Most of Paul's thirteen epistles begin by establishing his credentials as an apostle, specifically as the apostle to the gentiles (ironically, as he was trained as a Pharisee, an especially strict group among orthodox Jews). Paul claims he became an apostle through the will of God. In his first epistle to the church in Corinth, he explains the importance of his apostolicity most completely: “Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, still without doubt I am one to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord” (see 1 Corinthians 9:1–2).

Missionary

The word apostle means “sent one,” a synonym for “missionary.”Yet from Jesus' way of selecting and commissioning the Twelve (as discussed in Chapter 5), he was using the word apostle as an office apart from and above others in the church. And Paul in Corinthians reinforces this meaning and undoubtedly elevated its understanding to the early church. Moreover, his words, which follow, leave little doubt that he considered the apostolic office the church's highest after the Ascension of its Founder and Head:

“And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?”(1 Corinthians 12:28–29).

Apostolicity the Seal

Even Protestants who broke from authoritarian church hierarchies in the Reformation considered being an apostle the seal of God, as referred to earlier in the formula, “Apostolicity was the norm of canonicity,” meaning that when the New Testament books were collected in one volume and given the church's seal as the Word of God, those written by apostles or companions of apostles were in, and the many other books of the time that dealt with Jesus and early church leaders were out.

Though the twenty-seven books that now make up the New Testament were all written, according to tradition, by A.D. 100, they were not declared to be the official New Testament until near the end of the fourth century. In one way, it is remarkable it took so long for the church fathers to recognize their New Testament as the Word of God. The New Testament itself constantly cites the Old Testament as the church fathers knew it in its widely circulated version in their generation, The Septuagint (a Greek version of the Old Testament dating from the third century B.C.).

Paul, for example, writes to Timothy: “From childhood you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness in order that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped to all good works” (see 2 Timothy 3:15–17).