12/30/2020 Apostle - Wikipedia

Apostle
An apostle (/əˈpɒsəl/), in its most literal sense, is an emissary, from Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos), literally "one
who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (apostéllein), "to send off".[1] 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" and "envoy".[1]

The term derives from the Greek of the New Testament and was used for Jesus's original Twelve Apostles
(including Peter, James, and John), as well as a wider group of early Christian figures, including Paul, Barnabas,
and Junia. 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 adjective apostolic (/ˌæpəˈstɒlɪk/) 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", the official name for the Roman Catholic Papacy; in the doctrine of apostolic succession, held by many
branches of Christianity; and in the Four Marks of the Church ("one, holy, catholic, and apostolic") found in the
Paul the Apostle, by Rembrandt
Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.
Harmensz van Rijn

Contents
Terminology
Christianity
Modern day apostle in the apostolic movement
Latter Day Saint movement
Islam
Baháʼí Faith
See also
References
External links

Terminology
The term apostle is derived from Classical Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos), meaning "one who is sent off", from
στέλλειν ("stellein"), "to send" + από (apó), "off, away from".[1] The literal meaning in English is therefore an
"emissary" (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. 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.[2] But Walter Bauer in his Greek-English Lexicon of the NT relates
the term to the rabbinical idea of a Shaliah, or agent; "…Judaism had an office known as apostle (‫")שליח‬. The Gallery of the Apostles,
Friberg Greek Lexicon gives a broad definition as one who is sent on a mission, a commissioned representative Temmenhausen Nikolauskirche
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 active in proclaiming the gospel.

Christianity
Before their sending away, the Twelve had been called disciples, or "students" (Latin discipulus; Greek μαθητής mathētḗs; Hebrew ‫ לִ מּוּד‬limmûdh;
all meaning "one who learns").[3] Jesus is stated in the Bible to have sent out the Twelve Apostles, "whom he also named apostles" (Luke 6:13 (http
s://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Luke%206:13&version=nrsv)), first before his death "to the lost sheep of Israel" (Matthew 10 (https://bible.oremus.
org/?passage=Matthew%2010&version=nrsv)), and after his resurrection, to spread the message of the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:16–28:20
(https://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Matthew%2028:16–20&version=nrsv)). There is also a tradition in the Eastern Churches of "Seventy
Apostles", derived from the seventy-two disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke.

Modern day apostle in the apostolic movement

A modern-day Apostle in the tradition of the 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.[4] An "apostle" is one who has a call to plant and oversee churches, has verifiable church plants and
spiritual sons in the ministry, who is recognized by other apostles and meets the biblical qualifications of an elder.[5]

Latter Day Saint movement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle 1/3
12/30/2020 Apostle - Wikipedia

In the Latter Day Saint movement, an apostle is a "special witness of the name of Jesus Christ who is sent to teach the principles of salvation to
others."[6] In many Latter Day Saint churches, an apostle is a priesthood office of high authority within the church hierarchy. As of March 31st,
2018, the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are: M. Russell Ballard, Jeffrey R. Holland, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, David
A. Bednar, Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson, Neil L. Anderson, Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, Dale G. Renlund, Gerrit W. Gong,
and Ulisses Soares.[7] There are also members of the Quorum of the Seventy (referred to as “Seventies”). They typically work under the direction of
the twelve apostles and are given similar responsibilities that build up the church.[8] In many churches, apostles may be members of the Quorum of
the Twelve Apostles of the church. In most Latter Day Saint churches, modern-day apostles are considered to have the same status and authority as
the biblical apostles. In the Latter Day Saint tradition, apostles and prophets are believed to be the foundation of the church, with Jesus as the chief
cornerstone.[9] The Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith, mentions apostles: "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive
Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."[10]

Islam
In Islam, an apostle or messenger (Arabic: ‫رﺳﻮل‬, romanized: rasūl) is a prophet sent by God. According to the Qur'an, God has sent many prophets to
mankind. The five universally acknowledged messengers in Islam are Ibrahim, Mūsa, Dāwūd, Īsā and Muhammad,[11] as each is believed to have
been sent with a scripture.[12] Muslim tradition also maintains that Adam received scrolls as did some of the other patriarchs of the Generations of
Adam.[13] The term apostle or messenger is also applied to prophets sent to preach to specific areas; the Qur'an mentions Yunus,[14] Elijah,[15]
Ismail,[16] Shuaib[17] and other prophets as being messengers as well.

