The cumulative effect of the facts and probabili- ties stated above is very strong — so strong that we are justified in affirming that in the NT there are persons other than the Twelve and St. Paul who were called apostles, and in conjecturing that they were rather numerous. All who seemed to be called by Christ or the Spirit to do missionary work would be thought worthy of the title, especially such as had been in personal contact with the Master. _ When it is said that this reasonable affirmation, based entirely upon Scripture, is con- firmed by the account in the Didache of an order of wandering preachers who were called ' apostles,' we must be careful not to exaggerate the amount of confirmation. There is no proof, and there is not a very high degree of probability, that the 'apostles' of the Didache are the same kind of ministers as those who are called ' apostles ' in the NT, although not of the number of the Twelve. "We must not infer that they are the lineal de- scendants, officially, of workers such as Silvanu.s, Andronicus, and Junias. But the fact that in the sub-Apostolic Age there were itinerant ministers called ' apostles ' does give confirmation to the assertion that in the NT there were, outside the apostolic body, ministers who were known as ' apostles.' Chief among these were Paul, Barnabas, and James, of whom Paul certainly, and the other two probably, were regarded by most Christians as equal to the Twelve. Like the Twelve, Paul and Barnabas had no local ties : they retained a general authority over the churches which they founded, but they did not take up their abode in them as permanent rulers. They trained the churches to govern themselves. Tiie Twelve are to be twelve Patriarchs of the larger Israel, twelve repetitions of Christ (Harnack, Expansion of Chris- tianity, Eng. tr., 1904-5, i. 72), and at first they were the whole ministry of the infant Church. The first act of the infant Church was to restore the typical number twelve by the election of Matthias ; and it is worthy of note, as indicating both the undeveloped condition of the ministry and also the germs of future developments, that in Acts all three terms, ' diaconate ' (P^- -^), ' bishopric' (1**), and ' apostleship ' (l'-^), are used in connexion with the election of Matthias. There is no good ground for the conjecture that the choice of Matthias did not receive subsequent sanction, that he was set aside, and that St. Paul was Divinely appointed to take his place. It is true that he
subsequently falls into the background and is lost from sight ; but so do most of the Twelve.
The absence from Christ's teaching of any state- ment respecting the priesthood of the Twelve, or respecting the transmission of the powers of the Twelve to others, is remarkable. As the primary function of the Twelve was to be witnesses of what Christ had taught and done, especially in rising from the dead, no transmission of so exceptional an office was possible. Even with regard to the high author- ity which all apostles possessed, it is not clear that it was a jurisdiction which was to be passed on from generation to generation. Belief in the speedy return of Christ Avould prevent any such intention. The apostles were commissioned to found a living Church, with power to supply itself with ministers and to organize them.
Literature. — In addition to the works already cited, see J. B. Lightfoot, Galatians, ed. 1892, pp. 92-101 ; E. Haupt, Zu^n. Verstdndnis des Apostolats im NT, Halle, 1896 ; H. Monnier, La Notion de I'apostolat, Paris, 1903 ; P. Batiffol, L'Eglise naissante^, do. 1901), pp. 46-68 ; also art. ' Apostle,' in HDB, DCG, EBi, and EBr^. ALFRED PlUMMEK.
APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS AND CANONS.—
This work (of the 4th or 5th cent. A.D., but based on more ancient materials) is divided into eight books, dealing, in rambling and hortatory fashion, with the problems of church life and discipline. The chief interest of its contents lies in the mis- cellaneous information atforded regarding the customs of an early period ; the theological lean- ings, if definitely present at all, are difficult to determine ; the copious Scripture quotations often support ' Western ' readings. At the end of the eighth book come 85 'Apostolic Canons,' which have attracted special attention.
The claim made by its title (Aiarayal rCiv aylwv diroffTdXwv dia KX-qfievros roO" Pw/xatwv (wi.aK6irov re Kal ttoXLtov. KaOoXLKT] 8LdaaKa\la) is re-stated in the conclusion and amplified in vi. 14, 18 : ' We now assembled, Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James the son of Alphseus, and Lebbseus who is surnamed Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and Matthias who instead of Judas was numbered with us, and James the brother of our Lord and bishop of Jerusalem, and Paul . . . and have written to you this catholic doctrine [which] we have sent by our fellow-minister Clement.' The direct authority of Christ is also adduced in ii. 1 : ' Con- cerning bishops we have heard from our Lord ' ; and in V. 7 : ' We teach you all these things which He appointed by His constitutions.' The collective apostolic authorship is recalled to the reader's mind from time to time by casual phrases such as ' we twelve,' ' Philip our fellow-apostle ' ; while by a curious device, from time to time, without any break in the discourse, one or other of the apostles takes the word out of the common mouth and speaks in his own name, especially at points where the reference is to his personal experience ; as ii. 57 : ' Read the gospels which I, Matthew and Jolni, have delivered unto you,' and v. 14 : ' I arose up from lying in His bosom.' Near the end the apostles in turn each deliver one or more 'constitutions.'