The Structure of the Christian Church
A Milestone Documents E-text
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The Structure of the Christian Church
https://doi.org/10.3735/9781961844568.book.part.048

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Abstract

As far as we know, Jesus did not leave any pattern of organizational structure to which his early followers could adhere, and the early Christians in Jerusalem followed the pattern of Jewish synagogues. The closest disciples of Jesus Christ (the twelve apostles) naturally assumed the positions of highest authority among converts after Jesus’ death, but the term apostle would often be used in a more inclusive sense, to cover not only the original group of twelve but also other important missionaries, such as Paul of Tarsus.

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