The indispensable standard the Bible gives for someone to be an Apostle is that it “must be one of the men who accompanied Jesus with us the entire time that the Lord Jesus was among us” (Acts 1:21 God’s Word©). “We apostles are those men who ate and drank with Jesus after he came back to life” (Acts 10:41 God’s Word©)

What, then, are we to do about Paul who claimed he was an Apostle? “I am an apostle sent to people who are not Jewish” (Acts 11:13 God’s Word©).

The Twelve were centred in Jerusalem, though they did minister beyond the Jewish people. Paul came from Tarsus in the Province of Cilicia (noted for a major university) in what is now Turkey. In other words, while Jesus began the Good News Realm in Israel, Paul began that ministry to the Roman world. He was both a scholar and Roman citizen, as well as a Jew, and is, therefore, the icon of the merging of all people into the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God” community (Ephesians 4:5-6) under the authority of Jesus Christ. This unity is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ personally being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We are told that Matthias replaced Judas Iscariot as the twelfth Apostle of God’s chosen people, but the Bible does not record any replacements of martyred Apostles, nor someone else taking on the mantle of Paul. The role played by them is not, therefore, perpetual, but foundational. “The disciples were devoted to the teachings of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 God’s Word©). These teachings are now contained in the New Testament, and there is no need, even a prohibition on, adding to them!

This leads to the realization that there are no Apostles in the Church of today.

Further, no Christian has authority over other believers at all (except where the community of faith must discern what to do with any member who persists in error and refuses correction). The Church must not be organized as a hierarchy, because “Jesus called the apostles and said, ‘You know that the rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant’ ” (Matthew 20:25-27 God’s Word©). The entire Church is an organization of those who serve, NOT those who lead and others who follow! That is another reason why there are no Apostles, because they exercised some authority to get things started, being the New Testament in flesh before it was Scripture. The long-term life of the Church rests upon service (Matthew 25:31-46), with only Jesus as the Head (eg Ephesians 1:10, 22, 4:15).

Humans like things organized because it gives them a sense of control, but one Christian having authority over others is always wrong. The pattern we have is: “Don’t let anyone look down on you for being young. Instead, make your speech, behavior, love, faith, and purity an example for other believers” (1 Timothy 4:12, God’s Word©); and, “Don’t be rulers over the people entrusted to you, but be examples for the flock to follow” (1 Peter 5:3 God’s Word©).

Anyone, therefore, who claims to be a modern day Apostle cannot be taken seriously.