Apostle

Apostle derives from the Greek apostolos, one who is sent forth as an authoritative representative. Jesus is once designated an apostle in this sense (Heb. 3:1), and the term applies in a general sense to early Christian missionaries (2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25). In its primary New Testament meaning, however, “the apostles” refers to the twelve men specially chosen by Jesus, named in the Gospels and Acts, who were witnesses to his resurrection and were commissioned to lay the foundation of the church (Matt. 10:1–4; Acts 1:26; Eph. 2:20).

The qualifications for this original apostolate included direct call by Christ and personal witness of the resurrection (Acts 1:21–22), which is why Paul's apostleship, grounded in his Damascus road encounter with the risen Christ, required vigorous defense (Gal. 1:1; 1 Cor. 9:1). The apostles' teaching, preserved in the New Testament, carries foundational authority for the church in all generations. Paul also uses the term more broadly for certain authoritative ministers such as Barnabas (Acts 14:14) and possibly Andronicus and Junia (Rom. 16:7), generating ongoing discussion about the scope of the apostolic office.