The word "apostle" among the Greeks was a secular term meaning any one who is sent on some service, as a messenger, an ambassador, a delegate. Jesus used the word to refer to the Old Testament prophets, and also to himself as one sent from God (Luke 11:49; Matthew 10:40; cf. Hebrews 3:1).

Then from his disciples Jesus chose twelve "whom he called apostles," and later a thirteenth, Paul, as a special "apostle for the Gentiles" (Luke 6:13; Galations 2:8). The twelve he carefully trained over a three year period. When two of them, in vanity and pride, sought to be ranked above the other ten, Jesus rebuked them (Matthew 20:20-28).

Though there are ranks of authority in earthly kingdoms "all of you are brothers" (Matthew 23:8). When Paul spoke of "the most notable apostles," he did not refer to rank but how well known some apostles were (2 Corinthians 11:5; 12:11). Because of their extensive work in the kingdom, they had developed a "reputation" and were looked upon as "pillars" (Galations 2:2, 9).

As far as authority was concerned, Paul, though a late comer ("untimely born," 1 Corinthians 15:8), was "not inferior to the most notable apostles in any way" (2 Corinthians 12:11). On the other hand, he could say, "I am the least of the apostles, and am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God" (1 Corinthians 15:9).

Paul did not mean that he was "the least" in rank, for there was no ranking, but the pain in his heart, because he had persecuted Christ and Christians, made him feel inferior: "I am nothing" (2 Corinthians 12:11). On the practical side, however, because he had "labored more abundantly" than all, his reputation was and is more widespread than that of the rest of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Only one apostle had a successor (Acts 1:26). All the rest are still serving in their "overseership" (episkope, Acts 1:20), in their "apostleship" (apostole, Acts 1:25). The number "twelve" is carried on even to "the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" which are written on "the twelve foundations" of "the holy city, the new Jerusalem" (Revelation 21:2, 14).

Alleged apostles today, whether in Rome or Salt Lake City, are spurious, because the original one (except Judas) were not to be replaced. Since Jesus left the earth the biblical twelve have been and are his official representatives, his "ambassadors" (2 Corinthians 5:20: Ephesians 6:20). Officially, after Jesus ascended, they began their apostleship "from Jerusalem" on Pentecost Day (May 28, A.D. 30), and were to continue in that service, not only until they died, but "to the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20; Luke 24:47).

Now, for nearly 2000 years, they have sat on "twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of [spiritual] Israel" (Matthew 19:28: Galations 6:16; Philippians 3:2; James 1:1). "When the Holy Spirit" came on them on the day of Pentecost they were "clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). Thereafter, what they spoke, or wrote in the New Testament books, had already "been bound in heaven," and what they released had already "been released in heaven" (Matthew 16:19; 18:18).

On Jesus’ resurrection day, in anticipation of the beginning of apostolic authority, Jesus "breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. The sins of the people you forgive have been forgiven; the sins you retain have been retained’" (John 20:23).

God "placed" the apostles as "first" in the church (1 Corinthians 12:28). From Pentecost day "the apostles’ doctrine" became the standard of right and wrong, not the doctrine of Moses or of John the Baptist or of the Roman pontiff or of Martin Luther or of Joseph Smith or of Mary Baker Eddy or of Alexander Campbell (Acts 2:42).

What the apostles said, or later wrote, was and is the dividing line between "the spirit of truth and the spirit of error" (1 John 4:6). To receive the apostles’ doctrine is to receive Christ, and to reject their doctrine is to reject Christ (Matthew 10:40; Luke 10:16). To go beyond "the doctrine of Christ" is to be without God, but to abide in his doctrine is to have "both the Father and the Son" (2 John 9). Any preacher who "does not bring this doctrine" is not to be received in a Christian’s home, and to give "him a greeting" by way of endorsement is to "share evil works" (2 John 10-11).

"The doctrine of Christ" cannot be limited to a confession of deity, for "many" who acknowledged him as the "Lord" will be told "I have never known you" (Matthew 7:23).

While Jesus’ apostles were alive, impostors claimed to be "Christ’s apostles" but they lacked the credentials: "signs and wonders and miracles" (2 Corinthians 11:13; 12:12; Revelation 2:2). Another credential was to have been "a witness" of seeing the risen Lord (Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1). Those who saw him after his resurrection do not include anyone living today.

The true apostles were empowered to lay hands on people and to confer miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18; 19:6; 2 Timothy 1:6; cf. Mark 16:17-18). Paul wanted to make a trip from Corinth to Rome to impart "some spiritual gift" to Christians there (Romans 1:11).

