New Testament apostles

New Testament apostles are people commissioned to proclaim Jesus’s teachings and establish early Christian communities. The designation includes the Twelve and other figures called apostles in early Christian texts.

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Peter the Apostle: A leading disciple of Jesus and a prominent apostolic figure in the New Testament. The Gospels and Acts portray Peter as a leading member of the Twelve and an early community leader.
The Twelve: The group of twelve disciples Jesus appoints in the Synoptic Gospels. They are the most familiar group included under the broader label of apostles.
Apostolic succession: The claimed transmission of apostolic authority through successive generations of church leaders. Later churches grounded continuing authority in the apostles’ founding role.
Evangelist: A person who proclaims the Christian gospel, or an author of one of the four canonical Gospels. Evangelist names a preaching role or Gospel authorship, not necessarily apostolic commission.
Paul the Apostle: An early Christian missionary and letter writer who described himself as an apostle to the Gentiles. Paul’s letters and missions show that apostolic identity extended beyond Jesus’s original disciples.
Disciple: A learner or follower, especially one who adheres to a religious teacher. The New Testament often calls Jesus’s followers disciples, while apostle emphasizes being sent.
Early Christianity: The religious movement centered on Jesus that developed in the first centuries CE. Apostolic missions and communities belong to the movement’s earliest phase.
Prophet: A person understood to speak a message inspired by a deity. New Testament texts distinguish prophetic activity from the authority claimed by apostles, though roles can overlap.
James the Just: A leader of the Jerusalem church, identified in early Christian sources as Jesus’s brother. Paul names James among the apostles and describes his authority in Jerusalem.
Apostle: A person sent as an emissary or messenger, especially in early Christianity. The broader term covers figures beyond the Twelve and has meanings beyond this New Testament group.