is, lit., "one sent forth" (apo, "from," stello, "to send"). "The word is used of the Lord Jesus to describe His relation to God, Hebrews 3:1; see John 17:3 . The twelve disciples chosen by the Lord for special training were so called, Luke 6:13; 9:10 . Paul, though he had seen the Lord Jesus, 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8 , had not 'companied with' the Twelve 'all the time' of His earthly ministry, and hence was not eligible for a place among them, according to Peter's description of the necessary qualifications, Acts 1:22 . Paul was commissioned directly, by the Lord Himself, after His Ascension, to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles.
"The word has also a wider reference. In Acts 14:4,14 , it is used of Barnabas as well as of Paul; in Romans 16:7 of Andronicus and Junias. In 2 Corinthians 8:23 (RV, margin) two unnamed brethren are called 'apostles of the churches;' in Philippians 2:25 (RV, margin) Epaphroditus is referred to as 'your apostle.' It is used in 1 Thessalonians 2:6 of Paul, Silas and Timothy, to define their relation to Christ." * [* From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 59-60.]"a sending, a mission," signifies an apostleship, Acts 1:25; Romans 1:5; 1 Corinthians 9:2; Galatians 2:8 .
Note: Pseudapostoloi, "false apostles," occurs in 2 Corinthians 11:13 .