Bible Figure
Apelles of Heraklion
Christian saint in Romans 16:10, one of the seventy disciples
Apelles was a Christian in Rome whom Paul greeted as one who had been tested and approved in Christ.
Biography
Romans 16:10 contains the New Testament's only certain reference to Apelles: Paul sends greetings to him and commends him as approved in Christ. Later Christian tradition supplied additional stories and offices for Apelles, including identification among broader groups of early disciples, but those details are not stated in Scripture.
Biblical Significance
Apelles provides a brief glimpse of a believer whose tested faithfulness earned Paul's commendation. The database should distinguish Paul's biblical statement from later traditions about his ministry.