<P> In Christian theology and ecclesiology , the apostles ( Greek : ἀπόστολος , translit . apóstolos , lit . ' one who is sent away ' ) , particularly the Twelve Apostles and sometimes known as the Twelve Disciples , were the primary disciples of Jesus , the central figure in Christianity . During the life and ministry of Jesus in the 1st century AD , the apostles were his closest followers and became the primary teachers of the gospel message of Jesus . The word disciple is sometimes used interchangeably with apostle ; for instance , the Gospel of John makes no distinction between the two terms . In modern usage , prominent missionaries are often called apostles , a practice which stems from the Latin equivalent of apostle , i.e. missio , the source of the English word missionary . For example , Saint Patrick ( AD 373 -- 463 ) was the `` Apostle of Ireland '' , Saint Boniface ( 680 -- 755 ) was the `` Apostle to the Germans '' , Saint José de Anchieta ( 1534 - 1597 ) was the `` Apostle of Brazil '' and Saint Peter of Betancur ( 1626 - 1667 ) was the `` Apostle of Guatemala '' . </P>
who were the twelve disciples and what did they do
primary disciples of Jesus primary teachers of the gospel message of Jesus