Apostolic Alignment

Overview

For younger and older ministers alike, one of the most significant challenges is to define our approach to ministry, particularly in light of the many approaches to ministry outlined in Christian books and articles. In his book Kingdom Expressions, J.D. Payne lists fourteen approaches to ministry—including the church growth movement, the emerging church movement, the megachurch movement, the multisite church movement, the purpose driven movement, the seeker movement, and the spiritual warfare movement. Most of the movements he discusses have lessons to teach us, and many have significant weaknesses. Faithful ministry is multifaceted and systemic. Therefore, the main problem with many movements is what they fail to emphasize. Distorting one aspect of ministry jeopardizes the whole. For example, many movements do not prioritize the gospel—the good news that Jesus died and God raised him from the dead to save sinners—which must always be of first importance (1 Cor. 15:1–4). All such movements are fatally flawed, particularly when they reflect contemporary culture’s values more than the Bible’s teachings.

Because each of us is situated in a particular time and culture, and because we are sinful, no one sees with perfect clarity. So while it is hard to see and correct the blindspots in our ministries, looking to Jesus and his apostles is the way forward. More specifically, while all sixty-six books of the Bible are inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), the book of Acts and the letters of the New Testament—including those of Paul, James, Peter, and John—summarize how Jesus led his apostles during the first thirty to sixty years of the New Testament church. Therefore, studying those books in particular helps us align our lives and ministries to Jesus’s leadership in our day. By studying the apostles’ words and actions, we learn about Jesus’s vision for the church, the mission of the church, the nature of the gospel, and faithful approaches to evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.

Apostolic alignment is the process of adjusting our lives and ministries to Jesus and the way he led the church through his apostles. One of the major goals of this website is to summarize the apostles’ approach to ministry and apply it to contemporary settings.

Detailed Explanation

What is an apostle?

The word apostle (derived from the Greek word apostolos) means “messenger or envoy.” The term can be used to refer to Jesus, who is the ultimate messenger from God: “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession” (Heb. 3:1).

As it relates to mere human beings, the word can refer to:

  1. someone who carries a message to another (Phil. 2:25; 2 Cor. 8:23)

  2. an accredited missionary (Rom. 16:7)

  3. one of the founding, authoritative leaders of the church, including the twelve plus Paul, Barnabas, and James (Acts 1:26; 6:2; 14:14; Gal. 1:19; Eph. 2:20) (Moo, The Letter to the Romans, 40)

There has always been a place in the church for “messengers” (in the first sense of the word) and “missionaries” (in the second sense of the word). But there are no apostles today in the third sense of the word. Why not? Those apostles met two qualifications: (1) they saw the risen Christ with their own eyes (Acts 1:21–22; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15:7–9) and (2) they received their commission as apostles directly from Christ (Matt. 10; 28:18–20; John 20:21; Acts 22:21; 26:14–18; Rom. 1:1). Additionally, there is no evidence in the New Testament of an apostle (or anyone other than Christ) appointing another apostle. In other words, there is no evidence of apostolic succession. Instead, the apostles taught us to install shepherds/elders/overseers (which is one office in the New Testament) in churches, not to install apostles (Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). Related, in their letters the apostles directly addressed shepherds/elders/overseers as the leaders of the churches, not fellow apostles (Acts 20:17–38; Phil. 1:1; 1 Pet. 5:1–4). Therefore, other than Jesus’s first-century apostles, there have been no other apostles in the history of the church—no one who meets their qualifications or bears their authority.

For those reasons, shepherds/elders/overseers now lead the church and should not submit to anyone who claims the office or authority of the original apostles. However, men and women alike need to submit themselves to the apostles’ teaching. Shepherds/elders/overseers, in particular, should follow in the apostles’ steps as they lead within the church. The more they align themselves with the original apostles (such as in their understanding of the church’s mission and the gospel), the more they are apostolic in their desires, thoughts, and behaviors, but not in their office or authority.

What is the progression of apostolic alignment?

With the term apostle in mind, there is a historic progression that defines the nature of faithful Christian ministry in our day:

  1. From God the Father to Jesus

    Jesus is the ultimate Apostle—for God the Father sent him into the world as his messenger (Heb. 3:1). God sent Jesus to die on a cross for God’s people (John 3:17; 1 John 4:9) and to represent him in Jesus’s words and actions (John 5:19; 12:49). God granted Jesus universal authority (Matt. 28:18) and exalted Jesus as Lord over all (Acts 2:36; Eph. 1:22).

  2. From Jesus to His Apostles

    Jesus called twelve men to himself to serve as apostles for the church (including Matthias, given that Judas abandoned his position) (Acts 1:26; 6:2). Jesus raised up other apostles, including Paul, Barnabas, and James (Acts 14:14; Gal. 1:19), and perhaps Apollos (1 Cor. 4:6–9) and Silas (1 Thess. 2:6–8). Jesus led these men, and these men led the church (Eph. 2:20). As the Father sent Jesus into the world, so Jesus sent his apostles (and other disciples) into the world (John 20:21).

  3. From Jesus’s Apostles to Faithful Men

    Toward the end of the apostle Paul’s ministry, he wrote this to Timothy: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2). Timothy was not an apostle, but Paul commanded him to pass on sound doctrine to faithful men (2 Tim. 1:14)—particularly a clear understanding of the gospel (1 Thess. 2:4)—so that they could teach others. From Paul to Timothy to faithful men to others, we see four generations or waves of transmission. And Paul wrote to Titus: “But you are to proclaim things consistent with sound teaching. Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you” (Titus 2:15; cf. 2:1). Men like Timothy and Titus are examples of faithful men who received sound doctrine from the apostles and passed it on to others.

