apostle

In the earliest days of Christianity, the term was extended to include some who had never known Jesus in the flesh, notably St Paul.

The qualifications for an apostle, in the full sense, are indicated in Acts 1.21–22: personal eyewitness to the life and resurrection of Jesus. An apostle also had to receive a commission either direct from Jesus or mediately through the other apostles, as in the case of Matthias who took the place of Judas.