The Anointing of the Apostledominate and rule people. They say, "I'm an apostle. I have
authority. You have to do what I say."
In New Testament days, the apostles could exercise
authority only over the churches they had established
themselves. Paul, for example, never exercised any authority
over the church at Jerusalem, or any of the churches other
apostles had established.
Remember, these offices are in power and not in name. If
the power is not there to establish churches, then those involved
are not apostles.
A missionary who is really called of God and sent by the
Holy Spirit is an apostle.
In Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate me Barnabas
and Saul [Paul] for the work whereunto I have called them."
Verse 4 continues, "So they, being SENT FORTH by the Holy
Ghost, departed...." They were "sent ones." They left on their
first missionary journey to the Gentiles.
The New Testament never mentions missionaries, yet that is
an important office. It is here in the office of apostle.
A missionary will have the ability of all the ministry gifts:
He will do the work of the evangelist. He will get people
saved. He will do the work of the teacher. He will teach and
establish people. He will do the work of the pastor. He will
pastor and shepherd people for a while.
In studying closely the life of the Apostle Paul, we note that
he said he never built on a foundation someone else had laid. He
endeavored to preach the Gospel where Christ was not named
(Rom. 15:20), and he always stayed in a place from six months
to three years.
His real calling was not to be a pastor, but he stayed long
enough to get his converts established in the truth before moving
on.
Some wonder if there are apostles today. No one, not even
Paul, could be an apostle in the sense the original twelve were.