In Peter C. Wagner’s book, Apostles and Prophets: The Foundation of the Church (Ventura: Regal Books, 2000), he argues
that Christ intended the church to be built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets according to Ephesians 2:19-20. He believes that the New Testament endorses the concept that the apostle and prophet are not simply
spiritual gifts that function in the body of Christ, but are governmental positions or “offices” that should be strategically operating in positions of ecclesiastical
authority. He notes that, even though the church has embraced the office of pastor, teacher, and evangelist, it has yet to submit to the leadership of the apostle and prophet, leaving the church disempowered and disengaged from its divinely appointment mandate. Wagner suggests that when the church decides to come under the intended authority of the apostle and prophet, it will experience a new level of influence in the world and a greater degree of power and blessing through the Holy Spirit. Wagner indicates that the office of the prophet began to emerge in the 1980’s, even though it was largely isolated from mainstream evangelical Christianity. Though the majority of church leaders rejected the prophetic office, believing that there were no new revelations other than the Bible, the movement continued to develop and, according to Wagner, is now powerfully influencing churches around the globe. He notes that the function of the prophet, similar to that of the Old Testament prophet, is to receive God’s divine revelation or “rhema word” and boldly declare it to the church. The author also argues that the office of the prophet is not only Biblical, but when “hitched” to the office of the apostle, is essential in fulfilling Christ’s design for church governance.
In the 1990’s, the office of the apostle emerged in some evangelical circles and, though not as controversial as the prophetic office, is creating a shift in the orthodoxy and praxis of traditional church government. Instead of working within the parameters of the traditional church governance model, such as Congregational or Presbyterian, the office of the apostle functions on a new level of authority, placing ultimate decision making ability on the individual as opposed to the congregation or committee. The apostle in this position receives a greater amount of spiritual authority from the Holy Spirit, providing a completely new level of spiritual authority to the church. Akin to the ministry of the apostle Paul, Wagner suggests that apostles operate within a sphere of influence over a specific network of churches or church leaders. Apostles also receive divine revelation, either directly from God or through their connection with the prophetic office, which provides spiritual guidance and instruction to their specific sphere of ministry.