Exploring Apostleship in the New Testament: Culver's Critique

Introduction This is a journal article critique of Robert D. Culver’s “Apostles and the Apostolate in the New Testament” published in the April to June 1977 issue of Bibliotheca Sacra, a Dallas Theological Seminary publication for over 165 years which concentrates in the studies in theology, Bible exposition, and ministry. The author of this article Robert Culver was a professor of Theology who taught a combined 25 years at Wheaton College and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was an author, preacher, pastor and teacher right up until his death at 98 years old. His most noted publication was the massive 1200-page Systematic Theology: Biblical & Historical in 2005. The examination of Apostles in the New Testament is covered under

Culver challenges this issue with the legitimacy of this assertion. However, Culver believes it could be feasible because of the linguistic background of the Greek and Hebrew usage of the word in the Old and New Testaments, “the reader of the Bible must decide what it means from the way it is used.” He examines the linguistic background of the word in the Bible, first with the Old Testament and then moving onto and primarily concentrating on the New Testament usage of the word. Culver writes that the background of “the word apostle in the older Greek literature was a special maritime term or military term” simply meaning to be sent away. Culver then proceeds to the background in Jewish usage with its roots in the Old

However, it is this author’s opinion that he does not supply enough evidence to support his case. Each of the six essential features of an Apostle can still be applied today depending on the way the reader interprets these features. There are numerous Biblical references that demonstrate that modern day Apostles still continue to function in the church today. Jesus Christ gave spiritual gifts through the Holy Spirit after His resurrection to edify His Church. They are part of the “fivefold” ministry and are just as valid and needed in the Church today. The “building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:12) requires all five of the spiritual gifts given by Jesus Christ Himself in Eph. 4:11, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers.” Apostles are provided by Jesus Christ to equip His saints for His service here on earth. Scripture is very clear that “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit” (Eph. 2:20-22). Jesus Christ was and still is the cornerstone of the Church, just as the Apostles were the foundation then and