Who is an apostle and what does an apostle do? What is the impact of the apostolic ministry? What are the functions and responsibilities of an apostle?

The following points help us to identify and recognize apostles. To simply declare that God has placed you in the office of the apostle is not proof of having been appointed to the apostiolic ministry by God:

1. The calling of an apostle is confirmed by two or three independent witnesses, by other apostles, and by the people. acts 13:1-2
2. The apostle has a father’s heart. 1 Cor 4:15 many pastors are confused about their calling because they do not understand who they are as people or what their true ministry calling is. they are unsure if God called them to be pastors, evangelists or teachers. They need a mentor with the heart of a father to validate them and confirm their calling in Christ. Apostles provide spiritual covering for ministries, churches, and ministers. Through the Holy Spirit, God brings to the apostle’s attention churches and ministries that are without spiritual covering and that desire to work as a team for the building up of the kingdom. He also gathers together orphan ministers and leaders who are seeking spiritual fathers and gives them spiritual covering. Apostles are called to confirm gifts and ministries. Acts 19:5-6 The confirmation of an apostle brings strength, security, faith and conviction to an individual or a ministry.
3. Apostles are called to train and enable leaders and focus on making disciples.  They have the anointing to win lives for Christ, to disciple, train, teach, enable and lead people to understand God’s call on their lives. They identify leaders, give direction, and send them to do the will of God.
4. Apostles are called to impart the gifts and grace of God to the saints. These are imparted to help believers fulfill the call of God on their lives. believers will not move in the fullness of their potential unless they receive an impartation from someone with a greater anointing than themselves. Apostles are called to activate the believers in their gifts. Activation means to challenge believers to act upon the grace they have received. Apostles can revive and activate gifts in every believer, especially in those saints whose gifts are dormant. 2 Tim 1:6
5. Apostles are called to demonstrate the supernatural with signs and wonders. Acts 5:12,15 and,16 They always demonstrate what they preach, with powerful manifestations that include miracles, signs, healing, deliverance, prophecy, baptism in the Holy Spirit, and salvation.
6. Apostles are called to reveal new or forgotten truths to the body of Christ. Apostles always bring new revelations of biblical truths which are already written but that we have been unable to see because of religious traditions.
7. Apostles operate at a high level of divine wisdom. They have the wisdom to discern the true root of things, problems in the church or an individual, etc. They have the wisdom to apply the knowledge of God’s Word to daily life and to define strategies needed to reach the lost, gain resources and win cities and nations for the kingdom.
8. Apostles are pioneers. A pioneer is the first to establish himself and the first to lead the way for others to follow. He is a builder, an establisher, gaining a foothold. They determine the course of the future for the church. 1 Cor 12:28, They are called to be first not in worth and value but rank and authority. 1 Cor 12:28
9. Apostles are called to establish and to raise up new churches. The word establish means to set upon a solid and firm ground. Apostles establish churches with a Christ centered doctrine. 1 cor 9:2. True apostles are successful in establishing churches from the ground up. These churches become powerful, with strong leadership in evangelism, prophecy, deliverance, intercession, spiritual warfare, family restoration, and others.
10. Apostles are called to lay the foundation for churches. Eph 2:20 Apostles lay the foundation of the doctrine in a church and in the believer’s character thus ensuring that both will grow healthy and strong.
11. Apostles are called to judge and declare judgements in the church. To judge means to have the ability to discern, divide, judge correctly and to place on the balance a specific situation of a church. They have the ability to judge over any given situation or problem that may arise within a church. 1 Cor 5:3.
12. Apostles are called to reform. Apostles have the anointing to reform, renew, rectify and correct everything that has gone astray in the body of Christ, including such things as changing the way people see things, beliefs and obsolete methods
13. Apostles often face great opposition. The apostle’s ministry can often be identified by the great opposition it receives from the enemy, by the persecution it suffers from religious people, by the rejection it receives from pastors and ministries, by the criticism and judgment from people, and more. 2 Cor 12:7-8.
14. Apostles are called into battle. 2 Cor 10:4. Apostles have fighting spirit given by God. They have the breakthrough anointing to conquer the enemies resistance. Apostles battle against tradition, religious bondage and ignorance. They do it by teaching and preaching, intercession, spiritual warfare and by demonstrating the Word with miracles and healing. They are called to penetrate the kingdom of darkness. Isaiah 10:27. Apostles are anointed by God to penetrate the hidden and dark places, the hearts of people, cities and territories that have been overtaken by the enemy. Apostles penetrate into the kingdom of darkness by the revealed Word, intercession, and spiritual warfare as they take authority over the enemy’s stronghold.