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Qualifications Of An Apostle – Are There Any Modern-day Apostles?

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Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles Tags:

Qualifications of an ApostleA querist asks, “I’ve heard of the Mormons and other religious groups all claiming to have present-day apostles. My question is, what qualified an individual to be an apostle of Christ in the first century?” In other words, What are the qualifications of an Apostle?

Just as there were false apostles in the first century (2 Corinthians 11:13 ; Revelation 2:2 ) as well as false teachers and prophets (2 Peter 2:1 ), there are false apostles today in various denominational organizations.
According to the inspired word of God, the qualifications were as follows:

  • Apostles had to be eye-witnesses of Jesus and His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22; Acts 10:39-42; Acts 22:14; 1 Corinthians 9:1).
  • Apostles had to be selected by Christ Himself (Matthew 10:5; Mark 3:13-14; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:24-26; Acts 9:15; Acts 22:14-15,21; Acts 26:16).
  • Apostles had the authority and power from Christ, to heal all manner of sicknesses and disease, plus the authority and power to cast out unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1; cf. Mark 3:13-15; Acts 5:12-16; Acts 16:16-18; Acts 19:11; Romans 15:18-19; 2 Corinthians 12:12).
  • Apostles could transfer miraculous power to others by the laying their hands on others (Acts 6:5-6; Acts 8:17-18; Acts 19:6; Romans 1:11; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6).
  • Apostles could speak in foreign languages without having studied them (Mark 16:17; cf. Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 30).
  • Apostles could drink deadly poison and handle deadly snakes without harm coming to them (Mark 16:17-18; Acts 28:1-6).

There are no men today that meet the above qualifications, thus any so-called apostles are false apostles.

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