◄ 652. apostolos ►
Strong's Lexicon apostolos: Apostle Original Word: ἀπόστολος Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: apostolos Pronunciation: ah-POS-toh-los Phonetic Spelling: (ap-os'-tol-os) Definition: a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle. Meaning: An apostle; a delegate, messenger, or one sent forth with orders. In the New Testament context, it primarily refers to those chosen and sent by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel and establish the early Church. Word Origin: Derived from the Greek verb ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), meaning "to send away" or "to send forth." Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of being sent with a mission is also present in the Hebrew Scriptures, though there is no direct equivalent to ἀπόστολος. However, the Hebrew verb שָׁלַח (shalach, Strong's Hebrew 7971), meaning "to send," shares a similar idea of being sent with a purpose or mission. Usage: The term ἀπόστολος is used in the New Testament to describe the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus, as well as Paul, who was later called to be an apostle. It is also used more broadly to refer to other individuals who were sent out to spread the Christian message. Context: The term ἀπόστολος is a significant title in the New Testament, denoting a person who is sent with a specific mission or commission. The role of an apostle is foundational in the establishment and spread of the early Christian Church. The original twelve apostles were personally selected by Jesus Christ and were given authority to teach, perform miracles, and lead the early Christian community. In the New Testament, the apostles are often seen as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, tasked with bearing witness to these events and spreading His teachings. For example, in Acts 1:8, Jesus tells His apostles, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Paul, although not one of the original twelve, is also recognized as an apostle due to his encounter with the risen Christ and his significant role in the spread of Christianity among the Gentiles. In Galatians 1:1, Paul asserts his apostleship, stating, "Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead." The concept of apostleship extends beyond the original twelve and Paul, as seen in passages like Romans 16:7, where Andronicus and Junia are noted as being "outstanding among the apostles." This indicates that the early Church recognized others who were sent with the authority to preach and teach. The role of an apostle is characterized by a divine calling, a commission to preach the gospel, and the authority to establish and guide churches. The apostles laid the foundation for the Church, as described in Ephesians 2:20, "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone." HELPS Word-studies 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. NAS Exhaustive Concordance 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). Thayer's Greek Lexicon 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) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance 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 Forms and Transliterations αποστολοι αποστολοί αποστόλοι απόστολοι ἀπόστολοι αποστολοις αποστόλοις ἀποστόλοις αποστολον απόστολον ἀπόστολον αποστολος αποστόλος απόστολος ἀπόστολος αποστολου αποστόλου ἀποστόλου αποστολους αποστόλους ἀποστόλους αποστολων αποστόλων ἀποστόλων apostoloi apóstoloi apostolois apostólois apostolon apostolōn apostólon apostólōn apóstolon apostolos apóstolos apostolou apostólou apostolous apostólous Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts Englishman's Concordance Matthew 10:2 N-GMP GRK: δὲ δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τὰ ὀνόματά NAS: of the twelve apostles are these: KJV: of the twelve apostles are INT: and [the] twelve apostles the names Mark 3:14 N-AMP GRK: οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν ἵνα INT: ones and apostles he calls that Mark 6:30 N-NMP GRK: συνάγονται οἱ ἀπόστολοι πρὸς τὸν NAS: The apostles gathered together KJV: And the apostles gathered themselves together INT: are gathered together the apostles to Luke 6:13 N-AMP GRK: οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν NAS: He also named as apostles: KJV: also he named apostles; INT: whom also apostles he named Luke 9:10 N-NMP GRK: ὑποστρέψαντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι διηγήσαντο αὐτῷ NAS: When the apostles returned, KJV: And the apostles, when they were returned, INT: having returned the apostles related to him Luke 11:49 N-AMP GRK: προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους καὶ ἐξ NAS: to them prophets and apostles, and [some] of them they will kill KJV: prophets and apostles, and [some] of INT: prophets and apostles and [some] of Luke 17:5 N-NMP GRK: εἶπαν οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῷ κυρίῳ NAS: The apostles said to the Lord, KJV: And the apostles said unto the Lord, INT: said the apostles to the Lord Luke 22:14 N-NMP GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι σὺν αὐτῷ NAS: He reclined [at the table], and the apostles with Him. KJV: and the twelve apostles with him. INT: and the apostles with him Luke 24:10 N-AMP GRK: πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ταῦτα NAS: these things to the apostles. KJV: these things unto the apostles. INT: to the apostles these things John 13:16 N-NMS GRK: αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος μείζων τοῦ NAS: nor [is] one who is sent greater KJV: neither he that is sent greater than INT: of him nor a messenger greater than the [one] Acts 1:2 N-DMP GRK: ἐντειλάμενος τοῖς ἀποστόλοις διὰ πνεύματος NAS: given orders to the apostles whom KJV: had given commandments unto the apostles whom INT: having given command to the apostles by [the] Spirit Acts 1:26 N-GMP GRK: τῶν ἕνδεκα ἀποστόλων NAS: to the eleven apostles. KJV: with the eleven apostles. INT: the eleven apostles Acts 2:37 N-AMP GRK: τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποστόλους Τί ποιήσωμεν NAS: and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, KJV: to the rest of the apostles, Men INT: the other apostles What shall we do Acts 2:42 N-GMP GRK: διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ NAS: They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching KJV: stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine INT: teaching of the apostles and Acts 2:43 N-GMP GRK: διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο NAS: through the apostles. KJV: were done by the apostles. INT: through the apostles took place Acts 4:33 N-NMP GRK: μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοῦ κυρίου NAS: power the apostles were giving KJV: gave the apostles witness INT: testimony the apostles of the Lord Acts 4:35 N-GMP GRK: πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων διεδίδετο δὲ NAS: and lay them at the apostles' feet, KJV: at the apostles' feet: INT: feet of the apostles distribution was made moreover Acts 4:36 N-GMP GRK: ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὅ ἐστιν NAS: Barnabas by the apostles (which KJV: by the apostles was surnamed INT: by the apostles which is Acts 4:37 N-GMP GRK: πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων NAS: and laid it at the apostles' feet. KJV: laid [it] at the apostles' feet. INT: feet of the apostles Acts 5:2 N-GMP GRK: πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔθηκεν NAS: of it, he laid it at the apostles' feet. KJV: and laid [it] at the apostles' feet. INT: feet of the apostles laid [it] Acts 5:12 N-GMP GRK: χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο σημεῖα NAS: At the hands of the apostles many KJV: by the hands of the apostles were many INT: hands of the apostles came to pass signs Acts 5:18 N-AMP GRK: ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ ἔθεντο NAS: hands on the apostles and put KJV: hands on the apostles, and put INT: on the apostles and put Acts 5:29 N-NMP GRK: καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι εἶπαν Πειθαρχεῖν NAS: But Peter and the apostles answered, KJV: and the [other] apostles answered INT: and the apostles said To obey Acts 5:40 N-AMP GRK: προσκαλεσάμενοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους δείραντες παρήγγειλαν NAS: and after calling the apostles in, they flogged KJV: when they had called the apostles, and beaten INT: having called to [them] the apostles having beaten they commanded [them] Acts 6:6 N-GMP GRK: ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προσευξάμενοι NAS: before the apostles; and after praying, KJV: before the apostles: and INT: before the apostles and having prayed Strong's Greek 652 80 Occurrences ἀποστόλων — 22 Occ. ἀπόστολοι — 16 Occ. ἀποστόλοις — 6 Occ. ἀπόστολον — 2 Occ. ἀπόστολος — 18 Occ. ἀποστόλου — 1 Occ. ἀποστόλους — 15 Occ.