The Gift of Apostle is a spiritual gift of leadership ministry to God's people, Christ's Church (Eph.4:11-12).

Unfortunately, it's distinctive character has been thoroughly confused by the associated (1) unique foundation status of the Twelve Apostles in Christian beginnings, and the (2) widespread hierarchical view of Christian Church leadership.

spiritual 'gift of apostle' however derives from the Gift of the Holy Spirit given to all God's people at Pentecost in contrast to the pre-Pentecost designation of twelve leaders among Christ's disciples as apostles during His ministry to the Jews.

term 'apostle' is the English equivalent of the Hellenistic/Common (Koine) Greek word ἀπόστολος (apostolos) which essentially means an 'emissary'/'envoy'/'delegate'. It means more than 'messenger' for which the Greek used a different word.

term ἀπόστολος was not invented by Jesus. It was an existing term in His time and was therefore used by Jesus (its Aramaic equivalent) and His early church without it needing any explanation because its meaning was generally understood among the people at that time. Unfortunately, this term has been depreciated in some circles today to mean nothing more than 'missionary', which is a term so broad that it has no direct relevance to its special meaning as supernatural leadership equipment given by the Holy Spirit to Christ's Church in its beginning at Pentecost.

reliable clue (prejudice-free), as to how this word was understood in Christian circles at the beginning of Christian history, is its use in the Christian Didache (Διδαχή, 'Teaching'), a manual written for local churches probably in the area of Syria early in the second century AD. Although it's content contains a reaction to abuse of the believers by some calling themselves 'apostles', it gives also us a useful clue for us today when it says –

Obviously the Apostle Paul stayed longer than this in the churches in which he ministered, but, in spite of this Didache-over-reaction to abuse of the hospitality of Christian believers, there is still a basic understanding here that the ministry of an apostle is a mobile or traveling ministry. This is why the Word of God describes the relative function of the 'apostle' leadership gift as –

gift is not the top of any hierarchical church organisation! It is a reference to scope of ministry as being essentially mobile.

Unfortunately, due to the prestige of the first church apostles (not the Twelve, who are unique and irreplaceable as eye-witnesses), claims of apostolic 'office' are often used to enhance the top structure of church denominations, formal or otherwise. This is misleading nonsense! The words 'first', 'second' and 'third' are degrees in geographic scope of ministry and not a hierarchical pyramid of power.

But it has becomes worse than nonsense in some circles. Certain persons have elevated the status of those who call themselves 'apostles' to that of a so-called world-wide government of the Christian Church as under a spiritual military junta of 'generals'/'governors' appointed by the Spirit to rule over God's people. This demonic deception is no less in its future harm than was the corruption of the pastoral office in the local church's to that of a so-called shepherd-of-shepherds in an infallible Roman Pope, with all the abuse of God's people which that produced. These misguided 'apostles', many associated with the modern Church Growth movement, have declared that a new apostolic age began in 2001. Perhaps they forget that what began at Pentecost has never ended. The Spirit of God has not changed. His gifts of grace to equip God's precious purchased people are as real today as ever, no matter what misleading teachings have clouded the issue.

is really a beautiful gift of the Spirit which is first in the geographic scope of the pastoral/leadership ministry of God's people in pushing the boundaries of outreach in this world! The apostle has the widest scope or influence of ministry, moving among the churches in correction and encouragement to this end, even more than any prophet (such as Agabus) who would move intermittently as the Holy Spirit directed, whereas that of a teacher was necessarily narrower in geographic scope for teaching-continuity in the local pastoring ministry to a congregation. As 'sent-ones', proven apostles are to be supported in prayer and giving until this Gospel of Christ has reached all persons everywhere, for only then will the end come (Matt.24:14).

in understanding the examples of apostleship in our New Testament, it is important to note the Apostle John as a special example of a pre-Pentecost apostle who did not become an apostle to the Church.

He was one of the unique Twelve, appointed to the twelve tribes of Israel as Jesus said (Lk.22:30), and for this reason their number needed to be twelve on the Day of Pentecost for their repeat offer of the Kingdom of God to Israel (the twelve tribes), but after their rejection of that offer in the stoning of Stephen when James (one of that Twelve) was later martyred, no one replaced him. That special group of the Twelve had ended.

John is an example of the change. He was one of these Twelve at Pentecost, but after Pentecost and the final rejection by the nation Israel, John's ministry does not continue as an apostle to them. He is called a prophet in the Revelation, which is the Holy Spirit's gift to the Church in him which he had received at Pentecost. Whereas, Peter had become an apostle to the Christian Church, just as Paul, John's apostleship had ended with the ending of the offer of the kingdom to Israel. Hence, there is no evidence that John ever had a traveling ministry as would have been necessary of an apostle to the Church.