Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:1)

Here we consider the question of whether it is possible for there to be apostles today, at least in principle. We say “in principle” because whether there are actual apostles today is a separate issue and is irrelevant to the question itself. Even if no one possesses a ministry of giving, there is no teaching in Scripture and no fact in the world to eliminate the possibility that there could be one who exercises such a ministry. Perhaps God would raise up two thousand of them by tomorrow. Thus even if there are no apostles today, it does not necessarily mean that the ministry has ceased in principle, and even if the ministry has not ceased in principle, it does not necessarily mean that there are apostles today. Right now we are interested in the possibility.

Beginning from the assumption that the Bible has been completed, some argue that there cannot be apostles today, or it would open the possibility for additions to the Bible. But this is a foolish and desperate argument. We agree that the Bible has been completed, but this is irrelevant to the question, because the materials of most apostles were never included in Scripture.

It is doubtful that the production of Scripture was even among their main tasks. Instead, it appears to be a special work assigned to a small number of individuals, including those who were not necessarily apostles or prophets, such as Mark, Luke, and any editors involved. Although the most prominent writers of Scripture were prophets and apostles, and indeed the doctrines and messages came from divine inspiration given to them, the writing of Scripture remains a related but distinct issue from that of apostleship.

Just as God can even turn rocks into the children of Abraham, if he wishes, he can inspire even dogs and monkeys to write Scripture. And there are still dogs and monkeys today. Fools! Scripture was written not because there were apostles, but because there was a God. And no matter how much theologians wish it, God is not dead. If there are no more additions to Scripture, it is because God has stopped writing, and not because there are no more apostles.

Another argument is that an apostle must be an eyewitness to the Lord Jesus. Peter insisted that they had to “choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us” (Acts 1:21). However, Paul did not fit this description, and he was still recognized as an apostle. The requirement seemed appropriate for one who would replace Judas, but it was not a requirement for the ministry of the apostle. Nevertheless, Paul asserted that he saw Jesus, and thus it is said that to see Jesus remains a requirement for one to become an apostle.

This is an invalid inference from the text. It offers one of Paul’s possible meanings, but not the only one. He also said, “Am I not free?” and “Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?” But these are usually not emphasized as the necessary or exclusive credentials of an apostle. And the statement, “Am I not an apostle?” does not appear necessarily related to “Am I not free?” “Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?” and “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” These three points can apply to any person who is not an apostle, including seeing Jesus in the flesh or in a vision. Paul himself insisted that Jesus appeared to more than five hundred people after his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:6).

Therefore, seeing the Lord does not turn a person into an apostle, and there is no conclusive evidence that it is necessary to see the Lord for a person to be an apostle. But for the sake of argument, let us suppose that it is indeed a necessary qualification for a person to be an apostle, why is this impossible today? Paul acknowledged that God put him on a different schedule, since other apostles in his day were followers of Jesus in the flesh, while he saw Jesus in special appearances after his ascension. He insisted that his apostleship was genuine and legitimate apart from the endorsement of the other apostles, or those who followed Christ in the flesh. He wrote that when God first revealed Christ to him, “I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was” (Galatians 1:16-17). It would be some years afterward that he met the other apostles. He noted that they agreed with his doctrine and ministry. That was welcomed, but unnecessary. If they had disagreed with Paul, it would have meant that they were wrong. Christ directly commissioned Paul.

Thus even if it is a necessary qualification to see the Lord for one to become an apostle, this remains possible, and it is unnecessary for there to be other apostles to confirm it. Therefore, it remains possible at least in principle for there to be apostles today. But again, it has never been established that to see the Lord is a necessary qualification. And just as we would use the Scripture to test any person who claims a call to any position of spiritual leadership, we can test one who claims the call of apostleship by the biblical revelation already given.

Cessationists, or those whose faith in God’s miraculous gifts has ceased, sometimes mention this when they argue for their position. They say that if even those who affirm the continuation of spiritual gifts acknowledge that apostleship has ceased, then it is admitted that at least one gift has ceased. This makes all of us cessationists in a sense, and then additional arguments are attempted to show that other gifts have ceased as well. This line of reasoning entails multiple logical leaps and exegetical errors. But now we refuse to acknowledge that even apostleship has ceased, at least in principle. Instead, we charge the cessationists with criminal mishandling of the word of God. They would force a conclusion that they desire regardless of what the Bible says. They claim to guard the finality and sufficiency of Scripture, but what good is Scripture to them, if they distort it so much that they might as well write their own? They are imposters and hypocrites.

As for you, follow the wholesome teachings that have been entrusted to you. Reject the doubts and theories of men, but persist in your faith, that with God all things are possible, and that all things are possible to him who believes.