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An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the
verb A verb is a word that generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual description of English, the basic f ...
ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending off is usually to convey a message, and thus "messenger" is a common alternative translation; other common translations include "
ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
" and "
envoy Envoy or Envoys may refer to: Diplomacy * Diplomacy, in general * Envoy (title) * Special envoy, a type of Diplomatic rank#Special envoy, diplomatic rank Brands *Airspeed Envoy, a 1930s British light transport aircraft *Envoy (automobile), an au ...
". The term in Ancient Greek also has other related meanings. In
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
, the term was used in the
New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...
for
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
'
Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
(including
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...
,
James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...
, and
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
), as well as a wider group of
early Christian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and be ...
figures, including
Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...
,
Barnabas Barnabas (; ; ), born Joseph () or Joses (), was according to tradition an early Christians, Christian, one of the prominent Disciple (Christianity), Christian disciples in Jerusalem. According to Acts 4:36, Barnabas was a Cypriot Jews, Cyprio ...
, and Junia.Bart Ehrman - The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon
The Teaching Company, Lesson no. 4.
The term is also used to designate an important missionary of Christianity to a region or a group, e.g. Patrick, the apostle of Ireland, or Boniface, the "
apostle of the Germans Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of the church in ...
". Some other religions use the term for comparable figures in their history. The word in this sense may be used metaphorically in various contexts, but is mostly found used specifically for early associates of the founder of a religion, who were important in spreading his or her teachings. The term is also used to refer to someone who is a strong supporter of something.


Terminology

The term ''apostle'' is derived from
Classical Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archa ...
ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), meaning "one who is sent off", from στέλλειν ("stellein"), "to send" + από (''apó''), "off, away from". The literal meaning in English is therefore an "
emissary Emissary may refer to: __NOTOC__ Arts and entertainment Star Trek * Benjamin Sisko, the Emissary of the Prophets, the Bajorans' gods * "Emissary" (''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''), the pilot episode of ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' * "The Em ...
" (from the Latin ''mittere'', "to send", and ''ex'', "from, out, off"). The word ''apostle'' has two meanings: the broader meaning of a messenger and the narrower meaning of an early Christian apostle directly linked to
Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. The more general meaning of the word is translated into Latin as ''missiō'', and from this word we get ''missionary''. The term only occurs once in the
Septuagint The Septuagint ( ), sometimes referred to as the Greek Old Testament or The Translation of the Seventy (), and abbreviated as LXX, is the earliest extant Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible from the original Biblical Hebrew. The full Greek ...
. But
Walter Bauer Walter Bauer (; 8 August 1877 – 17 November 1960) was a German theologian, lexicographer of New Testament Greek, and scholar of the development of Early Christianity. Life Bauer was born in Königsberg, East Prussia, and raised in Marburg, ...
in his '' Greek-English Lexicon'' relates the term to the rabbinical idea of a
Shaliah In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ (, ; pl. , ''sheliḥim'' or ''sheliah'', literally "emissary" or "messenger") is a legal agent. In practice, "the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself." Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal sig ...
, or agent: "
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
had an office known as apostle ( שליח)". The ''Friberg Greek Lexicon'' gives a broad definition as one who is sent on a mission, a commissioned representative of a congregation, a messenger for God, a person who has the special task of founding and establishing churches. The ''UBS Greek Dictionary'' also describes an apostle broadly as a messenger. The ''Louw-Nida Lexicon'' gives a very narrow definition of a special messenger, generally restricted to the immediate followers of Jesus, or extended to some others like Paul or other
early Christians Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and bey ...
active in proclaiming the
gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...
. The adjective ''apostolic'' () is claimed as a continuing characteristic by a number of prominent Christian churches (i.e., that a given church's traditions, practices, and teachings descend directly from the original apostles), and so finds wider modern application. The word is found, for example, in the "
Apostolic See An apostolic see is an episcopal see whose foundation is attributed to one or more of the apostles of Jesus or to one of their close associates. In Catholicism, the phrase "The Apostolic See" when capitalized refers specifically to the See of ...
", the official name for the
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
Papacy The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
; in the doctrine of
apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the Christian ministry, ministry of the Christian Church is considered by some Christian denominations to be derived from the Twelve Apostles, apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been ...
, held by many branches of Christianity; and in the
Four Marks of the Church The Four Marks of the Church, also known as the Attributes of the Church, describes four distinctive adjectives of traditional Christian ecclesiology as expressed in the Nicene Creed completed at the First Council of Constantinople in AD 381: " e ...
("one, holy, catholic, and apostolic") found in the
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed The Nicene Creed, also called the Creed of Constantinople, is the defining creed, statement of belief of Nicene Christianity and in those Christian denominations that adhere to it. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Counci ...
.


Judaism

"Apostoloi" was the official name given to the men sent by the rulers of Jerusalem to collect the half-shekel tax for the Temple, the tax itself being called "apostolé".


