Unlike the qualifications of elders, overseers, and deacons which are clearly laid out for us in Scripture, although often overlooked, the qualifications for apostleship aren’t immediately evident. This is not to say that there were no qualifications, but only that we must search the Scriptures to find them.
It could be said that the Apostles in the New Testament could be separated categorically – those who were part of the original twelve and those who weren’t. In either case, certain requirements had to be met in order to achieve this illustrious title – a title which is worn by some today illegitimately.
That being said, let us now look at what Scripture has to say about the qualifications of an apostle.
Being Numbered With the Eleven
The first place we should look is Acts 1:21-22. This is a common starting point for any discussion about the qualifications of apostleship. While many people claim that these verses set the standard whereby others in the New Testament could become apostles, there are some issues with this theory.
When we look at the context of the passage, we’ll notice what’s being discussed is finding a replacement for Judas, not qualifications for apostleship necessarily.
In order to fill the void which Judas left, Peter says they need to find someone who has “accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us – one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
Again, the idea here is to find a direct replacement for Judas, and they wanted someone who had been with them for the entirety of Jesus’ ministry and who had witnessed his resurrection as they had. After all, in order to be “numbered with the eleven” he would’ve had to have had the same experiences as they did. And this is the reason for the requirements given.
Unlike Paul, for instance, who intentionally laid out the qualifications for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, this is not Peter’s intention. The guidelines set forth here would be too restrictive. And if they were to be adamantly observed as the standard whereby one could be granted apostleship, then neither Paul, Barnabas, James, Silvanus and Timothy were legit apostles.
God’s Sovereign Choice
While the qualifications listed above were intended only for Judas’ replacement, meeting them didn’t automatically make you an apostle. If it did, then why weren’t both candidates allowed into the apostleship?
After Matthias and Barsabbas were nominated, the apostles prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship which Judas turned aside to go to his own place. And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:24-26).
Meeting the requirements didn’t make one an apostle. God’s sovereign choice did. That being said, the only real requirement for becoming an apostle was God choosing you to be one. Ultimately, there were no prerequisites for being an apostle. If God had chosen you for this role in the early church, then the matter was settled.
Paul, Barnabas, James, Timothy and Silvanus
The men mentioned above are all classified as apostles in Scripture yet none of them, from what we have record of, fully met the qualifications of Acts 1:21-22.
Paul did see Jesus in a vision as recorded in Acts 9, but he certainly didn’t accompany the rest of the apostles during the life of Christ. James, too, had seen the risen Lord (1 Corinthians 15:7) but being that the Lord’s brothers didn’t at first believe in him, it’s unlikely that he would have been with Christ for the duration of his ministry either. Both of these apostles couldn’t be apostles if judged strictly according to the standards set in Acts 1:21-22.
With regards to Barnabas, he was an early convert (Acts 4:36-37) and no mention is made of him seeing Jesus after his resurrection and the same can be said for Silvanus and Timothy, who are also implied to be apostles (1 Thessalonians 2:6).
This being the case, the argument for apostleship being granted exclusively on the basis of God’s sovereignty and not according to the requirements of Acts 1:21-22, sounds more convincing.
Plus, we have numerous Scriptures to support this theory. Not only do we see that it was God who chose Matthias, but it was God who chose Paul as well. In Acts 9:15 the Lord tells Ananias to “Go, for he (Paul) is a chosen instrument of mine…”. And in Acts 13:2 we see the Holy Spirit saying to “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Subsequent texts will reveal that this is the work of an apostle. In Acts 14:14 both Paul and Barnabas are called apostles and both of them have the “signs of a true apostle” (2 Corinthians 12:12) marking their ministry (Acts 14:2).
Of Silvanus and Timothy, we don’t have as much to say. The Bible records little about them and nothing in regards to them being chosen by God for apostleship. The only indication we have of them being so is recorded in 1 Thessalonians 2:6. Nonetheless, we may safely assume that if they were indeed apostles, then the call of God is what made them so and the signs of a true apostle were demonstrated by them.
