So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. Ephesians 2:19-21 ESV

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. Hebrews 3:1,2 NKJV

Picture an unclenched hand. The five digits on the hand represent the five-fold ministry. The thumb is said to be the apostle, touching the other four offices (prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher). In doing so, the apostle is able to function in all five offices. This was one of the concepts I was taught years ago about the five-fold ministry. In addition to this, another concept taught throughout the years was the governing authority of the apostles and prophets. Scriptures such as Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Ephesians 4:11 were referenced to support the teaching of modern-day apostles.

It was understood to be the restoration of the office rather than the gift, and these modern apostles are said to have governing authority. Some may recognize this as the New Apostolic Reformation or the New Apostolic movement. Some may deny this movement exists or that there are individuals who perpetuate the teaching about governing apostles today. Some say the movement ended with Peter Wagner. I would propose this movement is both alive and well today and consisting of those who hold to governing apostles.

When governing is stated, it means submission to the vision and the authority of the apostle. Pastors who join apostolic networks are also expected to submit to the apostle, and those who would question the apostle are essentially questioning God. Bill Hamon wrote in his book Apostles, Prophets and the Coming Move of God, “It is almost impossible for individuals to humble themselves under God without humbling themselves in submission and relationship to Christ’s delegated representatives of Him to His Church.” In 2004, Rick Joyner wrote The Apostolic Ministry, stating, “The fastest growing part of the church over the last 2 decades has been what is now call the new apostolic movement.” In Apostles Today, C. Peter Wagner made this observation, “Will this movement sputter? In my personal interaction with large numbers of contemporary apostles, I have every indication that this is a new breed of Christian.”

There are current materials available pertaining to the New Apostolic Reformation. For example, the USCAL (United States Coalition of Apostolic Leaders) has an article titled Abuses and Blessings of the Contemporary Apostolic Movement. The third blessing in acknowledging apostolic leadership is “recognizing the apostolic can also help usher in a new apostolic reformation. The author of this article states under this blessing, “This reformation recognizes visionary leaders in each region that God has anointed to unite the Body of Christ and bring societal change. Often denominational bishops and/or superintendents are just gifted administrators without the leadership capacity to galvanize churches to reach a city or nation. Recognizing apostolic leadership (irrespective of denominational affiliation) can remove this bottleneck and release the authority and power of the Kingdom of God in a city.”

Modern-Day Apostles

In 2019, Che’ Ahn, the spiritual son of C. Peter Wagner, wrote a book titled Modern-Day Apostles. In this book, he discusses the characteristics of apostles today, and he acknowledges that the New Apostolic Reformation continues. Near the beginning of this book, after discussing passages concerning apostles in the early church he says, “We can now say we are living in the new apostolic age because God is restoring the truth that the gift and the office of apostle is for today.” A section titled “Modern Day Apostles-the NAR follows this. It is said that apostles are necessary to advance the Great Commission and “the gift and office of the apostle not only function today but we are living in a new age that Peter Wagner has defined as the New Apostolic Reformation.”

on page 39 of his book, he provides his working definition of an apostle, “An apostle is a Christlike ambassador with extraordinary authority called and sent out by Jesus Christ with a specific assignment to align the Church to bring Heaven’s culture to earth and fulfill the mandate to disciple nations.” Alignment by the way is to come under an apostle. On page 87, Che’ encourages the reader to align with an apostle and to get as close as you can to that apostle. This means “carrying the heart of the apostle. Following him as he follows Jesus. It means submitting to his authority. The closer you are, the more you will receive the blessing that comes with the alignment.” I was particularly interested in his chapter on apostles governing. With governing apostolic authority, he believes this pertains to the seven mountains of culture.

Thoughts to Consider

One pattern I noticed in a number of these books was the restoration of the apostolic office. It led me to ask some questions. If the NAR is not ongoing today and ceased with Wagner, and if there are no individuals who subscribe to the belief of apostles who govern the church and have authority as noted in the New Testament, what is exactly being restored? Restore means to return something to its original state. Why is Che’ saying we are currently living in an apostolic age known as the NAR if others are saying it does not exist?

It is my understanding that NAR is not an organization nor a denomination, and many do not claim this to be the case when referring to it. At the same time, there are apostolic networks and churches with governing apostles and local pastors who subscribe to such beliefs and would fall into this belief of NAR. The crux of this movement, and yes, it is a movement, is that apostles and prophets are being restored to their original function in the church, and that is an authoritative position. In spite of what some may say, there are individuals who believe their words and teachings cannot be questioned. Some have learned the hard way on this matter.

There were a few repetitive themes in several of the books about the New Apostolic Reformation, one being the Great Commission being dependent upon the restoration of the apostolic office. The Great Commission as instructed by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:18 is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ so as to make disciples of Christ and to teach people to follow and obey Christ. I wonder if the gospel has not gone forth for the past two thousand years.

Che’ Ahn stated in his book there is no apostle to the whole body of Christ. Yet Hebrews 3:1 refers to Jesus Christ as the Apostle and High Priest, One who is greater than Moses and who fulfilled what Moses said. In the words of a Bible commentator, “He is One sent from God to bring us good news. He is meant to be our example, and we are meant to do as He did”, which is to serve and to proclaim the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We come full circle with one more thing to consider. With the references to Ephesians 2:20, Ephesians 4:11, and 1 Corinthians 12:28, is it possible that the Word of God is apostolic in and of itself, meaning the apostles of Christ are still ministering and instructing us today through the written Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit? Would this not mean their ministry has not ended because the body of Christ has the Scriptures so as to grow in spiritual maturity? Why did the apostles create a leadership design where elders and deacons were set in place in every church, but yet the apostles of Christ with the exception of Judas were not replaced?

If you are asking questions, it is all right. If you are opening up the Bible for answers, that is even better. By looking at books referencing this movement and one foundational belief of this movement of governing apostles, we can see this is not a figment of imagination. It is not a myth.

Listen to the latest podcast for more content on this subject here: Is New Apostolic Governance a Myth? – The Lovesick Scribe Podcast | Podcast on Spotify