The Truth about the Office of Apostleship

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BASICS: [ETYMOLOGY: Old English apostol, from Church Latin apostolus, from Greek apostolos a messenger, from apostellein to send forth] According to Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary, an apostle is defined as: 1. "one sent on a mission as: (a) one of an authoritative New Testament group sent out to preach the gospel and made up especially of Christ's 12 original disciples and Paul, and (b)the first prominent Christian missionary to a region or group." 2. "one who initiates a great moral reform or who first advocates an important belief or system." 3. "the highest ecclesiastical official in some church organizations". APOSTLESHIP IS AN OFFICE Romans 11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: The following are the reasons of some of the so called “preachers of the Gospel” that office of Apostleship has ended. 1.) A person is considered to be an apostle if he is there during the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They based it on Acts 1:22; but the truth is, this verse does not implicate that if a person see the resurrection of Christ they will become an apostle. This is only a particular event for a particular status of a person taken away in the ministry like Jude (Acts 1:25). In fact when the 12 Apostle were called Jesus is not yet resurrected because obviously He is with them during that time. The true basis of apostleship is by the calling and gifts of the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:2 2.) According to them the gifts of apostleship was ended basing this on I Corinthians 13:10. New American Standard Version “ But when the perfect comes the partial will be done away.” It is only about to finish, not yet finish. But when it will happen? When Christ come; so now, disciples were teach and strengthen by them who has the gifts of the Holy Spirit headed by the apostle. Ephesians 4:11-12 , Colossians 1:18. When Church still exist, there is also a complete gifts of the Holy Spirit headed by an apostle. “ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable,” (Romans 11:29-NASV) 3.) Apostle Paul is the last apostle according to them, I Corinthians 4:9 - their teachings about this verse is out of context. Let us see the meaning of last in I Corinthian 4:9 in Bible dictionary. ESCHATOS – with reference to a place - the extreme, most remote; with reference to time – the last, the final and decisible judgment; with reference to person – the lowest (Matthew 9:35, John 8:9, I Corinthians 4:9) Demoting moral lowness (Matthew 19:30, 20:16, Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). The Hebrew – Greek Key Study Bible – Lexical Aids to New Testament, p 1835, Spiros Zodhiates TH.D). To prove that Paul is not the last apostle let’s enumerate apostles other than him: Acts 14:14: - Barnabas Galatians 1:19 – James, brother of Jesus. According to Bible Dictionary: “ The word has also a wider reference. In Acts 14:4, 14; it is used of Barnabas as well as Paul; in Romans 16:7 Andronicus and Junias. In II Corinthians 8:23 (R.V. margin) two named brethren are called ‘apostle of Churches’ in Philippians 2:35 (R.V. margin). Epaphroditus is referred to as ‘your apostle’. It is used in I Thessalonians 2:6 of Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to define their relation to Christ. So what is an Apostleship? This is the gifts the Holy Spirit in the Church. Apostleship is an office, Ephesians 4:11, I Corinthians 12:28. Apostle is the person, the person dies but the office never ended. Romans 1:29, Acts 2:39, I Corinthians 12:31.