The Role of The Apostles
The role of an apostle, according to Ephesians 2:20 was to build the foundation of the household of God, or, in other words, the church.
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”
Ephesians 2:19-21
This was, in fact, what they were assigned to do. After Jesus’ resurrection he told his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). This is the Great Commission, and in obedience to it, the apostles began to preach the gospel beginning first at Jerusalem and then “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
In doing so, they eventually established the church. They built the foundation. And from that time forward the church has continued to grow just as Christ said it would when he compared the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Matthew 13:31-32
Being that a foundation is only built once, and it was the apostles assignment to do so, what then are we to make of those who claim to be apostles today? Can they rightly claim to be doing the work of an apostle, that is, laying the foundation for the church? Hardly.
Make of them what you will, but they certainly aren’t doing the work of an apostle since it’s impossible for them to do so. The foundation of the church was established in the first century and any subsequent building thereon cannot be viewed as still foundational, but consequential. The work we are able to do now in regards to growing the church and advancing it on earth is the result of that foundation having already been laid. Thus, we should not attempt to imitate the work of an apostle, but should be content to do that which God has assigned us.
Let us be content to say that the apostles planted the seed, and every subsequent generation waters it, but it’s God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).
The Signs of a True Apostle
Inasmuch as many may attempt to claim the role of apostle, certain signs are said to be performed by their hands. If one has not performed then, his claim to apostleship is false.
In 2 Corinthians 12:12 Paul says, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.” It should be noted that the “signs and wonders and mighty works” are the signs which validate an apostle, not “utmost patience”. Other texts in the New Testament confirm that the apostles were validated by the miraculous works that were done by them.
- Mark 16:20 – And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.
- Acts 2:43 – And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
- Acts 4:33 – And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
- Acts 5:12 – Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.
- Acts 14:3 – So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
- Hebrews 2:3-4 – This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.
Based on the surplus of verses supporting the theory just proposed, we can safely conclude that the confirmatory signs of a true apostle was their ability to perform signs and wonders.
The Right Hand of Fellowship
Another mark of a true apostle, applicable to those outside of the original twelve, is that they were accepted as such by them.
If the apostleship of Paul or Barnabas is to be questioned at all it would be on the basis of them not having fully met the qualifications set forth in Acts 1:21-22. Nonetheless, they are referred to as true apostles and, in part, this is due to them being accepted as such by those who were apostles before them.
In Galatians 2 Paul recounts his visit to Jerusalem and how James, Cephas and John “gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised” (Galatians 2:9). Being that the original apostles are dead, no such approval is possible today.
In Conclusion
In order to be ranked among the eleven apostles, one would’ve had to have been with them during the entire duration of Jesus’ ministry and be an eyewitness of his resurrection. These qualifications, however, were too restrictive to be applied to the apostleship in general. As we’ve seen, these requirements were set forth only in regards to finding a direct replacement for Judas.
Apostles outside of the original eleven didn’t have to meet these requirements, but did have to be hand chosen by God, able to perform the signs of a true apostle, aid in building the foundation of the church, and be accepted by the twelve as such.
Some may argue that they also had to have seen Christ in some way after his resurrection as Paul had in his vision (Acts 9:1-9). Paul defends his apostleship by referring to this very fact (1 Corinthians 9:1). If such is the case, then we may assume that those who were also referred to as apostles in the New Testament had experienced such a thing, even though we have no Biblical record of it. In addition to this, the other signs of a true apostle would have had to have been evident among them as well.
With the Biblical record laid out before us, we can safely conclude that there are no modern day apostles. The manner in which they were chosen cannot be said to be the same as those who bear the title today. The role they played in laying the foundation of the church cannot be said to be filled today. The signs they performed cannot be said to be performed today. And the acceptance they received by the twelve cannot be said to be had today.
There are no modern day apostles.