(ἀπορρέω), a going away, or defection from one's original profession or party.

A POSTERIORI. See A PRIORI.

APPOSTLE (ἀπόστολος), properly signifies a messenger or person sent by another upon some business; and hence, by way of eminence, denotes one of the disciples commissioned by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel.

Christ selected twelve out of the number of his disciples to be invested with the apostleship. Their names were Simon Peter, Andrew, James the Greater, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the Less, Jude, surnamed Lebbeus or Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. Of these, Simon, Andrew, James the Greater, and John, were fishermen, and Matthew a publican, or receiver of the public revenue; of what profession the rest were we are not told in Scripture, though it is probable they were fishermen.

Our Lord's first commission to his apostles was in the third year of his public ministry, about eight months after their solemn election; at which time he sent them out by two and two. They were to make no provision of money for their subsistence in their journey, but to expect it from those to whom they preached. They were to declare that the kingdom of heaven, or the Messiah, was at hand; and to confirm their doctrine by miracles. They were to avoid going either to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans, and to confine their preaching to the people of Israel. In obedience to their Master, the apostles went into all the parts of Palestine inhabited by the Jews, preaching the gospel and working miracles. The evangelical history is silent as to the particular circumstances attending this first preaching of the apostles, and only informs us that they returned and told their Master of all that they had done.

Their second commission, just before our Lord's ascension, was of a more extensive and particular nature. They were now not to confine their preaching to the Jews, but to "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Accordingly, they began publicly, after our Lord's ascension, to exercise the office of their ministry, working miracles daily in proof of their mission, and making great numbers of converts to the Christian faith. This alarmed the Jewish Sanhedrim; whereupon the apostles were apprehended, and being examined before the high priest and elders, were commanded not to preach any more in the name of Christ. But this injunction did not terrify them from persisting in the duty of their calling; for they continued daily, in the temple, and in private houses, teaching, and preaching the gospel.

After the apostles had exercised their ministry for twelve years in Palestine, they resolved to disperse themselves in different parts of the world, and agreed to determine by lot what parts each should take. According to this division, St Peter went into Pontus, Galatia, and other provinces of the Lesser Asia; St Andrew had the vast northern countries of Scythia and Sogdiana allotted to his portion; St John's was partly the same with Peter's, namely, the Lesser Asia; St Philip had the Upper Asia assigned to him, with some parts of Scythia and Colchis; Arabia Felix fell to St Bartholomew's share; St Matthew preached in Chaldea, Persia, and Parthia; St Thomas preached likewise in Parthia, as also to the Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Indians; St James the Less continued in Jerusalem, of which church he was bishop; St Simon had for his portion Egypt, Cyrene, Libya, and Mauritania; St Jude, Syria and Mesopotamia; and St Matthias, who was chosen in the room of the traitor Judas, Cappadocia and Colchis. Thus, by the dispersion of the apostles, Christianity was very early planted in a great many parts of the world. We have but very short and imperfect accounts of their travels and actions.

In order to qualify the apostles for the arduous task of converting the world to the Christian religion, they were, in the first place, miraculously enabled to speak the languages of the several nations to whom they were to preach; and, in the second place, were endowed with the power of working miracles, in confirmation of the doctrines they taught; gifts which were unnecessary, and therefore ceased, in the after ages of the church, when Christianity came to be established by the civil power.

St Paul is frequently called the apostle by way of eminence; and the apostle of the Gentiles, because his ministry was chiefly made use of for the conversion of the Gentile world, as that of St Peter was for the Jews, who is therefore styled the apostle of the circumcision. The several apostles are usually represented with their respective badges or attributes: Peter with the keys; St Paul with a sword; St Andrew with a cross or salter; St James minor with a fuller's pole; St John with a cup, and a winged serpent flying from it; St Bartholomew with a knife; St Philip with a long staff, whose upper end is formed into a cross; St Thomas with a lance; St Matthew with a hatchet; St Matthias with a battle-axe; St James major with a pilgrim's staff and a gourd bottle; St Simon with a saw; and St Jude with a club.

APOSTLE was also used among the Jews for a kind of officer ancienly sent into the several parts and provinces in their jurisdiction, by way of visitor or commissary, to see that the laws were duly observed, and to receive the monies collected for the reparation of the temple, and the tribute payable to the Romans.