the verb is evidently employed in this sense at Acts 5:37, concerning Judas the Galilean who “drew off” (a·peʹste·se, form of a·phiʹste·mi) followers. The Greek Septuagint uses the term at Genesis 14:4 with reference to such a rebellion. However, in the Christian Greek Scriptures it is used primarily with regard to religious defection; a withdrawal or abandonment of the true cause, worship and service of God, and hence an abandonment of what one has previously professed and a total desertion of principles or faith. The religious leaders of Jerusalem charged Paul with such an apostasy against the Mosaic law.—Acts 21:21.

It may properly be said that God’s adversary was the first apostate, as indicated by the name “Satan.” He caused the first human pair to apostatize. (Gen. 3; John 8:44) Following the Flood there was a turning away from the words of the God of Noah. (Gen. 11:1-9) Job later found it necessary to defend himself against the charge of apostasy on the part of his three supposed comforters. (Job 8:13; 15:34; 20:5) In his defense Job showed that God grants no audience to the apostate (13:16), also, the hopeless state of one cut off in apostasy. (27:8; compare also Elihu’s statement at 34:27, 30; 36:13.) In these cases the Hebrew word hha·nephʹ is used, meaning “to be alienated from God” or “inclined away from the right relation to God,” or, as a verb, “to pollute, lead to apostasy.”—Koehler-Baumgartner, Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, p. 317.

APOSTASY IN ISRAEL

The first two commandments of the Law condemned all apostasy. (Ex. 20:3-6) And before Israel’s entry into the Promised Land they were warned against the grave danger of apostasy resulting from marriages with the people of the land. (Deut. 7:3, 4) Even though a person who was inciting others to apostasy was a close relative or marriage mate, he was to be put to death for having “spoken of revolt against Jehovah your God.” (Deut. 13:1-15) The tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh were quick to exonerate themselves of a charge of apostasy that arose due to their construction of an altar.—Josh. 22:21-29.

Many of the kings of Israel and of Judah followed an apostate course; for example, Saul (1 Sam. 15:11; 28:6, 7), Jeroboam (1 Ki. 12:28-32), Ahab (1 Ki. 16:30-33), Ahaziah (1 Ki. 22:51-53), Jehoram (2 Chron. 21:6-15), Ahaz (2 Chron. 28:1-4), and Amon (2 Chron. 33:22, 23). In due time a nation of apostates developed due to the people’s listening to apostate priests and prophets (Jer. 23:11, 15) and other unprincipled men who, by smooth words and false sayings, led them into loose conduct, immorality and desertion of Jehovah, “the source of living water.” (Isa. 10:6; 32:6, 7; Jer. 3:1; 17:3) According to Isaiah 24:5, the very land became “polluted [hhan·phahʹ] under its inhabitants, for they have bypassed the laws, changed the regulation, broken the indefinitely lasting covenant.” No mercy was to be granted them in the predicted destruction.—Isa. 9:17; 33:11-14; Zeph. 1:4-6.

APOSTASY FROM CHRISTIANITY

An apostasy among professed Christians was foretold by the apostle Paul at 2 Thessalonians 2:3. He specifically mentioned certain apostates, such as Hymenaeus, Alexander and Philetus. (1 Tim. 1:19, 20; 2 Tim. 2:16-19) Among the varied causes of apostasy set forth in apostolic warnings were: lack of faith (Heb. 3:12), lack of endurance in the face of persecution (Heb. 10:32-39), abandonment of right moral standards (2 Pet. 2:15-22), the heeding of the “counterfeit words” of false teachers and “misleading inspired utterances” (2 Pet. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 2:16-19; compare Proverbs 11:9), and trying “to be declared righteous by means of law.” (Gal. 5:2-4) Such ones willfully abandoning the Christian congregation thereby become part of the “antichrist.” (1 John 2:18, 19) As with the apostate Israelites, destruction is likewise foretold for apostates from the Christian congregation.—2 Pet. 2:1; Heb. 6:4-8.

During the period of persecution that the early Christian congregation experienced at the hands of the Roman Empire, professed Christians were at times induced to deny their Christian discipleship, and those who did so were required to signify their apostasy by making an incense offering before some pagan god or by openly blaspheming the name of Christ.

It is evident that there is a distinction between a ‘falling’ due to weakness and the ‘falling away’ that constitutes apostasy. The latter implies a definite and willful withdrawal from the path of righteousness. (1 John 3:4-8; 5:16, 17) Whatever its apparent basis, whether intellectual, moral or spiritual, it constitutes a rebellion against God and a rejection of his Word of truth.—2 Thess. 2:3, 4; see MAN or LAWLESSNESS.

APOSTLE

APOSTLE [Gr., a·poʹsto·los; one sent forth to represent the sender; envoy].

This word is derived from the common Greek verb a·po·stelʹlein, meaning simply “to send forth or off.” Its basic sense is clearly illustrated in Jesus’ statement: “A slave is not greater than his master, nor is one that is sent forth [a·poʹsto·los] greater than one that sent him.” (John 13:16) In this sense the word also applies to Christ Jesus as the “apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (Heb. 3:1; compare Matthew 10:40; 15:24; Luke 4:18, 43; 9:48; 10:16; John 3:17; 5:36, 38; 6:29, 57; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3, 8, 18, 21-25; 20:21.) Jesus was sent forth by God as his appointed and commissioned representative.

The term is principally applied, however, to those disciples whom Jesus personally selected as a body of twelve appointed representatives. The names of the original twelve selected are given at Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19 and Luke 6:13-16. One of the original twelve, Judas Iscariot, proved to be a traitor, thereby fulfilling earlier prophecies. (Ps. 41:9; 109:8) The remaining eleven faithful apostles are again listed at Acts 1:13.

Some of the apostles had been disciples of John the Baptist before becoming Jesus’ disciples. (John 1:35-42) Eleven of them were evidently Galileans (Acts 2:7), Judas Iscariot being considered the sole Judean. They were from the working class; four were definitely fisherman by trade; one had been a tax collector. (Matt. 4:18-21; 9:9-13) At least two of them appear to have been cousins of Jesus (James and John, the sons of Zebedee). They were men who were viewed by the religious leaders as “unlettered and ordinary,” indicating that their education was elementary and not from the schools of higher learning. A number of them, including Peter (Cephas), were married men.—Acts 4:13; 1 Cor. 9:5.

Of the twelve, Peter, James and John seem to have enjoyed the closest relationship with Jesus. They alone witnessed the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:35-43) and the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt. 17:1, 2), and accompanied him farther into the Garden of Gethsemane than the other apostles on the night of his arrest. (Mark 14:32, 33) A special affinity appears to have existed between Jesus and John, and John is accepted as being the one referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus used to love.”—John 21:20-24; 13:23.

SELECTION AND EARLY MINISTRY

The twelve were selected out of a larger group of disciples and named as “apostles” by Jesus, “that they might continue with him and that he might send them out [a·po·stelʹlei] to preach and to have authority to expel the demons.” (Mark 3:13-15) Thereafter they did “continue with him” in very close association during the remainder of his earthly ministry, receiving extensive personal instruction and ministerial training. (Matt. 10:1-42; Luke 8:1) Since they continued to be Jesus’ pupils, they were still called “disciples,” particularly until Pentecost. (Matt. 11:1; 14:26; 20:17;