"Evolving Apostles" - By Apostle Reginald D. Thompson

God is progressively restoring the Church to its New Testament pattern. This pattern involves Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists and Prophets, but will not be complete until the apostle is fully restored according to Ephesians 4:11. At this point, apostles are a missing link in the chain of ministry God has designed to operate in the body of Christ if not evolving.

The apostle is needed until the body reaches maturity. It is illogical to think God would hold back apostles at this critical season, especially considering the vital role they play in expanding the Early Church. The most profound aspects of the apostles’ ministry is their spiritual matrix. The make-up includes Fortitude, Strength, and Authority. Their impact on the church deals with Building, Structure, and Government.

In the scriptures there is a sovereign calling of apostles by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Situated in 1 Corinthians 12:28, the English word "first" in the Scripture is translated proton meaning, "first in time, place, and rank.” First means Everything above second. Preceding all others in time, order, or importance, the chief component or instrument is one who arrives before all others. The apostolic grace will propel one to go first in all things.

Apostles are leadership gifts given to the church to equip every believer for the work of ministry. They are set in the church to impart that which is lacking in training and governmental structure according to Ephesians 4:12. The basic meaning of the word apostolos translated as apostle is one who is sent forth with a message. So then, an apostle is a messenger. Forever, an apostle’s ministry is more than just sent forth with a message. An apostle, being a sent-one, is derived from the Greek word apo-stello.

The two Greek root words apo and stello make up the English word messenger. Stello means dispatched on an expedition as one who has been commissioned and sent out on a journey Whereas apo means to be “sent out of and away from.” So then, apo-stello translated messenger means, To be sent forth, Out of, Away from, and On assignment.

In 306 AD, during the Council of Nicaea, the priesthood of all believers saw a shift as a series of bishops began to take on a more prominent role. These bishops were thought to be direct descendants of the 12 Apostles, through a ceremony conducted by the laying on of hands. This ordination conclave was for choosing bishops which was called apostolic succession. This institution of bishops was established for the defense of sacred validity. These bishops were said to be the sole successors of the apostles as ordainers of other ministers and governors both or pastors and people. They were uniquely different from others and possessed a special, almost mystical, authority. The unbroken lineage of bishops were said to be the only ones that possessed the keys to the tracing of ecclesiastical government. A bishop within any lineage traced back to any of the disciples has taken on an apostolic call assignment to carry out.

The call of God on any ascension (doma) gift belongs solely to God’s sovereign will. God is the only one who will call an apostle into ministry. Apostleship is a direct call of God by His sovereign will alone to be master builders as architects in the Apostolic See. Just like an architect, an apostle has the ability to receive and implement God’s divine design for His Church and see the finished product and has the ability to involve all the necessary participants to complete the vision.

The true evolving apostolic paradigm is needed to gather, teach, equip, assign, target, build, shape, and deploy teams and disciples with grace, favor, and everything we need to be successful in ministry which are given to us to accomplish our task when we are within our metron. Grace is the power to advance beyond our own abilities.