Forms: α. 1–4 apostol, 2–5 apostel, 4–6 -till, 4–5 appostil(l, 5 -tyle, apostylle, -teyl, 6 apostyl, -tell. β. 2– apostle, 4–5 appostle. γ. Aphetic 3–7 postel, postle, 4 postyll, 5 postill(e. [Two forms must be distinguished: α. OE. apostol (whence ME. apostel, -yl), ad. Romanic apostol(o or L. apostol-us (a. Gr. ἀπόστολ-ος a messenger, one sent forth, f. ἀπο-στέλλ-ειν to send away). β. the current apostle (found already c. 1225), a. OFr. (12th c.) apostle (13th c. apostre, mod. apôtre); with the mutescence of final e, the two were confused, and in 16th c. the OFr. spelling prevailed. The popular form in ME. was the aphetized postel, now obs.]
I. A person sent.
† 1. (As in Gr.) One sent on an errand, a messenger. (A verbalism of translation.) Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John xiii. 16. Nis esne mara drihtne his ne ǽc apostol [Ags. & Hatton, ærendracca, arendrake] mara ðæm seðe sendes hine.
c. 1382. Wyclif, ibid. Neither apostle is more than he that sente him.
1582. Rhem., ibid. Neither is an apostle [1611 he that is sent] greater then he that sent him. Ibid., Phil. ii. 25. Epaphroditus … your Apostle [so Wyclif and Tindale; 1611 messenger].
b. Applied in N. T. to Jesus Christ.
c. 1382. Wyclif, Hebr. iii. 1. Biholde ȝe the apostle and bischop of oure confessioun, Jhesu. Ibid. (1611). The Apostle and high Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
2. spec. The twelve witnesses whom Jesus Christ sent forth to preach his Gospel to the world; also the subsequently commissioned Barnabas (Acts xiii. 2, xiv. 14), and Paul, the ‘Apostle of the Gentiles.’
c. 975. Rushw. Gosp., Matt. x. 2. Þara twelf apostola noma sindun þas.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 99. Crist ableow þana halȝa gast ofer þa apostlas. Ibid., 93. Of þon apostlum. Ibid., 117. Þe apostel Paulus. Ibid., 133. His halie word … þurh ðere apostlene muðe.
c. 1230. Ancr. R., 8. Seint Iames … þet was Godes apostle.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4300. To God mare dere, Þan ever war Cristes appostels here.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 39. Bi autorite of Peter & Poule, princis of postlis.
1549. Coverdale, Erasm. Paraphr. Rom., Argt. Some of them, whiche so accused Peter, were of thapostles them selfe.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Parliam., xi. Because th’ Apostles Creed is lame, Th’ Assembly doth a better frame. Te Deum, The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee.
3. One who in any way imitates, or may be said to resemble, the Apostles.
1377. Langland, P. Pl., B. VI. 151. Ne posteles, but þey preche conne, and haue powere of þe bisschop.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6273. If ther be wolves of sich hewe, Amonges these apostlis newe.
1533. More, Apol., xxiv. Wks. 1557, 888/1. The new Paule, thys apostle Frith.
1659. Burton, Diary (1828), IV. 79. As if the King’s booted apostles had been coming to plant the faith among them, by plundering the little that was left.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Apostolici, Apostoli, or Apostles, was a name assumed by two different sects of heretics, on account of their pretending to imitate the manners and practice of the apostles.
b. esp. The missionary who first plants Christianity in any region. (Also used of certain specially successful ministers of the Gospel.)
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. xiii. 74. Quhen conwertyd he had þat Land, Ðe Appostil þai cald hym of Ingland.
1844. Maclaine, trans. Mosheim’s Eccl. Hist., VIII. I. i. § 4. Boniface has gained the title of the Apostle of Germany.
1883. Echo, 1 Sept., 4/1. Dr. Macdonald, of Ferintosh … familiarly called the ‘Apostle of the North.’
c. The chief advocate of a new principle or system; the leader of a great reform; e.g., Father Mathew, the ‘Apostle of Temperance.’
1810. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 137. The first and chiefest apostle of the desolation of men and morals.
1870. Baldw. Brown, Eccl. Truth, 233. M. Comte is distinctly an apostle of science.
1871. Smiles, Character, v. (1876), 154. Who has not heard of … Miss Nightingale and Miss Garrett as apostles of hospital nursing?
† 4. The Acts and Epistles of the Apostles. Obs.
a. 1400. in Rel. Ant., II. 48. Hem that reversyng the aposteyl and seyden, ‘do we yvel thingis that ther comyn gode thingis.’
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Apostle, in middle age writers, is also used to denote the book of St. Paul’s epistles, or the epistle which was taken out of them.
1794. Paley, Evid., I. ix. § 3 (1817), 231. The Christian Scriptures were divided into two parts under the general titles of the Gospels and Apostles.
II. A message. [The non-ecclesiastical L. use of apostolus, found in the Pandects. Also in OF.]
† 5. A letter dimissory: a. pl. in Rom. Law, A short statement of the case, sent up by a lower to a higher court, when an appeal is made. b. in Eccl. Law (see quot. 1753). Obs.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 75. The Cause why it is appeal’d, and the Demand or Petition for Apostles. Ibid., 345. This is called a Dimissory Libel, or Letters Dimissory; and, in other Terms, by the Name of Apostles.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp. [transl. Du Cange] Apostle … a letter dimissory given by a bishop either to a clerk or a layman, when going into another diocese.
III. Comb. and Attrib., as † apostles’ ointment, a purifying ointment composed of twelve ingredients; † apostles’ salt, an obsolete medicinal preparation; apostle skull (see quot.). Also apostle-like; and APOSTLE SPOON, q.v.
1720. Gibson, Dispens., xv. (1734), 281. The Apostles Ointment … to deterge and cleanse foul Sores.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. viii. 34. The Apostles Salt … preserueth the sight to a very great age, clenseth the lunges from tough fleame, [etc.].
1866. Laing, Preh. Rem. Caithn., 70. Very long and narrow skulls, known as ‘Apostle skulls.’
1611. Cotgr., Apostolique … apostlelike.
