The '''Seventy Apostles''' or '''Seventy-two Apostles'''<ref group="note">The reading for Luke 10:1 in the NU-text reads ''' ''"seventy-two others."'' ''' (''The NU-text (as differentiated from the [[w:Byzantine text-type|Majority text]]) is the [[w:Novum Testamentum Graece|Critical Text]] published in the 27th edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (NA27), and in the United Bible Societies 4th edition (UBS4), hence the acronym "NU-Text"'').<br>In The [[Octoechos|Ochtoechos]], Saint [[John of Damascus]] confirms that there were seventy-two lesser apostles; he chants, ''' ''"The all-praised ten and twain, leading the seventy-two, their rivals in zeal, were manifested as perfect."'' '''</ref> are those whom the Lord chose, in addition to the original [[Apostles|Twelve Apostles]], to go before Him into the cities He would visit (Luke 10:1), and lay down the groundwork and infrastructure for the [[Ante-Nicene|Early Church]]. According to the [[Gospel]] of [[Apostle Luke|Luke]], the only gospel in which they appear (Luke 10:1–24), [[Jesus]] appointed them and sent them out in pairs to preach the gospel[[Gospel]]. The Twelve generally remained at Christ's side, serving as witnesses to His life; but the Seventy preceded Him in every place He visited.