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The term apostle, or apostolos in the Greek, means sent one, which is also the meaning of the word missionary. In the New Testament, there was a select group of twelve apostles that served as Jesus’ closest disciples. These men who were tasked to spread the gospel to all the world and to build his church. But there were also people outside this group who saw the risen Lord and worked alongside the original twelve. These included Paul, James the brother of Jesus, Barnabas, and Junia, to name a few. This group were typically were driven to take the gospel to new territories and to establish networks of churches. They were a gift from God who laid the foundation of the church by ensuring the faithful transmission of the gospel to future generations.