This church had remained faithful to Jesus Christ for over 40 years. He approved of the good works of these believers--their toil in His service, patient endurance of circumstances (Gr. hypomone) under affliction, and discipline of evil men and false teachers. The false teachers undoubtedly claimed to be functional apostles (cf. 2 Cor. 11:13) rather than official apostles (Acts 1:15-26). Particularly commendable was the perseverance of this church (v. 3).77
"As to whether the authoritative function of apostles continued after the first century, the apostolic fathers are instructive. In no case do the many references to apostles in the writings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas relate to any recognized apostles other than those associated with the NT. The Fathers apparently understood the special apostolic function to have ceased with the end of the apostolic era."78
