By Tom Damour · August 19, 2026
Part 1 of 2
When talking about the authority behind apostolic teaching, the first thing to consider is where it comes from.
It wasn’t from the Church.
It wasn’t from a council.
It wasn’t from tradition.
It came from Jesus Christ.
The apostles were not just great teachers or early church leaders. They were chosen and commissioned by Christ. They were eyewitnesses to what Christ said and did. They heard Him preach. They saw the miracles He performed. They were present during His crucifixion. And they were the ones who testified to His resurrection. Because of this, they had the responsibility of sharing Christ’s teachings with others. That is why their teaching was authoritative.
In Acts we see that the first followers of Christ “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.”¹ The phrase is quite simple; however, it is very important. The early Church was not based on changing opinions. It was founded upon the teachings of those whom Christ had authorized.
Paul affirms the same idea when he writes that the Church was established “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.”² In construction terminology, a foundation is created at the start of the process. After a foundation is put in place, additional elements are constructed upon it. You don't continually lay new foundations throughout your building project.
Understanding this concept provides insight into the role of the apostles.
They were foundational.
They had exclusive authority.
They conveyed the message.
Later, the Church would be responsible for remaining loyal to what had been previously provided.
At times confusion occurs in discussions regarding apostolic teaching when individuals seem to imply that the only time the apostles communicated their teaching was through the written scripture.
This is obviously false.
The apostles taught orally.
They taught in homes.
They instructed local churches.
They prepared future church leaders.
They responded to questions and concerns.
They addressed error in their teaching.
Much of their communication occurred through spoken (oral) means.
Paul emphasizes this fact when he instructs the Thessalonian believers to “continue standing firm and hold fast to the traditions which you were taught…whether by word or our epistle.”
Therefore, there is no basis to dispute that oral teaching from an apostle would carry apostolic authority. If Paul verbally taught a local church something, his verbal teaching held apostolic authority regardless of whether he spoke it or wrote it down.
However, another question arises.
What happened after Paul died?
What happened after Peter died?
And what happened when the last apostle departed?
That is truly at the center of this issue.
The question is not if authentic oral teaching existed.
Of course, it did exist.
The question is how that teaching could be maintained in an accurate manner and verified after the apostles left to assure that the teaching was consistent with what they had originally stated.
The Apostles Taught Through Written Means and Spoken Means
Some confusion often arises within discussions concerning apostolic teaching due to some people’s view that the apostles taught solely through written scripture.
As noted above, Paul specifically states to the Thessalonian believers to "stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught…whether by word or our epistle."³ Therefore, there is no reason to disallow that spoken apostolic teaching was authoritative. If Paul personally taught a local church something, his oral teaching would have held apostolic authority whether he spoke it or wrote it down.
Testing Tradition Against Its Source
The term “tradition” found in the New Testament merely denotes something that has been passed down.
Therefore, this means that tradition itself is neither inherently good nor bad.
Christ rebuked specific practices that were based on tradition because they originated with man and were being used in such a manner as to supersede divine commandments. On the other hand, Paul commended believers for maintaining certain teachings which originated from the apostles.
Thus, the real debate is not if something is considered a tradition. The debate revolves around its origin.
If it originates from Christ through the apostles, it carries authority from the apostles.
If it developed after the apostles' departure, it may still be beneficial. It may be wise. It may be old. It may have been practiced by Christians for many generations.
However, mere age does not equate to originating from an apostle. This is an essential distinction to make. We cannot simply examine a later practice, backtrack through history for multiple centuries, and then presume it came from an apostle. The assertion must be proven.
Paul Directed Timothy to Safeguard the Teaching He Had Received
One of the most explicit examples of how apostolic teaching would continue appears in Second Timothy.
Paul directed Timothy:
“Deliver these things — (teachings) — to trustworthy men who will also be qualified to teach others too.”
Please observe what is occurring here. Paul teaches Timothy.
Timothy teaches faithful individuals.
These faithful individuals train others. Clearly, there is a line of succession.
However, what exactly is being passed down?
It is the teaching!
Paul never directs Timothy to inform those later teachers that they will now become new apostles. He never directs them to produce new revelations. He instructs Timothy to ensure that they pass along the exact same message.
That is the pattern.
Hold onto it.
Protect it.
Teach it. Pass it on!
Paul also instructs Timothy to "cling tightly to the standard [or model] of sound words" and to "protect [guard] the treasure [deposit]."
Those statements reflect a person who expects to protect something that has already been delivered rather than continuing to add new elements to a developing faith system for each successive generation of followers.
