What does apostolic church mean?
Apostolic means related to the apostles or sent in the apostolic mission. For that reason, “apostolic church” is not by itself the name of one denomination or only a name for the Armenian Church. The emphasis depends on the church being described, but the expression usually…
Apostolic means related to the apostles or sent in the apostolic mission. For that reason, “apostolic church” is not by itself the name of one denomination or only a name for the Armenian Church. The emphasis depends on the church being described, but the expression usually points to three connections: the apostles' witness to Jesus, the preservation of that teaching, and the church's mission to proclaim the gospel.
In the Bible, the apostles are called to be witnesses to Jesus' resurrection and to continue that witness (Acts 1:8). Ephesians 2:20 describes the church as built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, while Matthew 28:19-20 records the commission to make disciples of all nations. These references show how apostolic can describe both origin and continuing mission.
Some churches also explain apostolicity through apostolic succession, the historical transmission of ministry and teaching through bishops. Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, and other traditions do not define that transmission in exactly the same way. The Armenian Apostolic Church, in its official overview, connects its name to its foundation through the preaching of the apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew. That is a particular church's historical self-description; it does not exhaust the broader meaning of apostolic.