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In antiquity, ‘apostle’ (Gr. Apóstolos, ‘emissary,’ ‘messenger’) denoted the act or agent of a mission. Herodotus occasionally used the word in the sense of a ‘courier.’ Traditionally, with reference to the twelve ‘Apostles,’ the word denotes any of Jesus's twelve closest disciples. As witnesses of the Resurrection, they are regarded as the plenipotentiary proclaimers of the Gospel. The gospels also name other apostles, however, such as Paul, who has not been one of the ‘twelve Apostles,’ but who has been called to be an Apostle through a vision of the risen Jesus. A univocal understan…

Concept 1. In antiquity, the concept ‘sect’ (from Lat., sequi, ‘to follow’; free translation of Gk. haíresis, ‘choice,’ → Heresy) served to denote the followers of a philosopher; in republican Rome, it was also used for political followings. In Acts 24:5 (cf. 24:14), the concept appears in connection with the High Priest's indictment of Paul before the Roman governor as “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” Christianity adopted the concept ‘sect’ quite early. The term denoted the members of a community a…

‘Proselyte’ (Gk., prosélytos, ‘one added’) originally denotes a convert to Judaism. Prerequisite for the → conversion is a confession (profession) of the Torah without reservation. The conversion takes place before a Bet Din (Jewish law court) and three witnesses. Besides → circumcision and the baptismal bath, it was necessary to make a money offering. (Before the destruction of the Temple 70 BCE, a sacrifice was offered there.) The proselyte adopts a Hebrew name. Seen from a religious point of view, the convert to Judaism is recognized as a Jew, but certain restrict…