit was
being poured out on all, just as it had been on him. If they
received just as Peter did, was it not communicable? Why
did God do another outpouring rather than allow Peter to
lay his hands on them? In fact, since they were not apostles
or writers of the New Testament, why give them the Holy
Spirit at all?
Thayer’s Greek apostolos speaks of a delegate or member;
one sent forth with orders. To be an apostle, then, is to be
sent by God. In the case of Paul and some of those who
had been with Jesus from the beginning and seen him risen
from the dead, their apostleship was to take the totality of
the good news to the Jews and, in Paul’s case, to the
Gentiles also. Whilst this apostleship was specific, an
apostleship was not limited to the one message any more
than a postman is limited to one letter. If we look at
Mark’s gospel, chapter 3 verse 14, Jesus refers to the
“apostles, that they might be with Him and that He might
send them out and give them authority.” Jesus directly
links apostleship with being sent out and having authority.
At this time, Jesus had not died or risen and so these
apostles bore no witness to the resurrection.
Luke’s Gospel expands on this in chapter 9. In verse 1,
Jesus gives authority and power to the twelve.
(Presumably Judas Iscariot was counted as an apostle at
this time although he certainly never saw Jesus risen and
did not receive the Pentecostal Holy Spirit). Jesus sent out
the apostles to preach, heal the sick and cast out demons.
They were sent – apostles. They were given authority and
a commission; this was their apostleship. Verse 10 says
“When the apostles returned.” They already were apostles.
They didn’t have to wait for the resurrection, because an
apostle is one who is sent. In Luke chapter 10, the Lord
appointed others and sent them in the same manner,
thereby extending this apostleship beyond the twelve. He
anoints and appoints whom He wills.
Therefore, an apostle is sent and an apostleship is the
calling and message with which he is sent. The authority
and empowering of the Holy Spirit are to equip the one
who is sent for the fulfilment of that calling. Paul’s own
apostleship is described in Romans 1 verse 5, as being “to
call people from among all the Gentiles, to the obedience
which comes from faith.” There is no mention of
resurrection. His apostleship is linked to his call and his
message. Therefore, those who respond to God’s call and
go out with His message today could also be called
apostles.
In 2 Corinthians 12 verse 12, Paul shares with us that the
marks of an apostle are signs and wonders and miracles. If
apostles have not ceased, then it follows that neither have
callings nor gifts. In Acts chapter 13, we read how Paul
and Barnabas received an apostleship. In verse 1, Saul and
Barnabas are prophets or teachers or both, but not apostles.
In verse 2, the Holy Spirit asks for them to be set apart for
the work to which he has called them. Of course, in Acts
11 verse 22, Barnabas had previously been sent from
Jerusalem to Antioch (exapostello, sent forth). Barnabas is
the one who seeks out Saul in Damascus and brings him to
Antioch. Here both Saul and Barnabas have hands laid
upon them and are sent by the Holy Spirit. In Acts chapter
14, they are now referred to as apostles, called and sent by
the Holy Spirit, and bearing the new name of apostle.
Whilst I share a serious concern about some of those in the
Church who call themselves apostles, their presence in no
way negates the Word of God concerning apostles and
apostleship today. Such men as C T Studd and Hudson
Taylor, called and sent with a burning fire to deliver the
Word of God and with an empowering of the Holy Spirit
which fulfilled the Word of God in them, serve as
examples. Such a call and gifting is still available in the
Church.