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Office of an Apostle

Who is an Apostle

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(Gk. apostolos [ajpovstolo”]): Envoy, ambassador, or messenger commissioned to carry out the instructions of the commissioning agent.

Etymology and Usage of the Term

• Pre-Christian Use: The noun apostolos is rare; the verb apostello (to send) was more common, often referring to a fleet or embassy. Herodotus (1.21; 5.38) uses it for a personal envoy, Josephus once in Antiquities 17.11.1. Epictetus describes the ideal Cynic teacher as one “sent by Zeus” to oversee human affairs.

• Septuagint: Uses apostello [ajpostevllw] or exapostello [ejxapostevllw] ~700 times to translate Hebrew salah (“stretch out, send”). It emphasizes the authorization of a messenger, not just the act of sending. The noun apostolos appears only in 1 Kings 14:6, denoting commissioning and empowerment.

• New Testament: Apostolos occurs 79 times (10 in Gospels, 28 in Acts, 38 in Epistles, 3 in Revelation), mostly in Luke-Acts (34) and Pauline epistles (34), referring to those appointed by Christ for a special function in the church. Qualification includes witnessing the resurrection and being commissioned by the risen Lord to proclaim the gospel.

Apostles in the New Testament

• Applied to Jesus: Called the Sent One of God (Heb 3:1), and implicit throughout his ministry, especially in John. As the Father sent Jesus, he sends out his disciples (John 4:38; 17:18). All apostleship finds meaning in Jesus as the Apostle.

• The Twelve:

  • Chosen to be with Jesus and sent as apostles.

  • Four lists in the New Testament (Matt 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13).

  • Matthew and Mark mention “apostles” mainly in missionary contexts; Luke applies it almost exclusively to the Twelve.

  • Qualifications: Called and sent by Christ, witnessed the resurrection (Acts 1:21-22).

  • Symbolism: Twelve disciples reflect the twelve tribes of Israel, showing God’s saving work. Mission primarily to Israel, though not confined to Jews.

• Paul the Apostle:

  • Not one of the original Twelve, but called directly by Christ (Rom 1:1; Gal 1:1; Acts 9:3-5).

  • Recognized as an apostle to the Gentiles, commissioned by divine grace, not by human authority.

  • Uses the term “apostle” broadly (messenger) and specifically (commissioned by Christ).

  • Life of an apostle involves self-sacrificial service and suffering (1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 4:7-12).

  • Other apostles in Paul’s view: Peter, James, Barnabas, and possibly others (Rom 16:7).

Summary of Apostolic Concept

1. An apostle is one sent by Christ, empowered to teach, preach, and establish the church.

2. Apostolic authority is based on divine commissioning and witnessing the resurrection.

3. Jesus is the ultimate Apostle; all apostles derive their mission from him.

4. The Twelve represent a foundational group; others, like Paul and Barnabas, also fulfill apostolic roles through divine calling.

Apostles and the Spirit

The primary function of the apostles was to witness to Christ. The Twelve had intimate knowledge of His life, and a wider group had been witnesses to His resurrection. Their commissioning by the risen Lord to worldwide witness (Acts 1:8), however, was incomplete without the anointing of the Spirit. Only after Pentecost were they empowered by the Spirit for their ministry of word and deed.

Their witness to Christ was not only empowered but also guided and validated by the Spirit (John 14:26). Thus, their full apostolic vocation was realized only in the Spirit (John 14–17). Paul viewed apostleship as a gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:28), often accompanied by miraculous signs and mighty works (2 Corinthians 12:12). Such signs and wonders, however, were clearly secondary to the apostolic functions of preaching and teaching.

Apostolic Authority

Having direct knowledge of the incarnate Word and being sent as authorized agents of the gospel, the apostles provided the authentic interpretation of the life and teaching of Jesus. Because their witness to Christ was guided by the Spirit (John 15:26–27), the apostles’ teaching was considered normative for the church.

They were regarded as the “pillars” (Galatians 2:9) and the “foundation” (Ephesians 2:20; cf. Revelation 21:14) of the church. Their teaching became the norm for Christian faith and practice. The deposit of revelation transmitted by the apostles, preserved in written form in the New Testament, forms the basis of post-apostolic preaching and teaching in the church.

It is evident that the apostles formed the nucleus of primitive Christianity. The New Testament highlights their function as apostles without detailing the authoritative nature of their office in relation to the church. What is emphasized is that their apostolic commission authorized them to preach (1 Corinthians 1:17), to be ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:20), to be witnesses to all nations (Luke 24:48), and to make disciples of all peoples (Matthew 28:19).

R. David Rightmire

Bibliography: F. Agnew, JBL105 (1986): 75–96; C. K. Barrett, Signs of an Apostle; W. Baur, New Testament Apocrypha2 (1965): 35–74; O. Cullmann, Early Church; E. J. Goodspeed, The Twelve; L. Goppelt, Apostolic and Post-Apostolic Times; J. B. Lightfoot, Galatians, pp. 92–101; H. Mosbech, ST2 (1948): 166–200; D. Müller, NIDNTT, 1:126–33; J. Munck, ST3 (1949): 96–100; K. Rengstorf, TDNT, 1:398–447; W. Schneemelcher, New Testament Apocrypha2 (1965): 25–34; R. Schnackenburg, Apostolic History and the Gospel, pp. 287–303.

Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Edited by Walter A. Elwell. Copyright © 1996 by Walter A. Elwell. Published by Baker Books, a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.