apos·tle /əˈpɑsəl/
 基督十二使徒之一,最初的傳道者
 A·pos·tle n.
 1. Literally: One sent forth; a messenger. Specifically: One of the twelve disciples of Christ, specially chosen as his companions and witnesses, and sent forth to preach the gospel.
    He called unto him his disciples, and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.   --Luke vi. 13.
 Note: ☞ The title of apostle is also applied to others, who, though not of the number of the Twelve, yet were equal with them in office and dignity; as, “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ.” --1 Cor. i. 1.  In --Heb. iii. 1, the name is given to Christ himself, as having been sent from heaven to publish the gospel. In the primitive church, other ministers were called apostles --(Rom. xvi. 7).
 2. The missionary who first plants the Christian faith in any part of the world; also, one who initiates any great moral reform, or first advocates any important belief; one who has extraordinary success as a missionary or reformer; as, Dionysius of Corinth is called the apostle of France, John Eliot the apostle to the Indians, Theobald Mathew the apostle of temperance.
 3. Civ. & Admiralty Law A brief letter dimissory sent by a court appealed from to the superior court, stating the case, etc.; a paper sent up on appeals in the admiralty courts.
 Apostles' creed, a creed of unknown origin, which was formerly ascribed to the apostles. It certainly dates back to the beginning of the sixth century, and some assert that it can be found in the writings of Ambrose in the fourth century.
 Apostle spoon Antiq., a spoon of silver, with the handle terminating in the figure of an apostle. One or more were offered by sponsors at baptism as a present to the godchild.
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 apostle
      n 1: an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform; "an apostle
           of revolution"
      2: any important early teacher of Christianity or a Christian
         missionary to a people
      3: (New Testament) one of the original 12 disciples chosen by
         Christ to preach his gospel
 Apostle
    a person sent by another; a messenger; envoy. This word is once
    used as a descriptive designation of Jesus Christ, the Sent of
    the Father (Heb. 3:1; John 20:21). It is, however, generally
    used as designating the body of disciples to whom he intrusted
    the organization of his church and the dissemination of his
    gospel, "the twelve," as they are called (Matt. 10:1-5; Mark
    3:14; 6:7; Luke 6:13; 9:1). We have four lists of the apostles,
    one by each of the synoptic evangelists (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark
    3:16; Luke 6:14), and one in the Acts (1:13). No two of these
    lists, however, perfectly coincide.
      Our Lord gave them the "keys of the kingdom," and by the gift
    of his Spirit fitted them to be the founders and governors of
    his church (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; 16:7-15). To them, as
    representing his church, he gave the commission to "preach the
    gospel to every creature" (Matt. 28:18-20). After his ascension
    he communicated to them, according to his promise, supernatural
    gifts to qualify them for the discharge of their duties (Acts
    2:4; 1 Cor. 2:16; 2:7, 10, 13; 2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Cor. 11:2). Judas
    Iscariot, one of "the twelve," fell by transgression, and
    Matthias was substituted in his place (Acts 1:21). Saul of
    Tarsus was afterwards added to their number (Acts 9:3-20; 20:4;
    26:15-18; 1 Tim. 1:12; 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11).
      Luke has given some account of Peter, John, and the two
    Jameses (Acts 12:2, 17; 15:13; 21:18), but beyond this we know
    nothing from authentic history of the rest of the original
    twelve. After the martyrdom of James the Greater (Acts 12:2),
    James the Less usually resided at Jerusalem, while Paul, "the
    apostle of the uncircumcision," usually travelled as a
    missionary among the Gentiles (Gal. 2:8). It was characteristic
    of the apostles and necessary (1) that they should have seen the
    Lord, and been able to testify of him and of his resurrection
    from personal knowledge (John 15:27; Acts 1:21, 22; 1 Cor. 9:1;
    Acts 22:14, 15). (2.) They must have been immediately called to
    that office by Christ (Luke 6:13; Gal. 1:1). (3.) It was
    essential that they should be infallibly inspired, and thus
    secured against all error and mistake in their public teaching,
    whether by word or by writing (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Thess.
    2:13).
      (4.) Another qualification was the power of working miracles
    (Mark 16:20; Acts 2:43; 1 Cor. 12:8-11). The apostles therefore
    could have had no successors. They are the only authoritative
    teachers of the Christian doctrines. The office of an apostle
    ceased with its first holders.
      In 2 Cor. 8:23 and Phil. 2:25 the word "messenger" is the
    rendering of the same Greek word, elsewhere rendered "apostle."