THE ROLE
OF AN APOSTLE
What is an Apostle?
| The History of Some Early Apostles
|
The Role of An Apostle | Implementing
An Apostolic Model |
Why Apostles Are Necessary
written by
Dr. Andrew Corbett
©
The appointment of deacons within the structure of the Church,
meant that the apostles were freed from the tedious daily matters
that deacons could now handle. But it also marked a development
in the apostolic ministry. By delegating the responsibility
to "wait on tables" and to distribute relief to widows, the
apostles were reinforcing their overseeing role. That they felt
the need to seek the Lord more through the Word and prayer,
shows how seriously they took their responsibility to oversee
the Church.
Yet the apostolic
ministry was still being developed. While the apostles themselves
may have seen a relationship between their role and the role
of the Jewish Scribe, it was to become apparent that the missionary
nature of Christianity would result in the Christian apostle
taking on a bigger dimension of ministry than that of the Jewish
scribe. The apostles were soon to become much more than mere
spokesmen for Christianity. Their governmental authority within
the Church would soon become even more apparent with the expansion
of churches around the Empire.
The record in
Acts shows that not only did apostles found local churches,
but they took an on-going interest in them as well. This involved
a desire to revisit those churches which he had originally founded.
Some time later Paul said
to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all
the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how
they are doing."
(Acts 15:36 NIV)
We also know from
Paul's epistles that he was in regular contact with these churches
as well. This pattern of apostolic contact went beyond Paul
(Peter, John, Jude, and James the Just, all wrote apostolic
epistles), thus indicating that it was an apostolic function,
rather than something peculiar to Paul's ministry. Again it
is hard to escape the influence of the Jewish Synagogue leadership
structure when we study the comparison between the "Scribe"
and the Church's "Apostle". While not exactly the same in function,
they both had responsibility for writing doctrinal documents,
and exercised governmental responsibilities. Indeed the New
Testament Scriptures are often referred to as Apostolic Writings,
thus emphasizing the apostle's role as a New Testament Scribe
of correct doctrine.
Supervision of
the now rapidly expanding global Church was clearly done by
apostles. Again their epistles bear this out. From Paul's epistles
we see that he also directed local churches. Sometimes this
was in response to an appeal from the local church, as in the
case of the Corinthian church on several occasions:
Now for the matters
you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.
(1Corinthians 7:1 NIV)
©
(i) ACCEPTANCE OF THE APOSTLE
But in the majority
of cases, the apostle seems to take the initiative to direct
the local church. Even in these cases the apostle's authority
seems to be subject to the local church's acceptance of it.
Canadian denominational leader, Barney Coombs, makes this point
when he says-
"When Paul commanded the
Corinthians to discipline the man who was living in incest,
and to deliver him over to Satan for destruction of his flesh,
it was up to the church to decide whether or not to obey the
command."
This is an interesting
aspect to the early apostolic leadership that is overlooked
today. The basis of the apostle's authority was not his appointment
or position, but his acceptance by the local church. While we
have established that the Twelve, which later included James
and Jude (the half brothers of Jesus), and Paul, were uniquely
apostolic, the Church continued, rightly or wrongly, to recognise
other apostles. Some of these, Paul labelled as "false".
For such men are
false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles
of Christ.
(2Corinthians 11:13 NIV)
Yet Paul's appeal
to authentic apostleship does not entirely rest on the three
aspects of apostolic qualification discussed earlier. His greatest
appeal has to do with the church's acceptance of him as an apostle
based on his proven abilities.
Even though I may
not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are
the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
(1Corinthians 9:2 NIV)
This aspect of
apostolic recognition is reinforced with Paul's statement about
being him being the apostle to the Gentiles, while Peter was
the apostle to the Jews (Galatians 2:8). This implies that a
person may have been recognised by one church as an apostle,
but not necessarily by another. Gentiles may have considered
Peter an apostle, but not their apostle, and therefore they
would not have responded to his apostolic authority as they
might have with Paul. And an apostle without ecclesiastical
authority was merely reduced to an itinerant ministry, and therefore
not fully accepted as an apostle. This situation was not encountered
by the original Jerusalem-based Twelve. But it shows how the
apostolic ministry was evolving beyond the original concept
of the Twelve.