  4. From Faithful Men to You

    For the last 2,000 years, Jesus has used both men and women to pass on the faith to the next generation (Jude 3). However, there is a unique call on men to lead and teach within their homes, churches, and communities (Eph. 5:22–6:4; 1 Tim. 2:12–14; 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9). And so this chain of faithful men throughout the history of the church—men who have aligned themselves to Jesus and his teaching—has come to our generation, and to you. By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus invites each of us to align our lives to the apostles’ teaching and to minister faithfully in this generation, so that we will pass on the faith to a new generation of faithful men until Jesus returns.

What is the nature of apostolic alignment?

Once we turn from sin and trust in Jesus, how can we progressively align our lives to Jesus and the apostles’ teaching?

  1. Gathering: by gathering weekly with fellow believers for the purposes of fellowship, taking the Lord’s Supper in the context of a meal, studying the Word, praying, ministering to one another, and singing (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11–14; Heb. 10:19–25)

  2. Mission: by pursuing Jesus’s mission to “make disciples of all nations” in their networks of relationships (Matt. 28:19; cf. Mark 13:10; 14:9; Luke 24:44–49; John 20:21–23; Acts 1:8; 22:21; 26:16–18)

  3. Character: by striving for personal holiness: taking off the character of old man (Adam) and putting on the character of the new man (Jesus Christ) (Matt. 5:1–12; Rom. 13:8–14; Gal. 5:16–26; Col. 3:5–17; 2 Pet. 1:3–11)

  4. Marriage: for those who are married, by faithfully leading their wives, treating them as equals in personhood and value, and serving them as the ultimate servant-sacrificer-protectors of their families (Gen. 1:26–28; Eph. 5:22–33; 1 Pet. 3:7)

  5. Parenting: for those with children, by faithfully leading their children to know God through Jesus Christ, and then helping their children to follow Jesus (Deut. 6; Prov. 22:6; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21)

  6. Vocation: by working diligently and faithfully for the glory of God (Eph. 6:5–9; Col. 3:17; 1 Thess. 4:9–12; 2 Thess. 3:6–15)

  7. Evangelism: by getting equipped to share the gospel with family, friends, and neighbors with clarity and boldness (Rom. 10:13–17; Eph. 6:18–20)

  8. Discipleship: by getting equipped to teach Christians how to follow Jesus

  9. Leadership: by getting equipped to lead others to advance the Great Commission within their networks of relationships (Acts 14:23; 2 Tim. 2:2)

  10. Love for God: by worshipping him and obeying him according to his Word (Mark 12:28–34; 1 John 5:1–3)

By the grace of God, we are dedicated to helping men grow in each of those areas.

Equipping Others for Ministry

How can you equip others to evangelize, disciple, and lead other men? Imagine yourself as the next link in the chain of witnesses—a chain that stretches back 2,000 years to Jesus himself. Faithful men and women have passed down the gospel from one generation to the next, and we are the beneficiaries. Now it is our turn! Our network is committed to helping you develop new links in the chain of faithful witnesses—new links who will devote the rest of their lives to raising up other men to start, strengthen, and multiply both disciples and churches.

From a different perspective, imagine that you are running a relay race. For your leg of the race, your goal is to run well and to pass the baton cleanly to the next runner, who then runs well and passes the baton cleanly to the next runner, and so on. By the grace of God, our goal is to help you pass on sound doctrine—to men five to ten generations from you and beyond. From one runner to the next, we want to set up the next person for a lifetime of faithful, multiplying ministry.

How does this image relate, for example, to you teaching others about Jesus’s Great Commission or the gospel? We want to ensure that each man can clearly and succinctly pass on Jesus’s mission for the church: “make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19).

  • You teach (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations.”

  • Your disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations.”

  • His disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations.”

  • His disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The mission of the church is to make disciples of all nations.”

  • etc.

We also want to ensure that each man can clearly and succinctly pass on the gospel to the next generation: the good news that Jesus died and God raised him from the dead to save sinners (1 Cor. 15:1–4).

  • You teach (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The gospel is the good news that Jesus died and God the Father raised him from the dead to save sinners.”

  • Your disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The gospel is the good news that Jesus died and God the Father raised him from the dead to save sinners.”

  • His disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The gospel is the good news that Jesus died and God the Father raised him from the dead to save sinners.”

  • His disciple teaches (repeatedly and for a lifetime): “The gospel is the good news that Jesus died and God the Father raised him from the dead to save sinners.”

  • etc.

To extend the image, God can use you to pass on multiple batons to multiple men, who will pass on multiple batons to multiple men, until Jesus returns. But if one man drops the baton (by adding to or subtracting from the heart of Jesus’s mission, the gospel, or other essential truths), it will be that much harder for the next man to pick it up and pass it on to the next generation.

We look forward to partnering with you to help you reach this generation and the next for the name of Jesus.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. What factors make it difficult for Christian men to cast vision for and lead other men in the church?

  2. How can we overcome those obstacles?

  3. Through books, articles, and other information available on the web, it has never been easier to learn about different approaches to ministry. What criteria should we use to evaluate various approaches to ministry?

  4. What is an apostle? Do “apostles” in the third sense of the word still exist today? Why or why not?

  5. Summarize the diagram “The Way of Jesus and His Apostles” in your own words.

  6. Look at the list under the heading “What is the nature of apostolic alignment?” How would you (a) add to, (b) subtract from, or (c) modify that list? To stimulate your thinking, what would you want to say to a man who was marginally connected to a church and/or needed a fresh vision for his life and ministry? “By God’s grace, I want to help you in these ways: _____.”

  7. What factors interfere with you raising up men who will start, strengthen, and multiply churches? From a different perspective, what would it take for you to raise up men who started and led churches?