THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY

FIVE KINDS OF APOSTLES

The word “apostle” means, “sent one,” a “messenger” or “an ambassador”. There are at least five kinds of apostles: 

1. The Lord Yeshua is the “Divine Apostle” (Heb. 3:1) who revealed the Father to humankind. 
2. His twelve disciples were “Distinguished Apostles” who laid the foundation of the Ekklesia with the prophets (Eph. 2:20). Paul is also one of them, as he had a direct encounter with Yeshua (1 Cor. 15:5-7). 
3. Then there are the “General Apostles” including Barnabas (Acts 14:4,14); James, the brother of the Lord (Gal. 1:19); Epaphroditus (‘your apostle’ in Greek; Phil. 2:25) and Junia, an outstanding woman apostle (Rom. 16:7). At Jesus’ ascension, there were many other apostles among the five hundred “brethren (fraternity)”. 
4. The ubiquitous “False Apostles” of Lucifer, who wear the cloak of righteousness and are found in every church (2 Cor. 11:13-15). 
5. We are the Ascension Apostles of Ephesian 4:11. 

There are more apostles today than ever before, not just those with the message but others with miraculous power and a specific mission of colonizing new territories. The word apostle or messenger is mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. Thus, apostleship did not die out with the twelve disciples but is robustly thriving and vigorously multiplying.

YESHUA WALKED EVERY DAY

Yeshua walked several kilometers every day (Luke 4:43; Mark 1:38). When threatened with death by Herod, he said, “Go and tell that fox, behold. I cast out demons, and perform healings… Moreover, I must journey today, tomorrow and the following day.” Even on the day of His resurrection, He walked from Jerusalem to Emmaus and discipled two persons along the way (Luke 13:31-33; 24:13-35). 

As our forefather Abraham, we are expected to walk the length and breadth of our domain, because the Lord has given it us (Gen. 13:17). God told Joshua that wherever his feet would tread, He was giving that land to him (Josh. 1:3). Yeshua loves not manicured feet but the dirty, cracked feet of those who carry the Gospel of the Kingdom to unheard of frontier people in remote places (Rom. 10:15). God is once again restoring the apostolic face of His Ekklesia.

APOSTLESHIP, THE HIGHEST GIFT

Apostles are very privileged, because “the mystery of salvation of the Gentiles has been revealed by the Holy Spirit especially to the apostles and prophets” (Eph. 2:20-22; 3:5-6; 4:11,12; 1 Cor. 12:27-31). However, Apostles also suffer more than others, so be forewarned.

APOSTLES DO NOT WORK FOR A LIVING BUT FOR THE KINGDOM

Eden was an apostolic Garden wherein God blessed Adam and Eve with a global apostolic mandate: “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue it and have dominion over it” (Genesis 1:28). They failed due to disobedience, so now God has chosen apostolic men and women to go turn their fallen world into Garden of Eden, demonstrating the kingdom. Apostles do not work for a living; they work for the Kingdom. God put Adam in the Garden to work and to guard it. (Avodah means both work and worship, Gen 2:15.) As part of the curse, Adam had to earn his living by the sweat of his brow. Because Yeshua restored our relationship with the Father, we no longer earn our living by the sweat of our brow. Rather Jehovah Jireh provides all our needs though not our greeds. Pastors who work in the church for a living are called hirelings. “Healing the land” means removing curses and restoring it to its original fertility like the Garden of Eden as well as inhabited by righteous people. (1 Cor. 4:11; 2 Cor. 10:10; 1:8-11; 11:23-28; 11:30; Gal. 4:13; John 10:12; 2Chron. 7:14)

APOSTLES ARE PURPOSE-DRIVEN, GOAL-ORIENTED STRATEGISTS

An apostle has a clearly articulated vision projecting far beyond his own locality, which may include cities, regions, an entire nation or even to the ends of the earth. His vision and mission are to establish new Ekklesias in regions beyond (2 Cor 10:16). An apostle is known for his zeal and passion, for he perseveres until local elders are equipped to carry on the work (Acts 14:22-23). He corrects their weaknesses as a spiritual father, admonishes, exhorts, encourages and “speaks the truth in love” (1 Cor. 11:17-22; Eph. 4:15).

ONLY AN APOSTLE CAN REPRODUCE APOSTLES

The Holy Spirit anoints workers, freely distributing gifts. Just as only sheep can reproduce sheep, so evangelists, teachers, and shepherds usually reproduce their own kind, but prophets and apostles can equip saints since they have multiple gifts. To accomplish his vision, an apostle adopts new believers as his spiritual children and nurtures them. Paul wrote, “You may have myriad teachers, but I am your spiritual father” (1 Tim. 1:2; 1 Cor. 4:17; Tit. 1:4; Phil. 1:10).

