Original Word: ἀπόστολος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: apostolos
Pronunciation: ah-POS-toh-los
Phonetic Spelling: (ap-os'-tol-os)
KJV: apostle, messenger, he that is sent
NASB: apostles, apostle, apostles', is sent, messenger, messengers
Word Origin: [from G649 (ἀποστέλλω - sent)]

1. a delegate
2. (specially) an ambassador of the Gospel
3. (officially) a commissioner of Christ, "apostle" (with miraculous powers)

apostle, messenger, he that is sent.

From apostello; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers) -- apostle, messenger, he that is sent.

see GREEK apostello

Cognate: 652 apóstolos (from 649 /apostéllō, "to commission, send forth") – properly, someone sent (commissioned), focusing back on the authority (commissioning) of the sender (note the prefix, apo); apostle.

Word Origin
from apostelló
Definition
a messenger, one sent on a mission, an apostle
NASB Translation
apostle (19), apostles (52), apostles' (5), messenger (1), messengers (1), is sent (1).

STRONGS NT 652: ἀπόστολος

ἀπόστολος, ἀποστόλου, ὁ;

1. a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders (Herodotus 1, 21; 5, 38; for שָׁלוּחַ in 1 Kings 14:6 (Alex.); rabbinical שְׁלִיחַ): John 13:16 (where ὁ ἀπόστολος and ὁ πέμψας αὐτόν are contrasted); followed by a genitive, as τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, 2 Corinthians 8:23; Philippians 2:25; ἀπόστολον ... τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν the apostle whom we confess, of Christ, God's chief messenger, who has brought the κλῆσις ἀπουρανιος, as compared with Moses, whom the Jews confess, Hebrews 3:1.

2. Specially applied to the twelve disciples whom Christ selected, out of the multitude of his adherents, to be his constant companions and the heralds to proclaim to men the kingdom of God: Matthew 10:1-4; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:26; Revelation 21:14, and often, but nowhere in the Gospel and Epistles of John; ("the word ἀπόστολος occurs 79 times in the N. T., and of these 68 instances are in St. Luke and St. Paul." Lightfoot). With these apostles Paul claimed equality, because through a heavenly intervention he had been appointed by the ascended Christ himself to preach the gospel among the Gentiles, and owed his knowledge of the way of salvation not to man's instruction but to direct revelation from Christ himself, and moreover had evinced his apostolic qualifications by many signal proofs: Galatians 1:1, 11; Galatians 2:8; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 9:1; 1 Corinthians 15:8-10; 2 Corinthians 3:2ff; 12:12; 1 Timothy 2:7; 2 Timothy 1:11, cf. Acts 26:12-20. According to Paul, apostles surpassed as well the various other orders of Christian teachers (cf. διδάσκαλος, εὐαγγελιστής, προφήτης), as also the rest of those on whom the special gifts (cf. χάρισμα) of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed, by receiving a richer and more copious conferment of the Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11. Certain false teachers are rated sharply for arrogating to themselves the name and authority of apostles of Christ: 2 Corinthians 11:5, 13; Revelation 2:2.

3. In a broader sense the name is transferred to other eminent Christian teachers; as Barnabas, Acts 14:14, and perhaps also Timothy and Silvanus, 1 Thessalonians 2:7 (6), cf. too Romans 16:7 (?). But in Luke 11:49; Ephesians 3:5; Revelation 18:20, 'apostles' is to be taken in the narrower sense. (On the application of the term see especially Lightfoot on Galatians, pp. 92-101; Harnack, on 'Teaching etc. 11, 3 [ET]; cf. BB. DD. under the word)

Overview

Strong’s Greek 652, ἀπόστολος, denotes a person personally sent with full authority to represent the sender. In the New Testament it describes those chosen and commissioned by Jesus Christ, together with a small circle of later appointees, who bear foundational authority for proclaiming the gospel, establishing churches, and penning inspired Scripture. Eighty occurrences trace the word from the calling of the Twelve in the Gospels to the eschatological vision of Revelation.

