der Apostel
apostle
In Christianity, one of the twelve disciples who were chosen and sent out by Jesus Christ to spread his teaching.
EXAMPLE
Petrus gilt als einer der wichtigsten Apostel.
Peter is considered one of the most important apostles.
der Apostel
apostle
der Apostel, die Apostel
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Meanings
der Apostel
advocate
A person who supports a certain idea, movement, or doctrine with great enthusiasm and conviction.
EXAMPLE
Er gilt als Apostel der modernen Architektur.
He is considered an advocate of modern architecture.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Apostel, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Apostel |
| genitive | des Apostels |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Apostel | die Apostel |
| accusative | den Apostel | die Apostel |
| dative | dem Apostel | den Aposteln |
| genitive | des Apostels | der Apostel |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Context clue
In its original meaning, the context is almost always religious. The word is used in connection with Jesus, Christianity, or the Bible. People often speak of the 'zwölf Apostel' (twelve apostles).
EXAMPLE
In der Bibel wird die Geschichte der Apostel erzählt.
The story of the apostles is told in the Bible.
Sentence structure in the figurative meaning
In the figurative meaning, the idea that someone supports is often expressed with the genitive. Someone is then an 'Apostel der/des...' (apostle of...) followed by a noun.
EXAMPLE
Der Architekt war ein Apostel des Minimalismus.
The architect was an advocate of minimalism.
Register and style
The use of 'Apostel' for an advocate of an idea is elevated and more likely to be found in literary, journalistic, or intellectual texts. It is rarely used in normal everyday language.
EXAMPLE
In seinem Artikel tritt er als Apostel der Digitalisierung auf.
In his article, he appears as an advocate of digitalization.
Compare with
Apostel vs Verfechter
advocate
Both Apostel and Verfechter can refer to a person who strongly supports an idea. Apostel is figurative and emphasizes an especially great, almost missionary zeal. Verfechter, by contrast, directly refers to someone who actively and emphatically supports a cause.
Apostel
Mit unermüdlichem Eifer trat er als Apostel einer autofreien Stadt auf.
With tireless enthusiasm, he championed the idea of a car-free city.
Verfechter
In der politischen Diskussion trat er als Verfechter einer autofreien Stadt auf.
In the political discussion, he spoke out as an advocate of a car-free city.
In real life
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