Apostello is a Greek word that means to send or to send forth. This isn’t the only word for send that shows up in the New Testament. This sending is more focused on sending for a purpose, sending to do something. This can be sending as a messenger or commissioning. (biblehub.com)
John 3:17 NIV For God did not send his Son into this world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
This apostello sending appears in the New Testament more than 100 times. It appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts at least 20 times each.
Here’s an example of using pempo send in one verse and then apostello send in the next verse. John 7:28-29 NIV Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” The first sent is from pempo and the second is from apostello. Well, I’m no great Bible scholar, so I’m just conjecturing here. Maybe in the first case the focus is on the fact that God is true and not on the fact that Jesus was sent. Whereas in the second instance, the point is that God sent Jesus. And Jesus was definitely sent with a purpose.
Verses:
Matthew 11:10 NASB This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’
Matthew 24:31 NIV And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Mark 3:14 KJV And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach.
Mark 9:37 ESV Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.
Mark 12:13 NASB Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.
Luke 1:19 NIV The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.”
Luke 7:20 ESV And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?'”
Luke 10:1 KJV After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
Luke 22:8 NIV Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”
John 6:29 ESV Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
John 20:21 NASB So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” The first sent is apostello, the second is pempo.
Acts 3:26 ESV God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning everyone of you from your wickedness.
Acts 9:17 NIV Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 16:35-36 KJV And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.
Acts 28:28 NASB Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.
Romans 10:15 NASB How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things.” (I chose this version because it says ‘good news of good things’, which the KJV also has. Many versions just say good news, but the Greek has the whole phrase.)
1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
1 John 4:9-10 NIV This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 4:14 NIV And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Revelation 1:1 NASB The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John.
Revelation 22:6 ESV And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
The G/K number for apostello is 690.
The Strong’s number for apostello is 649.