Similarly, Jude expresses essentially the same sentiment when he describes "the faith once for all delivered unto the saints."⁷
Therefore, as such, the Church's obligation is not to develop new forms of faith for subsequent generations. Rather, its obligation is to adhere to that faith already delivered.
Why Writing Became Essential
This is where Scripture plays such an essential role.
Questions & Answers
Q: Where does the authority behind apostolic teaching come from?
A: From Jesus Christ. It did not come from the Church, from a council, or from tradition. Christ chose and commissioned the apostles; they were eyewitnesses of what He said and did — they heard Him preach, saw His miracles, were present at His crucifixion, and testified to His resurrection. That is why their teaching was authoritative.
Q: Paul says the Church was built “on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” What does that picture show about the apostles' role?
A: A foundation is laid at the start of a building — you do not keep laying new foundations as the building goes up. The apostles were foundational: they conveyed the message, and the Church's responsibility ever since is to remain loyal to what was already provided.
Q: Did the apostles teach only through writing?
A: No. They also taught out loud — in homes, in local churches, preparing future leaders, answering questions and concerns, and addressing error. Paul told the Thessalonians to hold fast to the traditions they were taught “whether by word or our epistle,” so teaching spoken by an apostle carried apostolic authority, whether he spoke it or wrote it down.
Q: How can we tell whether a tradition is truly apostolic?
A: By its origin. “Tradition” simply means something that has been passed down, so tradition itself is neither inherently good nor bad. If it originates from Christ through the apostles, it carries apostolic authority. If it developed after the apostles' departure, it may still be beneficial, wise, or very old — but mere age does not make it apostolic. The claim that it came from an apostle must be proven.
Q: In 2 Timothy 2:2, what exactly is passed down from Paul, to Timothy, and on to others?
A: The teaching itself. Paul taught Timothy; Timothy was to deliver it to trustworthy men; those men would teach others. Paul never told those later teachers that they would become new apostles or produce new revelations. The pattern is: hold onto it, protect it, teach it, pass it on — what Jude calls “the faith once for all delivered.”
Summary Test
Answer each question, then open “Check your answers” to see how you did.
1. Where does the authority behind apostolic teaching come from?
a) The Church
b) Jesus Christ
c) A church council
d) Long tradition
2. True or false: a building's foundation is laid again and again as the building goes up.
a) True
b) False
3. True or false: the apostles taught only through writing.
a) True
b) False
4. How can we tell whether a tradition is truly apostolic?
a) By how old it is
b) By its origin
c) By how many people practice it
5. In 2 Timothy 2:2, what is passed from Paul, to Timothy, and on to others?
a) The office of apostle
b) New revelations
c) The teaching itself
Check your answers
1. Jesus Christ — It came from Jesus Christ, who chose and commissioned the apostles.
2. False — A foundation is laid once, at the start — the apostles were foundational.
3. False — They also taught orally — Paul cites teaching “by word or our epistle.”
4. By its origin — Age alone proves nothing; the question is whether it originates from Christ through the apostles.
5. The teaching itself — The teaching is what is handed down — hold it, protect it, teach it, pass it on.
End of Part 1.
For more information on the subject’s covered on this site simply click here: United Church of God
Part 2 of 2
Oral instruction functions extremely well while the instructor remains living and physically present.
You can ask Paul about what he intended to convey.
You can question Peter.
You can listen to him elaborate on a particular subject matter further.
Once the original apostles departed this life, however, this direct access ceased to exist.
Through writing, their instructional content took on enduring form.
Letters can travel where writers cannot travel.
Gospels can be read long after the original witnesses have died.
The instructional content of written sources can be duplicated, cross-checked against other duplicates, translated into different languages, studied extensively and read aloud publicly within churches.
John indicates that he wrote so that later generations would believe that Jesus is indeed Christ — The Son of God.
Writing did not reduce the authority behind the apostolic teachings.
Instead, writing allowed for that authority to endure for generations.
That is perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this discussion.
Through written sources containing the teaching of the foundational witnesses, believers across each successive generation can receive and study this teaching independently of a potentially unreliable sequence of memories.
None of this means the Church is unimportant.
The Church has a tremendous responsibility.
It must preserve the Scriptures.
It must teach them.
It must preach them.
It must translate them.
It must train faithful teachers.
It must correct false teaching.
It must pass the truth to the next generation.
Paul even calls the Church “the pillar and ground of the truth.”⁹
But a pillar supports something. It does not create what it supports.
That is the difference.
The Church serves the truth.
The Church does not become the source of truth.
Its authority is real, but it is a serving authority. Church leaders are responsible to remain faithful to the apostolic message. Their authority does not place them above that message.
The Pattern Is Clear
When we put all of this together, the New Testament gives us a clear pattern.
Christ is the source.