The apostle Paul prayed for his disciples “night and day with tears that their eyes of understanding be enlightened, that they may know what the hope of their calling is” (1 Thess. 3:10; Eph. 1:1618). Although Timothy, Titus and others were being mentored by Paul (Phil. 2:25), yet he himself needed to partner with Silas, a prophet (Acts 15:32, 40). None of the ministries is independent, but all are interdependent. All five of the APEST gifts, apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers of Ephesian chapter 4 are needed to accomplish a balanced equipping of the saints.

APOSTLES ARE WILLING TO UNDERGO INTENSE SUFFERING

In wall paintings, the apostles are shown with smiling faces and a halo round them, but the reality is quite different. Apostles are physically weak, often hungry, thirsty and ill clad. They have rough hands due to hard labor (Acts 18:3), attended by all kinds of perils and dangers. They suffer reproach, persecution, dishonor and sometimes prison (Acts 16:23). They are not popular with people, not even with believers, because they go and turn their world upside down (Acts 17:6). The apostolic ministry is not for casual Christians but only for those who are prepared to take up their cross daily (2Cor. 11:23-28).

APOSTLES ARE NOT SEASONAL FROGS

This ministry is not for tadpole Christians, who want to live in the warmth and security of their home pond where big fish would come and eat them. Nor is it for those who travel long distances to attend conferences but will not go into their neighborhoods or the city slums. Those who go to preach occasionally but have no long-term strategy are like frogs that croak for a season, and then hibernate until the next conference. Apostleship is a hard, steady grind requiring consistency to see disciples made in unheard of, unthinkable places. Yeshua stayed among the despised Samaritans, broke all Jewish traditions, and laid the foundation of the Samaritan Ekklesia (Mark 1:38; Acts 1:8).

IF YOU ARE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE, THEN JOIN THE RANKS

Knowledge without spiritual activism is dead religion. We are challenged to ask for the highest gifts (1 Cor. 13:13; 14:1). However, before asking for the apostolic gift, one must seriously count the cost. Paul wrote, “God has chosen the apostles, as men condemned to death, for we have been made the filth of the world, the scum of all things” (1 Cor. 4:9-13). Apostleship is not for those who have created a comfortable bubble around their faith. The true seal and credentials of an apostle include willingness to be “all things to all men that he might by all means save some” (1 Cor. 9:2, 22). If you are willing to pay the price, then do the work of an apostle, run the race of faith, finish the course, and win an eternal crown (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

GEMS:

• Our God is a “Go” God. The Spirit of God dwelt over the Ark of the Covenant, a portable box housed in a portable tent carried by rings and rods, always ready to move (Exo. 25:15).
• God commanded Abraham, “Arise and walk the length and the breadth of the land, for I have given it to you” (Gen. 13:17).
• God said to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, I have given that to you” (Joshua 1:3).
• Our Lord is a “Go” Lord who said, “Behold I cast out demons, and perform healings… Moreover, I must journey today, tomorrow and the following day” (Luke 4:43; 13:32-33; Mark 1:38).
• Yeshua came to restore the fallen tent of David, not the ornate temple of Solomon. The difference was that while David’s tent was mobile, Solomon’s temple stayed put (Acts 15:16; Amos 9:11).
• The Lord gave to His Ekklesia first the gift of apostles, “sent ones”.
• Apostles are a ‘go’ people whose passion is to go where Christ is not named (Rom. 15:19,20).
• “Yeshua went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues (on Sabbath), and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease (every day) among the people (in the marketplace) (Matt. 9:35). 
• Yeshua told His disciples, “Let us go and preach in other villages and towns because that is why I came” (Mark 1:38; Luke 4:43).
• Paul said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” He debated with the Jews in the Synagogue on the Sabbath and dialogued with the Gentiles at his workplace during the week, and all Asia heard the 
• Gospel. (Matt. 4:23; 1Cor. 11:1; Acts 17:17; 19:8-10)
• As a devotee of Yeshua, like Paul are you imitating him by interacting with fellow believers once a week and engaging with non-believers during the rest of the week? (Heb. 3:13; 10: 25)
• An apostle has the complete picture of the Ekklesia from repentance to inheritance of the Kingdom, even before it planted, “to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.” (1 Cor. 3:10; Acts 26:18)
• If you want to be an apostle, then be prepared to be treated as the scum of the earth (1 Cor. 4:13).
• To qualify as an apostle, go visit the slums, shanty towns and other filthy places. Wipe their tears, comfort the hurting, plant a Household of God, and demonstrate the kingdom.
• “For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world yet forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26).

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Victor Choudhrie

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