The title 'Apostle' and its equivalents. — It is expressly stated that the Twelve received from our Lord the title 'ajjostles'; but it is doubtful whether the title was bestowed when they were chosen, and its exact sense has always been a subject of debate. It will be expedient at this point to examine tlie designations borne by the Apostles, because they are not called uniformly by one name.
The most common of all the appellations be- stowed on them in the Gospels is that of disciples. This usage is as characteristic of the Fourth Gospel as of the Synoptics. And it is noteworthy that in none of the Gospels are the twelve disciples sharply discriminated from the other disciples of our Lord. They are called ' the disciples of Jesus,' 'his disciples,' 'the disciples,' but the context alone reveals whether the writer is speaking of a limited group or of the disciples of our Lord in general.
A peculiar usage appears in the Gospel of St. John. There the title is applied to those who first attached themselves to our Lord. 'The disciples' form a body or class bv themselves long before the Apostles are chosen. From the narrative it looks as y person belonged to this group who was not at a later stage uded "-- " - '^"' ■ •
1 among the Apostlei
r' any means
The adoption of the term 'disciples' to denote the followers of our Lord requires no explanation. The primary sense of the word indicates the rela- tion of a pupil to his teacher, and the designation was therefore the most natural and appropriate which could be employed.
The Twelve. This phrase explains itself. As soon as our Lord had selected a specific number of persons for a definite end, it was to be expected that they should be called by the number which they formed. They were twelve, and were accord- ingly known as 'the Twelve.' It is doubtful whether it is proper to supply such a substantive
as 'disciples' or 'apostles.' There is authority in the NT for the use of both of these phrases, but it does not follow that the name first given to this inmost circle of our Lord's adherents was 'the twelve disciples' or 'the twelve apostles' rather than 'the Twelve.' A time came when all three designations were current. St. Matthew mentions 'the Twelve' four times (lO'^ 26'-'- =»• *"), St. Mark nine times (4i» 6' 9^^ 10=^ 11" 14"- "• =»• «), St. Luke six times (8' O'-'^ 18^' 22»-"), and St. John four times {QO^■■">■■'l 20=«). St. Matthew speaks four times (10' ll' 20" 26-") of 'the twelve disciples,' but he stands alone in his use of this description. It is worth while to observe that after the death of Judas the phrase ' the Eleven ' was employed jirecisely as ' the Twelve ' had been. It is found absolutely in Lk 24" ; it is found with the substan- tive 'disciples' in Mt 28'", and with the substan- tive ' apostles' in Ac P".
The word diricrroXos occurs ten times in the fiospels. In the Gosjjel of St. John it is used only in its etymological sense of a person sent forth (13"^); in the other three Gospels it refers to the twelve disciples of our Lord. But there is some doubt as to the meaning it bears in each of these Gospels. St. Matthew employs it once only —in the passage already quoted : ' The names of the twelve apostles are these ' (10-). This language is used to introduce the list of the Apostles, to- gether with the charge addressed to them. The term may be understood here in either of two senses: it may designate the Twelve as sent out on one special mis.sion of evangelization, or it may bear the meaning which it has in Christendom to-day. A decision between these senses is hardly possible in the case of St. Matthew's Gospel. It is otherwise with the Gospel of St. Mark. Here the term is employed twice (3'* 6'°), and apparently in both instances only with regard to the particular missionary tour or journey on which they were about to enter. The use of the term in St. Luke is noteworthy. It occurs six times. Once (11^') it is possibly used in its etymological meaning of messenger ; in two other places (6" 9'") it may be used to designate the special mission on which the Twelve were first sent ; but in the remaining three ( 175 22''' 24'") it is employed to designate the Twelve in their capacity as the representatives of Jesus, the sense which it commonly bears in the Acts.
It is unnecessary for our present purpose to enter on the history of the word ' apostle ' in Greek. That the word was in use in NT times in its etymological sense of messenger is generally allowed. This fact is confirmed by the NT itself. Our Lord, in speaking to His disciples on the night of the betrayal, declared that the person sent (apostle) is not greater than he that sent him (Jn 13""). Again when our Lord is designated in He 3' as 'the apostle and high priest of our confession,' the reference is probably to His own description of Himself as 'the sent of God' (Jn 17'*). There is then clear evidence that the word was current in our Lord's time in its sense of messenger, delegate, envoy. Was it also in use in a technical sense to designate those who were despatched from the mother city by the rulers of the race on any foreign mission, especially such as were charged with collecting the tribute paid to the temple service ? (Lightfoot, Gal. 93). And was it this usage which suggested to our Lord His own employment of the term ? There is no evidence to show that the term was current in this technical sense before the Gospels were written. Besides, even though it had been in existence, it is doubtful whether our Lord would have employed a term which had already in the minds of His hearers distinct associations of its own. The absence of such associations would recommend a term to Him-