Why We Need to Stop Calling Leaders "Apostle" and "Prophet" (And Just Do the Work)

If you look around local churches here in the Philippines today, you’ll notice a trend. More pastors are putting titles like "Apostle" or "Prophet" on their tarpaulins, church banners, and Facebook pages.

For those of us who left the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church, hearing someone called a "Prophet" triggers immediate alarm bells. We know exactly what happens when one person’s words become unquestionable.

But what does the Bible actually say? If the Holy Spirit is still giving gifts to the church today, should we use these titles? Let’s clear this up.

The 3 Levels of Prophetic Authority

Remember our recent Investigating Adventism discussion about the biblical gift of prophecy? In the New Testament, prophetic authority breaks down into three distinct levels:

1. Level 1: Foundational, Infallible (Scripture). This is permanently closed. It belongs strictly to the Old Testament Prophets and New Testament Apostles. They laid the foundation once and for all (Ephesians 2:20).

"Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." Ephesians 2:20(NIV)

2. Level 2: Congregational, Fallible. This is the spiritual gift in 1 Corinthians 14. The gift is real and active today, but it’s not perfect. It’s human beings sharing what they feel God is impressing on them. That’s exactly why Paul commanded the church to "test everything" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

"Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21(NIV)

Level 3: General Edification. Everyday believers encouraging and comforting each other through the Holy Spirit.

As former Adventists, the hard truth we had to accept was that the SDA church treated Ellen G. White's writings as Level 1 authority. At best, her words should have been tested under Level 2.

What About "Apostles"?

The exact same logic applies to the title "Apostle." We have to separate the official office from the ongoing gift.

Dr. Wayne Grudem, who actually believes spiritual gifts are active today, makes a crucial point here. To officially hold the office of an Apostle in the New Testament, the requirement was strict: You had to have physically seen the resurrected Jesus and been personally commissioned by Him (1 Corinthians 9:1, Acts 1:21-22).

"Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?" 1 Corinthians 9:1(NIV)

"Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” Acts 1:21-22(NIV)

Since no one alive today meets that criteria, the capital "A" Office of the Apostle is closed. They laid the foundation. We’re just building the house on top of it.

The Lowercase "apostles" (The Sent Ones)

Does that mean apostolic work is dead? Not at all.

In Greek, the word apostolos simply means "a sent one." The New Testament sometimes uses it generically for regular messengers, like when Paul calls Epaphroditus "your messenger" (Grk. apostolos) in Philippians 2:25.

Today, this generic gift is alive and well. It’s the church planters heading into unreached barangays and provinces. It’s the cross-cultural missionaries. It’s the spiritual fathers overseeing networks of local churches. They are doing the Ephesians 4:11 work of building the body, but they do not hold infallible authority.

Why We Need to Drop the Titles

If the gifts of prophecy and missionary "sending" are still here, why drop the titles? Because titles carry weight, and these specific titles blur the lines of biblical authority.

It creates "untouchable" leaders. When a pastor calls himself an "Apostle," it sends a psychological signal that you cannot question him. It builds an unhealthy hierarchy where members are scared to test teachings against Scripture.

It repeats the Adventist mistake. Calling someone a "Prophet" today almost guarantees people will treat their words like the Bible. We left that behind for a reason. If modern prophecy is fallible and must be tested, stamping someone with the title "Prophet" is dangerously misleading.

It misses the point. Ephesians 4:11 gives us job descriptions, not VIP passes. True apostolic ministry is hard work. It's about serving the church, planting congregations, and equipping believers, not demanding the best seats at conferences.

God is still moving. The Holy Spirit is still equipping the church to preach, plant, and encourage. We can fully embrace the actual work without clinging to the titles.

Instead of calling a leader "Apostle," call them a church planter, a missionary, or just Pastor. Instead of calling someone "Apostle," simply recognize they have a gift for missionary work and carefully test their words against Scripture. Let’s protect the absolute authority of the Bible. The true Apostles and Prophets already laid the foundation, now, let’s just get to work.

FORMER ADVENTISTS PHILIPPINES

​“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”

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