As the establishment
of churches across the Empire opened up the possibility of preaching
circuits for itinerant Christian ministers, many of these ministries
were claiming to be an apostolic ministry. This caused Paul
to respond in two ways. Firstly, he cautioned churches about
men who "masqueraded" as apostles, and were therefore false,
in the sense of "illegitimate", apostles (2Corinthians
11:13). Secondly, he cautioned churches about too readily accepting
and recognising another group of self-appointed apostles. Without
a fatherly relationship to the church, these men were merely
teachers, not apostles.
For though you might
have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have
many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through
the gospel.
(1Corinthians 4:15 NKJV)
©
(ii) APOSTLES RELATED TO LOCAL
LEADERSHIP
In Sir Henry Chadwick's
"The Early Christian Church", he notes that, "Evidently the
churches established by the travelling missionaries soon came
to have local, stationary clergy, subordinate to the general
oversight of mobile apostolic authority." It becomes clear
from Paul's epistles that he oversaw the churches relating to
him through locally appointed leadership. Some of Paul's epistles
are even addressed initially to the local leadership:
Paul and Timothy,
servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus
at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
(Philippians 1:1 NIV)
This early apostolic
relationship with local church elders and deacons can not be
understated. Clearly Paul knew many of these leaders well. His
greetings contained in many of his epistles bear this out (for
example, Romans 16). And this relationship with the churches'
leaders was not a job given to Paul in the sense of him receiving
an appointment from an organisation. There was a genuine spiritual
connection between him these leaders and their churches. This
caused him to feel a deep ongoing burden for their care.
Besides everything else,
I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin,
and I do not inwardly burn?
(2Corinthians 11:28-29 NIV)
©
(iii) TOWARD THE END OF THE
FIRST CENTURY
The Early Church
was developing with an emerging structure of functional leadership.
The Jerusalem church leadership gradually lost its earliest
influence over the Church, and as such it never did appoint
or replace leaders in, or over, a particular church. Despite
this seeming lack of bureaucratic administration over the Church,
it continued to flourish with apostolic leadership who forged
relationships with local churches and their leaders. These apostolic
relationships were not restricted to churches planted by themselves
either. We know that Paul founded the Ephesian church, yet it
was John who became its apostle after Paul. This further added
to the evolution of the early Church's leadership structure.
This structure is best seen from Christ's address in the closing
book of the New Testament. He communicated His message to John
(the apostle), who was told to communicate it to the local "angelos"
(or Pastor), who in turn was to communicate the message
to the local church.
"To the angel of the
church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds
the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven
golden lampstands:"
(Revelation 2:1 NIV)
The Book of Revelation
at least highlights the apostle John's relationship to these
seven churches of Asia Minor while he was based at Ephesus.
Without wanting to state the obvious, it was an "apostolic"
relationship. While John was not the founder of these churches,
we know that after the death of Paul, he established a strong
relationship to the Ephesian church, and formed apostolic links
to the surrounding six churches. Which further illustrates the
point that apostles were leaders whose ministry involved the
supervising and direction of local churches.
©
A
NEW UNDERSTANDING OF APOSTOLIC FUNCTION
While the original
Twelve, also designated as "apostles of the Lamb" (Revelation
21:14 (NIV) "The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and
on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb"),
are to be regarded as uniquely apostolic, there is a case to
be made that the function which the early apostles performed
continued into the next generation of leadership and was at
times also designated as being the ministry of an "apostle".
Greetings to Andronicus
and Junia, my relatives, who were in prison with me. They
are very important apostles. They were believers in Christ
before I was.
(Romans 16:7 NCV)
Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you...(2:6) We were
not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you
(1Thessalonians 1:1-2:6 NIV)
Paul refers to
Timothy and Silas as apostles (1Thessalonians 2:6). He also
implies that Titus was an apostle as well -
As for Titus, he is my
partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers,
they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.
