There are a lot of pretenders to the office of apostle in these times. But God is beginning to deal with some of them. The qualifications for a true apostle are found in 1Cor. 4:9-13, 9:1, written by Paul, a true, mature apostle. These two scriptures provide good barometer for discerning a real apostle versus a false apostle.
1 Corinthians 4:9-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle [a]to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! 11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. 12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we [b]entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.
So we see that true apostles live a life of deep humility and great suffering for the cross of Christ.
Also, the Word of God is clear that true apostles have been visited in person, not just in dream or vision, by our Lord Jesus:
1 Corinthians 9:1
Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?
There are many who claim to be apostles who have never received a face to face, person to person visitation from Jesus. Again, the evidence of a true apostolic calling is a face to face meeting with Jesus where he manifests in person and calls the future apostle to that office. This is not just a dream or a vision but an full on, open visitation.
Anyone how claims be an apostle but who does not qualify according to these two scriptures is a false apostle.
Be careful of false apostles, there are a lot of them.
Steve Pursell, 2/2/19