Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:

To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:1 CSB (emphasis added)

Word studies are an important part of Bible study. Words convey meaning. They add texture. They reveal concepts. Words are even more important in written communication because we can’t interpret body language and tone. A more precise understanding about the words in the Bible result in a more precise understanding about who God is, who we are, and how we are supposed to relate to Him and one another.

So, What did it mean for someone to be an apostle in the First Century?

Basic Details

ἀπόστολος (apostolos – ah-PAH-sto-los)

Root: στέλλω (stellō, avoid, try to avoid)

Basic Meaning: One who is sent on a mission; a messenger or representative

Frequency: 81x in the New Testament

Below is a graph of the hits per 1000 words for apostolos within the New Testament

This next graph shows how the ESV translates apostolos:

Simple Definition

An apostolos was someone who was sent somewhere for a purpose on behalf of someone else. It is very similar to our modern concept of an ambassador. Within the New Testament, it can develop a more specific meaning with theological weight.

Historical Usage

It is always helpful to analyze how a Greek word was used in Greek Literature, Jewish Literature, and New Testament literature. Here is that breakdown for apostolos:

• Greek Literature
  • As a verb (ἀποστέλλω, apostellō “I send”)When referring to a delegation, the sent ones have full powers of the one sending them and functions as a personal representative
  • Does not particularly mean divine authorization
• Jewish Literature 
  • ἀπόστολος (apostolos) is used to translate שָׁלַח (šālaḥ), which conveys that an individual has been charged with a responsibility
  • Later Judaism used it to refer to those who acted as representatives
• New Testament
  • Used in the Gospels, mostly by Luke; refers to the Twelve
  • Paul’s epistles are the earliest NT source with the term ἀπόστολος
    • Paul is called to a life-long commission by God; associated with meeting the risen Lord
    • Further developed the Jewish concept of שָׁלִיחַ (šālı̂aḥ) by sending apostles to the Gentiles in pairs of two
    • Contains a burden of suffering
    • Apostles continue the tradition of OT prophets of having insight of the mystery of Christ
    • Apostles are still within the church, not above it with special distinction

Look For Nuance

It is a mistake to a word means the exact same thing every time it appears. Words have a range of possible meanings, and we will arrive at the wrong conclusion about what a text says if we project the meaning of a word from ‘text A’ onto ‘text B’.

Generic Usage

The word apostolos is used both theologically and generically in the New Testament. We want to know when it is being used generically because we don’t want to project theological weight where the writer did not intend for it.

John 13:16 is an example of a generic usage of apostolos:

“Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, neither is a messenger (apostolos) greater than the one who sent him.

Jesus is speaking generically here. Thus, in this instance, apostolos means “messengers without extraordinary status.”¹ He is using a general principle to illustrate a broader point.

Theological Usage

The term apostolos has a different meaning in Ephesians 1:1.

“Paul, an apostle (apostolos) of Christ Jesus by God’s will: 

To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.”

We can’t determine the theological weight of apostolos in Eph. 1:1 solely from this verse. It is by examining how Paul continues to use the term throughout the letter that allows to grasp the full weight. Paul uses apostolos 3 more times throughout Ephesians, from which we can better understand what it means to be an apostle of Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 2:19–20	“Consequently, now you are not longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens among the saints and household of God; [this household] was built upon the foundation of the apostles (apostolos) and prophets, [with] Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Emphasis added)
Ephesians 3:4–5	“When you read this, you will be able to understand my insight regarding the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in earlier generations as it was now revealed to His holy apostles (apostolos) and prophets in the Spirit.” (Emphasis added)
Ephesians 4:11	“And He Himself gave some as apostles (apostolos), some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers” (emphasis added)

From surveying its uses throughout Ephesians, we can see:

1. Paul identifies himself as an apostle (Eph. 1:1).
2. The apostles are part of the foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:19–20).
3. How/why are apostles qualified to be part of the Church’s foundation? Because God revealed  to them insight about the mystery of Christ that He had not revealed to previous generations (Eph. 3:4–5).
4. Apostles (among others) are given to the Church as gifts. Thus, the ministerial burden for apostles is to proclaim and live the message of the gospel (the mystery of Christ) that they have uniquely received.
5. Despite their special role within the Church, apostles are still within the Church. They are not intermediaries between the Church and Christ. Note the following:

Ephesians 2:1, 3

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins… in which we all also once lived in the desires of our flesh, practicing the will of the flesh and impulses, and we were by nature children of wrath just like all the others.”

Conclusion

It is true that apostolos referred to someone who was sent on behalf of someone else in ancient Greek. However, it is not true that apostolos never means more than that. When associated with “Christ Jesus” and God’s redemptive plan, apostolos takes on a theological meaning that functions more precisely than its common usage in the broader Greek world. Ephesians captures this theological meaning very well as we notice how the word apostolos is used and leveraged throughout the letter.

Footnotes

1. Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, rev. and ed. Frederick W. Danker, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), s.v. ἀπόστολος, 122. ↩︎