The criteria for being an apostle is spelled out so clearly in this passage. It is not an office that anyone can simply take upon himself; he must be chosen by Jesus, and in this case that is accomplished with the casting of lots. What is more, he must also be a man who was with the disciples from the baptism of John until the ascension.

This then is what was required to be an apostle. An eyewitness who saw, touched, and spoke to Jesus. An earwitness who heard what Jesus said and was taught by him. A witness of the resurrection. Not someone who heard from someone else; not someone who read from a book or had a special dream. Someone who saw only the beginning but not the end. No, he must be a witness who was there in flesh and blood.

One clear implication of this criteria is that there can be no apostles today. The work of the apostles was to lay the foundation of the church. Their testimony is what we find in the New Testament Scriptures. When they passed away, their work was finished. They were not replaced. (Judas is replaced because he betrayed Jesus and abandoned his office, not because he died.) As much as we might find well-meaning Christians using the title apostle, they are mistaken because with the death of the chosen eyewitnesses, the apostolic office has ceased to exist. It has not been passed along through laying on hands. It is done and finished.