APOSTLE (Gr. apostolos, sent forth, sent on a mission), any messenger whatever, but especially used to denote the twelve disciples whom Jesus sent forth to preach the gospel. Their names were Simon Peter, Andrew, John (the son of Zebedee), James (his brother), Philip, Bartholomew (called also Nathaniel), Thomas, Matthew (surnamed Levi), James (the son .of Alpheus), Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. Subsequently Matthias was chosen in the room of Judas; and at a still later period the number of the apostles was further increased by the calling of Paul to the apostleship. The term is sometimes used in the New Testament in its more general signification. Barnabas is styled an A. (Acts xiv.). It is a point of controversy between the supporters and opponents of episco pacy, whether or not the term A., as indicating an office, is applied to any except the original twelve, Mathias and Paul; it being maintained, on the one hand, that the office is perpetuated in bishops; on the other, that it was temporary and belonged exclusively to those who were witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, and were employed by him to found the Christian chunch. The apostles were twice commissioned by their Master to go forth on their work of evangelization. First, during the third year of his public ministry. On this occasion their labors were to be restricted to the Jews, properly so called. Not even the Samaritans, though natives of Palestine, were to be the objects of their religious solicitude. They were earnestly to seek out the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The second time was shortly before the Lord's ascension, when their sphere of labor was indefinitely extended. "Go, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." On the day of Pentecost,
the apostles received miraculous gifts fitting them for their arduous work. And after evangelizing for some years in Palestine, they all departed, with the exception of St. James, into various quarters of the globe; but the region of their ministry seems to have principally comprised the civilized provinces and cities of the eastern part of the Roman empire—viz., Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece; though probably Peter, and after him Paul, visited Rome. There is no historical foundation for the tradition that the first apostles divided the then known world into twelve parts, each taking one of these for his special sphere of labor. This figment was very. likely originated by two circum stances: 1. That the disciples were commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel ; and 2. That the disciples in point of fact had little personal intercourse with each other. Their zeal for the propagation of Christianity left them no time to gratify their social inclinations. As a consequence, we have very imperfect accounts of their lives or manner of death.
The several apostles are usually represented in medieval pictures with special badges or attributes: St. Peter, with the keys; St. Paul, with a sword; St. Andrew, with a cross; St. James the less, with a fuller's pole; St. John, with a cup and a winged ser pent flying out of it; St. Bartholomew, with a knife; St. Philip, with a long staff, whose upper end is formed into a cross; St. Thomas, with a lance; St. Matthew, with a hatchet; St. Matthias, with a battle-axe; St. James the greater, with a pilgrim's staff and a gourd bottle ; St. Simon, with a saw; and St. Jude, with a club.