Page:Lives of the apostles of Jesus Christ (1836).djvu/21



passive Kal, participle of the verb meaning "he sent," This word is often used in the Old Testament, and is usually translated in the Alexandrian Greek version, by the word [Greek: apostolos]. A remarkable instance occurs in 1 Kings xiv. 6; where the prophet Ahijah, speaking to the wife of Jeroboam, says, "to thee am I sent;" the Alexandrian version gives the noun [Greek: apostolos], so as to make it literally "to thee I am an apostle," or "messenger," or truly, in the just and primary sense of this Greek word, "to thee I am sent." This passage is a valuable illustration of the use of the same Greek word in John xiii. 16; as above quoted.

The Hebrews had another word also, which they used in the sense of an apostle or messenger. This was (mal ak,) derived from a verb which means "send," so that the primary meaning of this also is "one sent." It was commonly appropriated to angels, but was sometimes a title of prophets and priests. (Haggai i. 19; Malachi ii. 7.) It was on the whole the more dignified term of the two, as the former was never applied to angels, but was restricted to men. The two terms are very fairly represented by the two Greek words [Greek: apostolos] and [Greek: angelos], in English "apostle" and "angel," the latter, like its corresponding Hebrew term, being sometimes applied to the human servants of God, as in John's address to the seven churches.

The scope of the term, as used in the title of this book, is limited to the twelve chosen disciples of Jesus Christ, and those few of their most eminent associates, who are designated by the same word in the writings of the early Christians. These persons fall under two natural divisions, which will be followed in the arrangement of their lives in this work. These are, first, the , or Peter and his companions; and second, Paul and his companions, including also some to whom the name apostle is not given by the New Testament writers, but who were so intimate with this great preacher of Christ, and so eminent by their own labors, that they may be very properly ranked with him, in the history of the first preachers of Christianity.

The persons whose lives are given in this book are,

I. The Galilean apostles, namely,

, and his brother,

, and, the sons of Zebedee,

, and ,

, and ,

, the son of Alpheus, and ,

, the brother of James, and, in whose place was afterwards chosen by the apostles,.

II. The Hellenist apostles, namely, and, with whom are included their companions, and, the evangelists.

These two classes of Apostles are distinguished from each other, mainly, by the circumstances of the appointment of each; the former being all directly appointed by Jesus himself, (excepting Matthias, who took the forfeited commission of Judas