What is a apostle

An apostle is a messenger—a person who is sent to carry a message. The men closest to Jesus were called disciples, which means "pupils" or "learners," while he was alive; then, because he sent them out to carry the Christian religion to other countries, they were called apostles.

The names of the original apostles were Peter, Andrew, John, Philip, two named James, Matthew, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddeus, and Simon. Judas, who had been one of the disciples but who betrayed Jesus, was replaced by Matthias. Paul, who became one of the greatest of the apostles, and Barnabas, who traveled with him, were also called apostles of Jesus. You can read about these apostles in the Book of Acts, in the New Testament. There are separate articles about them in this encyclopedia