TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

1Corinthians 12:28 lists apostles first among the offices God established in the church, and this order reflects historical sequence as well as importance. The apostles were the twelve men chosen by Jesus, eyewitnesses of his resurrection, with Judas eventually replaced by Matthias. They served as the first preachers of the gospel, and the doctrine they received directly from God became the foundation the early church gathered around and studied.

These twelve, along with the apostle Paul as an additional figure added later, formed a distinct group responsible for writing most of the New Testament and receiving direct revelation from God. Scripture marks them for special honour, including recognition in heaven.

Following the apostles chronologically came prophets, who delivered specific revelation concerning the life of the early church, and then teachers, a role that continues today through pastors and teachers. Ephesians also identifies evangelists, tasked with reaching those outside the faith. The office of apostle itself, however, belonged to a group of thirteen men whose foundational role cannot be repeated in any later generation.

I understand what some today mean when they call themselves an apostle. But I don’t think it’s what the writers of the Bible had in mind.

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,

Ephesians 2:20