Since God had placed the apostles "first" in the church, it is easy to understand their power to lay hands on some to make them prophets, that is, those who would be "second" after the apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28). Among such prophets were the authors of several New Testament books: Mark, Luke, Acts, James, Jude, and Hebrews.

Also, some elders, apparently by apostolic handlaying, had "gifts of healing" (1 Corinthians 12:9), for they could anoint a sick man "with oil" and "pray over him" with the sure result that "the prayer of faith" would "cure" the patient (James 5:14-15). Oil had a healing effect on wounds (Luke 10:34), but the healing James mentioned has no connection with wounds. Oil was also used by the apostles in miraculous cures of all kinds of illnesses: they "cast out demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 6:13). But no apostle is here today, and no elder has had an apostle to lay hands on him.

However, a few well-meaning elders today anoint with oil and pray over sick people, thinking that James 5:14-15 applies to them. Sadly, often the sick, despite the oil and an elder’s prayer, dies anyway, which shoes that James 5:14-15 is not for us today. In the situation James discussed there were no failures, for "the Lord shall raise him [the sick] up" (v. 15).

Actually, then, since the last person died on whom an apostle had laid hands there have been no miraculous cures. In our time not only elders but all Christians are to pray for the sick, and pray that if it is the Lord’s will the sick may recover (1 John 5:14).

No miracle is involved in James 5:16: "The prayer of the righteous [elder or non-elder, man or woman] has powerful results" (F-H translation). No miracle was involved in the prayer of John for his beloved Gaius: "I pray that in everything you may be prosperous, and be healthy, even as your soul prospers" (3 John 1-2).

In the New Testament the word "apostle" does not always refer to the twelve whom Jesus sent out. In Acts 14:4, 14 the word refers to Barnabas, where the context shows he is one sent out by the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3). He could be called a "church apostle," as Paul also himself was in that situation. Both of these "apostles" returned to their sending church and made a report (Acts 14:26-28). Confusion over the word "apostles" in this case would disappear if the translations would call them "messengers," as they do in the case of Epaphroditus and other church apostles (2 Corinthians 8:23, Philippians 2:25).

The general or non-restrictive meaning of the word "apostle" explains why Silas and Timothy are called apostles (1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2:7). Again, the word "messengers" would be helpful.

Though James, the Lord’s brother, was not one of Jesus’ twelve, most translations leave that impression in Galations 1:19: "But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother." One lexicon solves the problem by saying that, since the word "apostle" was not "strictly limited" to the twelve, the Lord’s brother could be called an apostle (B-G-D, 99). Another lexicon disagrees, saying the English translation is in error, that Paul’s Greek words (ei me) in Galations 1:19 are "not exceptive, but adversative" (Grimm-Thayer, 171), making the translation become "Other of the apostles I did not see, but [I did see] James, the Lord’s brother." The F-H translation is: "I saw no other apostle, but I did see James (the Lord’s brother)."

Not the translation, but a misinterpretation causes some to add Andronicus and Junias to the number of the apostles of Christ because they are said to have been "of note among the apostles" (Romans 16:7, ASV). Some hold that these two fellow-prisoners and relatives of Paul were not simply well-known among the apostles, but that they themselves were notable apostles.

But Paul did not write that Andronicus and Junias were "notable apostles" (which would have been episemoi apostoloi: cf. Matthew 27:16), but that they were "notable among the apostles" (episemoi en tois apostolois). We know who appointed the twelve and Paul, but who appointed Andronicus and Junias? Moreover, if they were "notable apostles," one wonders why Paul is the only one to mention them? The F-H translation is: "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives and fellow-prisoners, who are well-known by the apostles, and were in Christ before me."

Some assume not only that Paul’s relatives and fellow-prisoners were famous apostles, but also "Junias" should be "Junia," a woman, and so female apostles are introduced, and this particular one is outstanding. However, the lexical possibility that the name Iounian refers to a woman is "probably ruled out by the context" (B-G-D, 380), for it is unlikely that a woman was in prison with Paul.

A woman’s "lib" advocate, after assuming that Paul’s named relatives were prominent apostles, and after assuming that one was a woman, inveighs against assumptions, writing, "It is pure assumption" to say "that the apostles were men only." Consistently, he holds that women should not be denied church leadership, that they may lead prayers in the assembly, that they may officiate at the Lord’s Table, and that they may preach from the pulpit.

One preacher of the above persuasion says he would "shackle" a woman from being an elder, but others say that the office of an elder is open to women as well as men.