In the NT the term “apostle” denotes someone who is sent. “Apostolate” designates the task and authority of an apostle.
1. History of the Term “Apostle”
In pre-Christian Greek the word apostolos relates to the act of sending or to an object that is sent. The idea of a person who is sent is rare in classical Greek; in the papyri it occurs later. There the emphasis on someone who is commissioned suggests a l…