(2Corinthians 8:23 NIV)
Although Titus is not directly
referred to as an "apostle", there can be doubt that if he was
"partnering" Paul in ministry, he was at the least functioning
as an apostolic leader and therefore as an "apostle".
©
2001 Andrew Corbett, PO Box 1143 Legana, Tasmania, Australia,
7277
(i)
THE EMERGENCE OF THE NEXT GENERATION
Because we see
the emergence of the next generation of apostolic leaders within
the closing pages of the New Testament historical record, we
are also able to observe how the apostolic function of leadership
was developing. These observations will begin to lay the foundation
for this disquisition: that although the Twelve apostles of
the Lamb were uniquely apostolic, the apostolic function was
developed and continued on by those who were divinely appointed
and charismatically gifted to do so, as a necessary ministry
to the Church.
Is it legitimate
to consider New Testament leaders such as, Timothy, Silas, Titus
and possibly John Mark as apostles? Traditionally, the Twelve
apostles of the Lamb have been the only ones considered to be
apostles. We have already argued for Paul's legitimate inclusion
as a fully fledged apostle, but can we do the same for those
that are also identified as apostles but not a part of the Twelve?
If we discover
that there was indeed a second generation of apostles, then
there may be some essential principle of the early Church's
leadership structure that needs to be considered as applicable
for the modern Church. One modern writer, Harold Eberle, feels
that there was indeed a second generation of apostolic leaders
and were also designated as such. Again, let's remember that
twenty-two people in the New Testament are called apostles.
Besides the original twelve, they are Matthias (Acts 1:26);
Barnabas and Paul (Acts 14:14); Andronicus and Junias (Rom.
16:7); James, the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:19); Epaphroditus (Phil.
2:25); Apollos (1Cor. 4:6-9); and Silvanus and Timothy (1Thess.
1:1, 2:6). Some Scriptures imply that even more were considered
apostles (for example, see Romans 16:7).
©
2001
THE
APOSTLE AS AN ITINERANT
The original concept
of the "apostle" was that of an itinerant messenger. But as
we have seen, he was more than simply a messenger because he
was also invested with certain authority to carry out his sender's
wishes. In this sense then, the apostle may be more likened
to a Governor-General in the British Commonwealth, who represents
the British monarch in a foreign colony of the empire, and is
entrusted to be the monarch's authorised messenger to those
people. Dr. John Stott cites Karl Heinrich Rengstorf who argues
that -
...the apostles of
Jesus were the equivalent to the Jewish 'shaliachim' who were
special messengers sent to the dispersion with full authority
to teach, so that, they said, 'the one sent by a person is
as this person himself'. Rengstorf writes: '...whereas the
other verbs connote a sending as such, apostellein carries
with it the idea of special purpose, mission or commission,
authorization and responsibility'. Apostolos, he says is 'always
the designation of a man who is sent as ambassador, and indeed,
an authorized ambassador...'
©
200
The New Testament apostle
is 'one chosen and sent with a special commission as the fully
authorized representative of the sender.'
Norval Geldenhuys, "Supreme Authority"
We know that
all of the Twelve itinerated. Paul's appeal to the Corinthians
was done in such a way that it demands that the apostolic ministry
was itinerant-
Don't we have the right
to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles
and the Lord's brothers and Cephas?
(1 Corinthians 9:5 NIV)
The apostles were
itinerant due to the nature of their early ministry. Most of
them were involved in breaking ground for the Gospel by travelling
to regions of the Empire where the Gospel had not been preached
(Rom. 15:20). We assume that all of them maintained some governing
role over churches that they had either started or were overseeing,
and this too demanded that they itinerate between churches.
While it is true
that apostles itinerated, it is not true that they only did
so. It appears that the Lord's brother, James, who oversaw the
Jerusalem church, was more or less permanently based in Jerusalem.
Rather than personally travelling to different churches, he
appears to have at times sent his own messengers to various
church (Gal. 2:12).
