Apostleship is one of many spiritual gifts that are identified in the New Testament. It comes from the Greek word apostolos and literally means to be a messenger. There are very few that debate whether or not the gift of apostleship has continued, as none can meet the criteria for apostleship.
Despite the fact that none can claim the title of an apostle, some try distinguish the difference between being an "apostle" and an "Apostle". The distinction that they make is between being a messenger and possessing the title of an Apostle. However, there is very little evidence to support this distinction.
How to receive the gift of apostleship?
The historical position of the church is that there were twelve apostles and Paul is a thirteenth. The name of the twelve apostles are as follows:
Peter
Andrew
James
John
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James
Jude
Simon
Matthias
These twelve are comprised of Jesus' disciples and then upon the death of Judas Iscariot, his position as the twelfth is taken by Matthias in Acts 1. During this process of selecting the twelfth apostle, the criteria for apostleship is established:
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:21-26
These are the three criterias established to become an apostle:
Somebody that accompanied Jesus for his entire earthly ministry
A witness to the resurrection of Jesus
Chosen by God to take part in the ministry of an apostle
Later in the New Testament Paul also identifies himself as an apostle which is confirmed among the apostles. He was alive during the ministry of Jesus and was among those that murdered Stephen (Acts 8:1), he witnessed the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4-6) and he was called to be an apostle by God (Galatians 1). Furthermore, Paul stood before the apostles and was approved by them as having a ministry to the Gentiles.
And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
Galatians 2:6-9
Paul later claims to the Corinthians that he demonstrated the marks of an apostle before them. In this he refers to many signs and wonders that apostles were able to do for the validation of their ministry (see my article on spiritual gifts). Paul claims he was not inferior to so called super apostles and that there were false apostles:
I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these super-apostles, even though I am nothing. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
2 Corinthians 12:11-12
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:13
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