The Twelve Apostles of the Lamb

Matthew 10:2–4; Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Acts 1:13 enumerate the original twelve disciples whom Jesus “also designated as apostles.” Their commission was two-fold: to be with Him (relationship) and to be sent out to preach and to exercise His authority over demons and disease (mission). After Judas’s betrayal, Matthias was chosen by lot “to become an apostle” (Acts 1:26), preserving the symbolic number that reflects the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Revelation 21:14).

Qualifications and Commission

Acts 1:21–22 specifies three qualifications for the original circle: (1) personal accompaniment with Jesus from John’s baptism to the Ascension, (2) eyewitness testimony of the resurrection, and (3) direct appointment by the risen Lord. The risen Christ confirmed and empowered them: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Their authority thus rests on divine call, not human initiation (Galatians 1:1).

Authority and Mission

Apostolic authority is corporate and charismatic: corporate in that the apostles act as a recognized body (Acts 2:42; Acts 4:35; Acts 5:2), and charismatic in that the Spirit grants power for signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; Acts 5:12). They pronounced doctrinal judgments (Acts 15:6, 23), laid hands for Spirit-impartation (Acts 8:14–17), appointed elders (Acts 14:23), and formed the doctrinal “foundation” upon which the Church is built (Ephesians 2:20).

Apostolic Teaching and Doctrine

The earliest believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42). Peter places apostolic instruction on par with the prophetic Scriptures (2 Peter 3:2). Jude exhorts the Church to “remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 17). The letters they authored, preserved in the New Testament canon, continue to norm faith and practice.

Signs Authenticating Apostleship

Miracles authenticated true apostolic ministry: “The true marks of an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles—were performed among you” (2 Corinthians 12:12). Such works confirmed the divine message and distinguished genuine apostles from imitators (2 Corinthians 11:13).

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles

Paul’s self-designation saturates his epistles (Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1). Though not among the Twelve, he meets the core criteria through a post-resurrection appearance of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:8–9) and a direct commission “not from men nor by man” (Galatians 1:1). He insists that his apostleship is validated by the fruit of Gentile conversion (1 Corinthians 9:2) and by manifestations of power (Romans 15:18–19).

Other Recognized Apostles in the New Testament

Scripture widens the term to a few others personally commissioned by the risen Christ or by the Spirit through the Church:
• Barnabas, alongside Paul (Acts 14:14).
• Silas and Timothy, “apostles of Christ Jesus” in 1 Thessalonians 2:6.
• Andronicus and Junias, “outstanding among the apostles” (Romans 16:7).
• James the Lord’s brother (Galatians 1:19).

These individuals share in missionary labor and church-planting authority while remaining subordinate to the foundational role of the Twelve.

Christ, the Supreme Apostle

Hebrews 3:1 uniquely titles Jesus “the apostle and high priest of our confession.” He is the paradigm of all who are sent, for the Father invested Him with absolute authority (John 20:21).

False Apostles and the Call for Discernment

Counterfeits arise early. Corinth faces “false apostles, deceitful workers” (2 Corinthians 11:13). The church in Ephesus is commended: “You have tested and proved those who call themselves apostles but are not” (Revelation 2:2). The standard of truth includes fidelity to apostolic doctrine, moral integrity, and divine empowerment.

Eschatological and Ecclesiological Significance

The eschaton vindicates apostolic foundation. The New Jerusalem’s wall has “twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14). With prophets, apostles constitute the once-for-all foundation (Ephesians 2:20); subsequent generations build upon it but do not replicate it in kind. Apostolic office, therefore, is historically unique, yet its teaching continues through Scripture and the ongoing witness of the Church.

Lasting Legacy

From Pentecost to the completion of the canon, apostles guide, teach, and guard the deposit of faith. Their inspired writings, authoritative example, and Christ-centered preaching remain normative: “Recall…the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles” (2 Peter 3:2). The Church today stands under that same authoritative Word, confessing with the early believers that it is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20).

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