Christianity


New Testament

Before their sending away, the Twelve had been called Disciple (Christianity), disciples, or "students" (Latin ''discipulus''; Greek μαθητής ''mathētḗs''; Hebrew לִמּוּד ''limmûdh''; all meaning "one who learns"). Jesus is stated in the Bible to have sent out the Twelve Apostles, "whom he also named apostles" (), first before his death "to the lost sheep of Israel" (), and after his Resurrection of Jesus, resurrection, to Great Commission, spread the message of the Gospel to all nations (). There is also a tradition in the Eastern Churches of "Seventy Apostles", derived from the seventy disciples, seventy-two disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The title ''apostle'' from the New Testament was also given to others in the reference to the Apostles in the New Testament. For example, Saint Patrick (373–463 AD) was the "Apostle of Ireland" who also shares that title with the Twelve Apostles of Ireland; Martin of Braga, Saint Martin of Braga (520–580 AD) who was the "Apostle to the Kingdom of the Suebi, Suevi"; Saint Boniface (680–755) who was the "Apostle to the German people, Germans";"Apostle." Cross, F. L., ed. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''. New York: Oxford University Press. 2005. . Francis Xavier, Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1522) who was the "Apostle of the East Indies"; José de Anchieta, Saint José de Anchieta (1534–1597) who was the "Apostle of Brazil"; and Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur, Saint Peter of Betancur (1626–1667) who was the "Apostle of Guatemala".


Modern-day apostle in the apostolic movement

A modern-day Apostle in the tradition of the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement, Apostolic-Prophetic movement is one who is "called and sent by Christ to have the spiritual authority, character, gifts and abilities to successfully reach and establish people in Kingdom truth and order, especially through founding and overseeing local churches”, according to Dr. David Cannistraci. An "apostle" is one who has a call to Church planting, plant and oversee churches, has verifiable Church planting, church plants and spiritual sons in the ministry, who is recognized by other apostles and meets the biblical qualifications of an Elder (Christianity), elder.


Pentecostal movements

In modern usage, Missionary, missionaries under Pentecostalism, Pentecostal movements often refer to themselves as apostles, a practice which stems from the Latin equivalent of ''apostle'', i.e. ', the source of the English word ''missionary''.


Latter Day Saint movement

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has always had, among its leadership, at least twelve individuals identified as apostles. Their primary role is to teach and testify of Jesus throughout the world. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Latter Day Saint movement), an apostle is a "special witness of the name of Jesus, Jesus Christ who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to the world." In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saint churches, an apostle is a priesthood (Mormonism), priesthood office of high authority within the church hierarchy. In the Latter Day Saint churches, apostles are members of the Quorum of the Twelve, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the church. Modern-day apostles are considered to have the same status and authority as the biblical apostles. Apostles and prophets are the foundation of the church, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone. The Articles of Faith (Latter Day Saints), Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith, mentions apostles: "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, Bishop (Latter Day Saints), pastors, Teacher (Latter Day Saints), teachers, Patriarch (Latter Day Saints), evangelists, and so forth."


Irvingism

The Catholic Apostolic Church was led by twelve "apostles" until the last one died in 1901. Some of the Christian denomination, denominations that descend from the Catholic Apostolic Church, such as the New Apostolic Church, are led by apostles. The Chief Apostle is the highest ranking minister in the New Apostolic Church.


Islam

In Islam, an apostle or a messenger () is a Prophets of Islam, prophet who is sent by God in Islam, God. According to the Qur'an, God has sent many prophets to mankind. The five universally acknowledged messengers in Islam are Abraham in Islam, Ibrahim, Moses in Islam, Mūsa, David in Islam, Dāwūd, Jesus in Islam, Īsā and Muhammad, as each is believed to have been sent with a scripture. Muslim tradition also maintains that Islamic views on Adam, Adam received scrolls as did some of the other Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs of the Generations of Adam. The term apostle or messenger is also applied to prophets sent to preach to specific areas; the Qur'an mentions Jonah#Jonah in Islam, Yunus, Elijah, Ishmael in Islam, Ismail, Shuaib and other prophets as being messengers as well. ''Sahabah'' refers to the companions, disciples, scribes and Family of Muhammad, family of the Prophets of Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. Later scholars accepted their testimony of the words and deeds of Muhammad, the occasions on which the Qur'an was revealed and various important matters of Muslim history, Islamic history and practice.


Baháʼí Faith

The Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh were nineteen eminent early followers of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. The apostles were designated as such by Shoghi Effendi, the head of the religion in the first half of the 20th century, and the list was included in ''The Baháʼí World'', Vol. III (pp. 80–81). These individuals played a vital role in the development of Bahá'u'lláh's Faith, consolidating its adherents and bringing its teachings around the world. To Baháʼís, they filled a similar role as the Jacob#Jacob's sons, sons of Jacob, the Twelve Apostles, apostles of Jesus, Sahaba, Muhammad's companions, or the Báb's Letters of the Living.


See also

* Apostol (disambiguation), first and family name * Apostolic (disambiguation) * Equal-to-apostles * Letters of the Living, the first eighteen disciples of the Bábí religion. * Seventy disciples, also known as the "Seventy Apostles" by the Orthodox Church *
Shaliah In Jewish law, a shaliaḥ (, ; pl. , ''sheliḥim'' or ''sheliah'', literally "emissary" or "messenger") is a legal agent. In practice, "the shaliaḥ for a person is as this person himself." Accordingly, a shaliaḥ performs an act of legal sig ...
* Twelve Apostles (disambiguation)


Notes


References


External links

*{{Wiktionary-inline Apostles,