![\"Marko](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Marko-Marina-Author-Bart-Ehrman.png\" "\\"Marko")
<\/span><\/p>\nWritten by Marko Marina, Ph.D.<\/a><\/p>\n Author | Historian<\/p>\n Author | Historian | BE Contributor<\/p>\n Verified! See our guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n Verified! See our editorial guidelines<\/a><\/p>\n \nDate written: November 28th, 2023<\/p>\n Edited by Laura Robinson, Ph.D.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\nDate written: November 28th, 2023\n Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily match my own. – Dr. Bart D. Ehrman<\/p>\n In the annals of history, the term “apostle” transcends linguistic nuances and theological discourse. It stands as a testament to a select group of 12 apostles who walked the dusty roads of ancient Judea, chosen by a charismatic teacher whose words would echo through centuries.<\/p>\n From the shores of the Sea of Galilee to the cobbled streets of Jerusalem, we unveil the story of the apostles of Jesus who bore witness to miracles, heard parables from the source, and ultimately, shaped the foundations of Christianity. <\/p>\n Prepare to traverse the epochs, as we uncover the men who became legends, whose stories are intertwined with the inception of a religion that would leave an indelible mark on human history.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s embark on a historical journey and uncover who were the 12 apostles! <\/p>\n As is the case with many historical inquiries, this one begins in the world of etymology. What does the word \u201capostle\u201d mean? In other words, what is an apostle?<\/p>\n The word has its roots in ancient Greek. It comes from the Greek word \u1f00\u03c0\u03cc\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 <\/strong>(Apostolos) which literary means \u201cone who is sent off<\/strong>\u201d or a \u201cmessenger<\/strong>\u201d. The apostle is a noun derived from the verb \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03bb\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd (apostellein) which means to \u201csend off\u201d.<\/p>\n In the Graeco-Roman world, the term \u1f00\u03c0\u03cc\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bb\u03bf\u03c2 denoted someone who was sent on a mission or dispatched with a message. In a more specialized sense, the term was used to describe an envoy, ambassador, delegate, or even (in a military context) a commander of a naval force. <\/p>\n However, with the emergence of Christianity, the word \u201capostle\u201d gained a slightly different meaning. In the New Testament, the term \u201capostle\u201d is used primarily to refer to the twelve specially chosen disciples of Jesus Christ<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n The author of the Gospel of Matthew (10:1-2), for instance, notes that \u201cJesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles (\u03b4\u03ce\u03b4\u03b5\u03ba\u03b1 \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03bb\u03c9\u03bd)\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n But the word \u201capostle\u201d was expanded after Jesus\u2019 death to those who personally met the risen Jesus who then commissioned them to spread the good news of his death and resurrection. Paul and Barnabas, for example, were also called apostles (Acts 14:4). <\/p>\n The expansion, however, had its limits! Despite their importance within the world of early Christianity, Timothy and Apollos aren\u2019t called apostles. Precisely because they don\u2019t share with the rest of the group the experience of the risen Lord. <\/p>\n Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich<\/a>, therefore, conclude: \u201cApostles, then, are not officials of the church but officers of Christ for its upbuilding, and in this sense, they are comparable to the Old Testament prophets.\u201d<\/p>\n That, of course, begs the question of the difference between apostles and disciples<\/strong>. The latter is a more broad term encompassing all those who followed Jesus while the former is a more distinct group of people.<\/p>\n Did You Know?<\/strong><\/p>\n You may think of apostles as only males. However, in the early years of Christianity, things were not that simple. Writing to the community in Rome, the apostle Paul greeted Andronicus (male) and Junia (female) whom he called \u201coutstanding among the apostles\u201d (Rom 16:7). However, during the Middle Ages some scribes, not satisfied with the idea of a female apostle, changed the name to Junias. <\/em><\/p>\n To put it more bluntly, the disciples accepted Jesus\u2019 message and chose to follow him during his public ministry. The apostles, on the other hand, were a designated group that Jesus himself sent out as missionaries to spread the good news. <\/p>\n To find out more about this interesting difference between the \u201capostles\u201d and \u201cdisciples\u201d in the New Testament period, check out this article!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s now turn our attention to the list of the apostles. Who were the 12 apostles? What can we know about them? <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-12-Apostles-Listing-the-Names-of-the-Apostles-of-Jesus.png\" "\\"The")
<\/span><\/p>\nDefine Apostle: Meaning Behind the Etymology<\/h2>\n
Who Were the Apostles? List of the 12 Apostles\u2019 Names<\/h2>\n
![\"Who](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/who-were-the-12-apostles.png\" "\\"Who")
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