Are There Still Apostles Today?

This question has become more frequent: are there still apostles today? 

It’s all too common now because movements like Bethel, The SEND, and leaders like Lou Engle, Todd White, Bill Johnson, and others say that there are apostles again today. This all comes from 2004 when C. Peter Wagner said that “God told him in 2001 the apostolic era was going to begin again and that there would be apostles once more.” I believe this is dangerous because if C. Peter Wagner can claim revelation from God to begin a new era of apostles, then anyone can just say crazy things and claim, “God told me…” 

You need answers to this doctrinal issue because it’s prevalent. 

In a spirit of fairness, here is a clip from Bethel in which Bill Johnson explains his view on apostleship, and how he became one. I do not agree with their take on this, nor do I hear any real Scriptural explanations, but you can judge for yourself. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3kO3jkDOVM

Claims like this are a dime a dozen, and I’ve broken down this video on the For the Gospel podcast here https://www.forthegospel.org/listen . Ambiguous concepts and vague statements make a lot of these leaders sound smart but Scripture is the final authority. So, are there still apostles? Can you be an apostle? 

No. 

Here are three simple reasons why: 

Apostles were the foundation of the church. 

Ephesians 2:19-22 says, 

…you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (emphasis added)

In that passage, the apostle Paul is explaining to the Ephesians how they are being built up as the church and generally speaking, how the church at large is being built and established. The apostles and prophets are the foundation, and Christ is the Chief Cornerstone. Then, the church is built up upon that foundation. The apostles and prophets were, much like Christ, a one-time foundational part of establishing the church. Do you relay a foundation with more Christs? Never! Do you add new apostles and prophets suddenly in the 21st century because of some supposed “word from the Lord?” No. Does the church ever get torn down like an old house and rebuilt? No. Likewise, there are no new apostles (and prophets) today. The foundation was laid once and for all. 

Apostles were eyewitnesses to Christ. 

Acts 1:21-22 gives us evidence of how the early church viewed apostleship. In this passage we see the apostles select the man who would replace Judas as the twelfth apostle. In this passage, Peter proclaims, “It is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us—beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

According to Peter and Jesus’ apostles, the new apostle needed to be someone who was associated with Christ, who had consistently sat under His teaching, and who had witnessed firsthand His ministry and life. You may agree with this but immediately think of two people who may not fit this description, so let’s answer two key questions: 

What about Paul? He wasn’t with Christ-like that. But Paul Himself was visited by Christ and called as an apostle in a very supernatural way, verifying his call to apostleship from Jesus Himself (Acts 9:1-19; Galatians 1:1-12). Furthermore, there was a unanimous affirmation by the twelve apostles, including Peter, that Paul was called by Christ Himself and verified to be counted among them (Galatians 1:18). 

What about Barnabas? He wasn’t one of the twelve or like Paul was he? Barnabas was not one of the twelve, nor was he “like Paul” in the sense that Jesus personally appeared to him in a vision and called him to be an apostle. There are two possibilities (both are reasonable) for Barnabas being called an “apostle” in Acts 14:14. 

Possibility #1: Luke is using the term apostollos which can simply mean “messenger.” Luke may be using this term to describe the nature of Paul Barnabas’ mission in that situation, while not labeling him as an apostle in the sense of his “office.” 

Possibility #2: Luke is describing Barnabas in like-kind with Paul, leading to the possibility that Paul, as a true apostle, or the twelve, had the power to impart (or bestow) apostolic authority and ability to Barnabas. This could be the reason for Barnabas being the one to introduce Paul to the twelve (Acts 9:27), but this is not explicit evidence. This possibility does not open the door for apostolic succession because all of this takes place with men who were alive while Jesus was on the earth, had direct contact with the twelve for the purpose of being confirmed, and even the disciples of John (like Polycarp) did not refer to themselves as apostles nor receive apostleship. The term “bishop” or “pastor” became more prevalent after the apostles were dead. 

Whatever the case, Barnabas being an apostle or not is hardly evidential reasoning for modern-day apostleship and the antics of self-proclaimed apostles. Mainly, anyone who claims to be an apostle now would have a hard time pulling off the next evidence for true apostleship.

Apostles did impossible signs and wonders. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:12, Paul tells the church that the “signs of a true apostle” had been done among them through signs, wonder, and miracles. What sort of signs and wonders did Paul perform? 

Acts 13:11 — Paul actually commands blindness to come upon a man to show his power. 

Acts 14:10 — Paul commands a man who had been lame from birth: “stand up on your feet!” and he jumped up and began to walk. 

Acts 16:18 — Paul commands demons to come out in one moment, not a 3-hour exorcism like people try to do today. 

Acts 19:11-12 — Miracles are happening through Paul so that even aprons and handkerchiefs were being used to heal people. 

Acts 20:10-12 — Paul raises Eutychus from the dead! 

Apostles could perform signs and wonders that no modern-day faith healers and so-called apostles can pull off. The apostolic gifts were for the establishment of the original apostle’s authority. They had been with Christ, and now wielded the power of Christ. 

So are there apostles today? No, because they have been used by God as part of the body of Christ to lay the foundation of the church.