Before certain men
came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when
they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from
the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to
the circumcision group.
(Gal 2:12 NIV)
Yet it does appear
to have been the normal practice for an apostle to have at least
been based at a church while exercising an itinerant role among
several other churches. We have already seen that this was what
John did when he was later based at Ephesus while apostolically
overseeing the surrounding six churches in the region. Even
Paul was based at Antioch and all of his missions activity was
done from this base church at Antioch, to where he returned
after each missions trip.
©alia,
7277
(i)
THE MINISTRY OF THE ITINERANT PROPHET
built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as
the chief cornerstone.
(Ephesians 2:20 NIV)
Unlike the Old Testament prophet,
whose main ministry was the pronouncement divine judgment and
wrath, the New Testament prophet's main ministry was one of
encouragement. Both the Old, and New, Testament prophet ministered
predictively. It is unfair to say that the New Testament prophet
was not able to prophesy predictively, or that New Testament
prophecy was merely the forthtelling of God's Word. Just as
the Old Testament prophet foretold of events, we have the New
Testament record that New Testament prophets did the same.
Prophets were
considered an indispensable component of the early Church's
leadership. The first New Testament prophet mentioned in Acts
is Agabus.
During this time
some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of
them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted
that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.
(This happened during the reign of Claudius.)
(Acts 11:27-28 NIV)
Agabus is mentioned
on two occasions in the Book of Acts (Acts 11:28; 21:10). He
was obviously an itinerant prophet and held in very high regard
(since he is the only prophet named in the Book of Acts). But
not all prophets mentioned in Acts were itinerant. The leadership
of the Antioch church comprised of "prophets and teachers..."
(Acts 13:1). The church at Caesarea, presumably led by Philip
the evangelist, also had at least four prophets (or prophetesses),
who may have been in leadership there.
It is very likely
that itinerant prophets were regarded as elders at large. The
term "elder" seems to have become synonymous for the oversight
of the prophets along side the apostles. Eventually apostles
seem to have identified themselves as elders as well.
This brought Paul
and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul
and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers,
to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about
this question.
(Acts 15:2 NIV)
Surrounding the throne
were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four
elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold
on their heads.
(Rev 4:4 NIV)
That the elders of Acts 15 were
in fact prophets is also supported by their resolution to send
some of their own to Antioch to convey their decision.
Then the apostles
and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some
of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who
were leaders among the brothers...Judas and Silas, who themselves
were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
(Acts 15:22, 32 NIV)
This reinforces
that prophets were often itinerant, and in that capacity they
performed a leadership function among the early churches.
©
(ii)
THE LEADERSHIP RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE APOSTLE & PROPHET
Because of this, God in
his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles,
some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.'
(Luke 11:49 NIV)
There seems to
be an observable relationship between the ministries of the
apostle and prophet within the New Testament. This ministry
relationship is perhaps foreshadowed in the Old Testament relationships
of Moses and Aaron, and, various Judean kings and prophets (for
example, King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah). Christ links
these two ministries in His statement recorded in Luke 11:49.
Paul also links them in Ephesians 3:5 ~
which was not made
known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed
by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.
Within Acts we observe that several
key apostles travelled with prophets. Most notably we observe
that Paul travelled with Silas the prophet frequently (Acts
15:40; 16:19; 17:4; 18:5; 2Cor. 1:19). We can only speculate
as to the reasons for such leadership synergy. Kevin Conner
says-
It is worthy to note
that the apostle and prophet work closely together in the
Body of Christ. Both act as "checks and balances" on the other,
as these Scriptures show. Jesus sent the Twelve out two by
two (Luke 9). He also sent out the seventy two by two (Luke
10). The two are stronger that the one. If the one falls,
the other lifts him up. Two witnesses to each city was the
order before Christ came to each city. So the apostle and
prophet, as "two witnesses" work together. They are like the
two legs of the human body, foundational, and transport for
the Body. They work together in unity.