Sahabah refers to the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the 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 Islamic history and practice. The
testimony of the companions, as it was passed down through chains of trusted narrators (isnads), was the basis of the developing Islamic tradition.
From the traditions (hadith) of the life of Muhammad and his companions are drawn the Muslim way of life (sunnah), the code of conduct (sharia)
it requires and the jurisprudence (fiqh) by which Muslim communities should be regulated.

Muslims consider apostles to be messengers or prophets. Islamic teachings emphasise the Quranic verse which exclaims that God sent a messenger
to every nation of the world.[18] Thus Muslims recognize many religious figures as messengers or prophets, including Jesus, Abraham, Moses, Noah,
Adam as well as all Prophets followed by Christians and Jews.

Al Hajj 22;75 Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.

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 sons of Jacob, the apostles of Jesus, Muhammad's companions, or the Báb's Letters of the Living.

See also
Apostol (disambiguation), first and family name
Apostolic (disambiguation)
Chief Apostle, highest minister in the New Apostolic Church
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
Twelve Apostles (disambiguation)

References
1. Liddell & Scott's Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford, 1944
2. Wilhelm Schneemelcher, Robert McLachlan Wilson New Testament
Apocrypha: Writings relating to the Apostles- 2003 - 0664227228
Page 7 "Unfortunately the adjectival noun Απόστολος occurs in LXX
only in a single passage, and indeed as a translation of the Hebrew
shaluach (passive participle of shalach - 1 Kings 14:6)."
3. Cassell's Latin Dictionary, Revised by Marchant & Charles
4. Cannistraci, David. (1998). Apostles and the emerging apostolic
movement (http://worldcat.org/oclc/180766628). Regal Books.
ISBN 0-8307-2338-2. OCLC 180766628 (https://www.worldcat.org/oc
lc/180766628).
5. Cannistraci, David (1996). The Gift of Apostle: A Biblical Look at
Apostleship and How God Is Using It to Bless His Church Today.
Regal Books. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-0830718450.
6. McConkie, Bruce R. (1979). Mormon Doctrine. Deseret Book. p. 46.
ISBN 0-88494-062-4.
7. "quorum of the twelve apostles" (https://newsroom.churchofjesuschri
st.org/topic/quorum-of-the-twelve-apostles). Mormon Newsroom. 18
March 2014.
8. "Quorums of the Seventy" (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/churc
h/leaders/quorums-of-the-seventy?lang=eng).
ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
9. Ephesians 2:20
10. The Articles of Faith 1:6
11. Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, C. Glasse, Messenger
12. Muslims believe Ibrahim received the Scrolls of Abraham, Musa
received the Torah, David in Islam received the Psalms, Jesus the
Gospel in Islam and Muhammad received the Qur'an
13. A-Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism, B.M. Wheeler, Apostle
14. Quran 37:139 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseu
s%3Atext%3A2002.02.0006%3Asura%3D37%3Averse%3D139)
15. Quran 37:123 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseu
s%3Atext%3A2002.02.0006%3Asura%3D37%3Averse%3D123)
16. Quran 19:54 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseu
s%3Atext%3A2002.02.0006%3Asura%3D19%3Averse%3D54)
17. Quran 7:85 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseu
s%3Atext%3A2002.02.0006%3Asura%3D7%3Averse%3D85)
18. Quran 10:47 (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseu
s%3Atext%3A2002.02.0006%3Asura%3D10%3Averse%3D47)

External links
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