A special messenger of Jesus Christ; a person to whom Jesus delegated authority for certain tasks. The word apostle is used of those twelve disciples whom Jesus sent out, two by two, during His ministry in Galilee to expand His own ministry of preaching and healing. It was on that occasion, evidently, that they were first called "apostles" .

These same disciples, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, were recommissioned by Jesus after His resurrection to be His witnesses throughout the world . After Jesus' ASCENSION, the apostles brought their number to twelve by choosing Matthias .

The word apostle is sometimes used in the New Testament in a general sense of "messenger." For instance, when delegates of Christian communities were charged with conveying those churches' contributions to a charitable fund, they were described by Paul as "messengers [apostles] of the churches" <2 Cor. 8:23>. Jesus also used the word this way when He quoted the proverb, "A servant is not greater than his master, nor he who is sent [literally, "an apostle"] greater than he who sent him" . Jesus Himself is called "the Apostle... of our confession" , a reference to His function as God's special Messenger to the world.

The word apostle has a wider meaning in the letters of the apostle Paul. It includes people who, like himself, were not included in the Twelve, but who saw the risen Christ and were specially commissioned by Him. Paul's claim to be an apostle was questioned by others. He based his apostleship, however on the direct call of the exalted Lord who appeared to him on the Damascus Road and on the Lord's blessing of his ministry in winning converts and establishing churches <1 Cor. 15:10>.

Apparently, Paul also counted James, the Lord's brother, as an apostle . This James was not one of the Twelve; in fact, he was not a believer in Jesus before the Crucifixion . It was the resurrected Lord who 'appeared to James' <1 Cor. 15:7> and presumably commissioned him for his ministry. When Paul says Jesus was seen not only by James but also by "all the apostles" <1 Cor. 15:7>, he seems to be describing a wider group than "the Twelve" to whom Jesus appeared earlier <1 Cor. 15:5>.

In <1 Corinthians 12:28> and , apostles are listed along with prophets and other saints as part of the foundation of the household of God. In this strictly New Testament sense, apostles are confined to the first generation of Christians.

At an early stage in the church's history it was agreed that apostles to the Jews and Gentiles should be divided into separate camps. Paul and Barnabas were to concentrate on the evangelization of Gentiles; Peter, John, and James (the Lord's brother) were to continue evangelizing Jews .

As pioneers in the work of making converts and planting churches, apostles were exposed to special dangers. When persecution erupted, they were the primary targets for attack <1 Cor. 4:9-13>. Paul, in particular, welcomed the suffering which he endured as an apostle because it was his way of participating in the suffering of Christ .

The authority committed to the apostles by Christ was unique. It could not be transmitted to others. The apostles could install elders or other leaders and teachers in the churches, and they could authorize them to assume special responsiblities; but apostolic authority could not be transferred. Their authority has not come to us through their successors; it has come through their writings, which are contained in the New Testament.

(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

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