Conner's statement is merely
an observation of what is obvious. Few scholars, though, offer
plausible reasons for the divinely ordained combination of the
apostle and prophet. We have established that the apostle and
prophet seem to be particularly gifted as itinerant ministries,
whereas the other ministries seem to be intended as local church
based ministries. One suggestion is made by Theologian, W.A.C.
Rowe, who says -
With the Apostolic office
there should be the Prophetic office. The two ministries are
so intimately bound up together that it would appear that
one is incomplete without the other (Ephesians 3:5). The Prophet
brings the Word of the Lord. In this there is often governmental
direction concerning persons, places and nature of service.
The Apostle has this responsibility and authority , too. The
Apostle Paul gave instructions of this kind to Timothy, Mark
and Tychicus (2Timothy 4:11-12).
In either case,
only the ministries of apostle and prophet were classed as founding
ministries. It could then be argued that the ministries of evangelist,
pastor and teacher, were maintenance ministries. As such we
find that although these maintenance ministries were available
to the whole Church Body, they were largely based within a local
church.
©
2001 Andrew Corbett, PO Box 1143 Legana, Tasmania, Australia,
7277
THE SCOPE OF
APOSTOLIC CONFERENCES
(a)
DOCTRINE
If apostolic ministry
concerns itself with direction, doctrine, discipline, and development,
then should such conferences deal with each of these areas?
In Acts 15 we see that the early Church had an apostolic "conference"
(more appropriately referred to as a "council"). This conference
was clearly concerned with doctrine and not the other areas
of apostolic scope. In many respects the issue of right doctrine
was settled by the close of the Canon and the Councils of the
early Church, up until the Council of Nicaea (313 AD).
The Reformation
was, as we have seen, an attempt to realign the Church back
to right doctrine. Many of the statements that originated from
the Reformation are only echoes of Scripture and the early councils
of the Ante-Nicene fathers. Put simply, modern apostolic conferences
should not have to deal with rampant heresy in the Church, because
our spiritual forefathers have already laid the groundwork for
the acceptance of right doctrine.
(b) DISCIPLINE
Conferences are
not the appropriate setting for disciplining the wayward. There
is no Biblical example of any person being disciplined in a
conference setting. Christ gave clear direction on how people
were to be disciplined (Matt. 18:15-17). By reorganising the
Church along the lines of the early Church's New Testament leadership
structure, discipline, while never pleasant, will be easier
because it is done by those with God given authority and in
relationship to those being disciplined. The way apostles exercise
their ministry of discipline often relates to the correction
of leaders within their network. Biblically this often took
place privately (note Acts 18:26) or within the context of the
local church (Gal. 2:11). This could become one of the most
dynamic aspects to the modern Church if leaders voluntarily
accept the correction and discipline of trusted and respected
apostolic leaders.
(c) DIRECTION
Apostolic Network
conferences present an excellent means to bring direction to
the network. Presumably direction would be the major thrust
of an apostolic conference. The leading apostle can set the
tone for the network through the conference. Used appropriately,
this is how some networks provide direction for hundreds of
churches. Bill Hybels would be an excellent example of such
apostolic leadership directing the network of Willow Creek Association
churches around the world through very high quality conferences.
The late John Wimber attributed the use of Vineyard Conferences
as the main means by which he directed the Vineyard network.
Apostolic led conferences are a foundational means by which
local churches can receive apostolic input.
(d) DEVELOPMENT
Since the leadership
ministries within the New Testament's leadership structure are
divinely designed to development the next generation of leadership
and ministries (Eph. 4:11-12), apostolic network conferences
also develop leadership and ministries within local churches.
This is done through practical teaching, training, workshops,
prayer and impartation (note 1Tim. 4:14), and question and answer
sessions.
Andrew Corbett
This article is based largely
on doctoral research into the ministry of the apostle. To read
the REVIEWERS EDITION of the new book AUTHENTIC APOSTOLIC
LEADERSHIP (STRUCTURE FOR THE CHURCH) refer to our shop.
...............
