The word apostle comes from the Greek word “apostolos” and means, “a delegate, messenger, a sent one”. In the New Testament it specifically applies to those who were commissioned and empowered by Christ to give witness to his resurrection and Kingdom.

It does not mean “top of the pecking order in the Kingdom of God”. It does not mean “in charge”. It does not mean “leader in governmental structure”. It does not mean “you are the spiritual boss”.

There are many people who claim to be apostles, and simply put – they are not. They may be apostles in their world, but not in Christ’s Kingdom. A true Biblical apostle is consumed with the testimony of Jesus Christ and has no desire to be exalted because his mission is to glorify Christ and make men followers of Jesus and not followers of himself.

False apostles are the easiest to identity, because they claim God speaks to them about everything from Jezebel to fulfilling your destiny. They rarely testify of Jesus Christ because he’s not their message. They cannot say as Paul said, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…” ~ Romans 1:1

Their apostleship is not of Jesus Christ, therefore their message is not saturated with the truth in Jesus.

If any claiming to be an apostle has a problem with their apostleship being judged by the standard of the testimony of Jesus, they prove by this that they are not true apostles.

The apostles who were personally ordained by the Lord Jesus Christ are the New Testament models for understanding what a true apostle is. The New Testament often refers to them as “the apostles”, even though there were other apostles after the inception of the New Testament Church, such as the apostle Paul.

They had a unique calling that no other ministers have ever had, not even the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah. Their unique calling was that of being personally selected by Jesus, the Son of God (who was God in the flesh,) and they were personally trained by him.

No other ministers have ever had such honor.

Jesus did not train them to be CEOs with Church government structure. There is not a single text in the New Testament where Jesus ever taught them to take a place of authority over other believers because of their apostleship. Jesus taught them the exact opposite.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. ~ Matthew 20:20-28

The very thing that many who claim to be apostles boast in (preeminence) is the very thing that Jesus was purging his true apostles of. Jesus trained his apostles to serve and to minister and not to exalt themselves, for there is only “one Lord”.

Those whom Jesus trained in the flesh have a uniqueness to their calling because their apostleship was first to the people of Israel to give witness that Jesus is the Messiah testified of in the scriptures. This witness is authoritatively ordained by God and stands forever as a witness to the world that Jesus is Lord.

Their calling and ministry for Christ should serve as the standard by which we understand the meaning of apostleship.

Paul, who was ordained as an apostle to the Gentiles testified of the same gospel. In fact, Paul went to the apostles who were commissioned by Jesus and shared with them the gospel he preached among the Gentiles to affirm that he was indeed preaching according the gospel given to them by Jesus.

When Paul went to the original apostles, it had nothing to do with “rank and file”. It was all about the message.

That is precisely what is wrong with the modern day apostolic movement – it is their message! Their message about Jesus is not the message preached by the apostles in scripture, and their message about the Kingdom is not the one taught by the apostles in scripture.

Many “apostles” within the apostolic movement think God has given them an “authoritative” position within the Church which rivals that of the original apostles. One of their founding leaders made this claim: “The second apostolic age began in 2001.”

No it did not!

There is no such thing as a second apostolic age.

This same “apostle” claims that you will not fulfill all the destiny that God has for you if you are not submitted to the apostolic alignment they claim to have from God.

That my friends is not the truth. Rather, it is manipulation, or witchcraft, and if you subject your soul to such spiritual deception, you will become a captive to real religious bondage rather than being a truly free person in Jesus Christ. You will be blind to what the scriptures really teach.

Do not submit your soul to such deception. Follow Jesus, and abide in him. Build your walk with God on the testimony and witness of his true apostles who gave us the New Testament, and submit to the humble who serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

A true leader in God’s Kingdom has no desire to have dominion over your spiritual life. His desire is that you become rooted and grounded in Christ. His joy is that YOU stand in Christ.

Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:24