What authority did these other Christian missionaries & church planters have?

This concludes my series on apostleship.

My previous post noted that the new testament extends apostolic terminology and privileges to people who were not part of the twelve, or Paul. These apostles seem to have the same authority as Paul and twelve to proclaim the authoritative word of God, but they are not given the same status as being personal touchstones of doctrine. This is because, as noted above, the twelve plus Paul have a unique role in salvation history, of being God’s Spirit-empowered foundational witnesses to Christ. But this foundational testimony, once established, comes with the authority of its ultimate author – ie: God – not merely its human authors – the apostles – nor whoever speaks it – missionaries, evangelists etc.

While the Holy Spirit performed a unique work in the twelve and Paul, consistent with their unique place in salvation history, that same Spirit operates in every believer, and can gift and lead them to truly and authoritatively proclaim that same gospel. God is free, through his Holy Spirit, to empower his messengers to perform miracles to validate the message, if and when God pleases to thus empower them. I do not think miracles have to accompany authentic evangelism; but they may do so.

Missionaries need to be sent to proclaim this authoritative doctrine, not in their own name, nor even the name of the original apostles, but in the name of God, whose gospel it ultimately is. In that sense, as they, in the power of the Holy Spirit, proclaim the true gospel of Christ, they are God’s apostles.