The apostles are the authorized witnesses.
They preach the message.
They write the message.
The Church receives it.
Faithful teachers guard it.
The next generation learns it.
Then they pass it on again.
That is how apostolic teaching continues.
The Church preserves the message, but it does not become a new source of revelation.
The apostles laid the foundation. The Church is called to build upon it faithfully.
That is why Scripture remains so important. It gives the Church a permanent, public, and testable record of the apostolic witness.
The safest place for the Church is not above Scripture, beside Scripture, or beyond Scripture.
It is under Scripture.
Christ stands above His Church.
The apostles bore witness to Christ.
And the Church must continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine until Christ returns.
Endnotes
Acts 2:42.
Ephesians 2:20.
2 Thessalonians 2:15.
Mark 7:8–13; see also Matthew 15:3–9.
2 Timothy 2:2.
2 Timothy 1:13–14.
Jude 3.
John 20:30–31.
1 Timothy 3:15.
What follows is a Q/A that a reader had after reading this post. I hope it will help you understand this important subject.
Question: “This brings up a question that I have wondered about. If there were no new apostles then, why are people taking the title now?”
Answer: “Hi Glenda, many who claim to be apostles do so in an attempt to project authority behind their ministry. That, of course, does not make them apostles.
Others who attempt to faithfully teach what the apostles taught, are not apostles either. They can, however, be called apostolic teachers. They are not apostles, but it does define the authority behind their teachings.
We read in Jude 17 we are "to remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ." He points out doing so will protect Christians from false doctrine.
Also, I ask you to consider Revelation 21:14-19 with emphasis on verse 14 "And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
Paul emphasized this when he taught that; "God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the corner stone, in whom the whole building being joined together is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22 LSB)
Questions & Answers
Q: Why did writing become essential after the apostles died?
A: Oral teaching works extremely well while the teacher is alive and present — you can ask Paul what he intended, question Peter, or hear him explain a subject further. Once the apostles were gone, that direct access ceased. Writing gave their teaching an enduring form: letters can travel where writers cannot, Gospels can be read long after the witnesses have died, and written teaching can be copied, cross-checked against other copies, translated, studied, and read aloud publicly in churches.
Q: Did writing the teaching down reduce its authority?
A: No. Writing did not reduce the authority behind the apostolic teachings. Instead, writing allowed that authority to endure for generations, so believers in each successive generation can receive and study the teaching of the foundational witnesses for themselves.
Q: Paul calls the Church “the pillar and ground of the truth.” Does that make the Church the source of the truth?
A: No. A pillar supports something — it does not create what it supports. The Church has a tremendous responsibility: to preserve the Scriptures, teach them, preach them, translate them, train faithful teachers, correct false teaching, and pass the truth to the next generation. But the Church serves the truth; it does not become the source of truth, and its authority is a serving authority — leaders must remain faithful to the apostolic message.
Q: What is the clear pattern this part ends with?
A: Christ is the source. The apostles are the authorized witnesses: they preach the message and they write the message. The Church receives it, faithful teachers guard it, the next generation learns it, and then they pass it on again. The Church preserves the message, but it does not become a new source of revelation — the apostles laid the foundation, and the Church is called to build upon it faithfully.
Q: Where is the safest place for the Church, according to this part?
A: Under Scripture — not above Scripture, beside Scripture, or beyond Scripture. Scripture gives the Church a permanent, public, and testable record of the apostolic witness, and the Church must continue steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine until Christ returns.
Summary Test
Answer each question, then open “Check your answers” to see how you did.
1. Why did writing become essential after the apostles died?
a) Writing sounds more official
b) No one could ask the apostles directly anymore, and writing preserves their teaching accurately
c) The Church required it
2. True or false: writing the teaching down reduced its authority.
a) True
b) False
3. Paul calls the Church “the pillar and ground of the truth.” That means the Church…
a) Creates the truth
b) Supports the truth, but does not create it
c) Can change the truth
4. In the closing pattern of this part, who is the source?
a) The Church
b) The apostles
c) Christ
5. The safest place for the Church is…
a) Above Scripture
b) Beside Scripture
c) Under Scripture
Check your answers
1. No one could ask the apostles directly anymore, and writing preserves their teaching accurately — Once the apostles were gone, writing gave their teaching an enduring, checkable form.
2. False — Writing did not reduce its authority — it let that authority endure for generations.
3. Supports the truth, but does not create it — A pillar supports something; it does not create what it supports.
4. Christ — Christ is the source; the apostles are His authorized witnesses.
5. Under Scripture — Not above, beside, or beyond Scripture — under Scripture.
End of Part 2.
For more information on the subject’s covered on this site simply click here: United Church of God
