Four Marks of the Church - Apostolic (Continuity)

The final characteristic is one of connection to the past-particularly the Church's ability to trace itself back to the original apostles-12 men chosen by Jesus to assist him, and seperate from the 72 disciples who also followed him, but from a distance. The word apostle comes from the Greek apostello, which means to send forth, and the word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning student.

Jesus created the Church around the apostles, and this connection to the past is based on much more than just nostalgia. Every ordained priest, deacon, and bishop can legitimately trace their orders back to the original 12 apostles. That link is crucial because both credibility and authority can be traced back to the original ordinary men handpicked by Jesus to lead the church. Apostolic means that the Church has distinct ties to the original 12 apostles: Simon Peter, Andrew, his brother, James, John, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the Less, Simon the Zealot, Jude Thaddeus, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus.