James, the Lord's brother.” See also I. Corinthians ix. 5, in which passage Paul speaks of his right to lead about a wife “as well as other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas,” a statement that would seem to indicate that all the brethren of the Lord were recognized as apostles.) So Barnabas, companion with Paul in his first mission tour, is designated by Luke as an apostle (Acts xiv. 4, 14: “But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments”). So perhaps Andronicus and Junias, kinsmen and fellow prisoners of Paul's, are mentioned by him as distinguished apostles (Rom. xvi. 7: “Andronicus and Junias . . . who are of note among the apostles”). Possibly, also, Apollos is intended by him to be considered as an apostle together with himself (I. Cor. iv. 6, 9, where Paul speaks of God's setting forth “us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death”; and the immediate context makes reference, apparently, to Apollos as the one Paul had in mind besides himself). This enlarged application of the term is recognized by patristic writers, such as the author of the Didache and of the Shepherd of Hermas.
Among the credentials of the apostolic office were apparently the ability to work miracles (e.g. II. Cor. xii. 12: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you . . . by signs and wonders and mighty works”); also the conversion to God of those to whom they brought the Gospel (e.g. I. Cor. ix. 2: “The seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord”). If the office possessed peculiar rights, to these might belong the appointment of the original officers of the local churches (e.g. Acts xiv. 23: “And when they had appointed for them elders in every church . . .”), and possibly, in extreme cases, the regulation of the teaching and morals within the churches' organized limits (e.g. II. Thess. iii. 6: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which they received of us”). The characteristic duty of the office consisted, most likely, in the preaching and missioning of the Gospel (e.g. Acts vi. 2-4: “And the twelve . . . said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God and serve tables.” I. Cor. i. 17: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel”). At the same time, however, as to how far the apostolate was considered by the early Church as an office at all is a question of large debate.
There is no evidence of any division of territory among the Twelve. The nearest approach to this is in the mutual understanding referred to in Gal. ii. 9 (“They gave us the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the Gentiles, and they unto the circumcision”), by which Peter was recognized as the leader of the mission to the circumcision, which would naturally mean, in general terms, the Palestinian Jews; and Paul and Barnabas were recognized as the leaders to the uncircumcision, which would as naturally indicate, generally, the Gentiles outside of Palestine; and even this was not strictly carried out, since Paul began his work in most places to which he went by preaching in the synagogue, while the address in I. Pet. would imply that Peter had a considerable parish of Gentile Christians in Asia Minor.
In II. Cor. viii. 23 and Phil. ii. 25, in which passages Paul speaks of the messengers of the churches, the word ἀπόστολος is used in its common classical meaning of delegate, and in Heb. iii. 1, where Christ is referred to as “the Apostle and High-Priest of our confession,” the word is applied in the same sense, from the point of view of Christ's divine sending into the world (see John xvii. 18). For details of apostolic life and work, see under individual apostles.
Bibliography. In general, see J. B. Lightfoot, “Excursus on Name and Office of an Apostle,” in Commentary on Galatians (London, 1877); C. Weizsäcker, The Apostolic Age, English translation (Edinburgh, 1894); A. Harnack, Die Aposlellehre, second edition (Leipzig, 1896); E. Haupt, Zum Verständnis des Apostolats im Neuen Testament (Halle, 1896); A. V. G. Allen, Christian Institutions (New York, 1897); F. J. A. Hort, Ecclesia (New York, 1898); J. W. Falconer, From Apostle to Priest (New York, 1900).
APOSTLE OF THE ARDENNES. Ur'den'.
An appellation given to St. Hubert, the son of
the Duke of Aquitaine, in the reign of Theodorie,
King of the Franks. He was converted from a
gay life by the vision of a stag bearing a shining
cross between its antlers. He was made bishop
of Li&ge in 70S, and died 728. A centur,y after
his body was transferred to the Benedictine con-
vent of Andoin, in the Ardennes, which thence
received the name of St. Hubertus. It was here
that he was supposed to have seen the vision.
APOSTLE OF FREE TRADE. A title frequently applied to Richard Cobden (q.v.), author of T)te Exponent of the Principles of Free Trade, for his persistent advocacy of the repeal of the high-tariff policy which England practiced from 1830 to 184G. He gave utterance to the strikingly accurate prophecy that America must at no distant date enter into serious competition with English products; that, in this competition, England would be heavily handicapped by Protection, and that the soundest policy for her lay in the direction of Free Trade. A fluent speaker, he carried these theories into Parliament, and was directly responsible for the repeal of the obnoxious duties on corn.
APOSTLE OF IN'FIDEL'ITY. A term applied to Voltaire on account of his persistent attacks upon the Church, and his unfailing protection of those whom he believed to be persecuted by her. See Voltaire.
APOSTLE OF IRELAND. A title given to Patrick, bishop and saint, who, early in the Fifth Century, felt himself divinely inspired to attempt the conversion of Ireland, which was at that time a heathen country. See Patrick, Saint.
APOSTLE OF TEM'PERANCE. Theobald Mathew, so designated through his great labors during the first half of the Nineteenth Century to further the cause of temperance in the United Kingdom, and especially in Ireland, the country of his birth.
APOSTLE OF THE HIGH'LANDERS. A Celtic missionary to the Caledonians, other- wise known as Saint Columba ; the founder of the monastery of lona in or about the year 565.
APOSTLES, Acts of the. Apocryphal. See Apocrypha, paragraph New Testament.
