The office, rank, or position of an apostle; the role or mission of being an apostle.
From apostle + -ship (a suffix denoting rank or position, from Old English scipe). Similar to apostlehood but emphasizing the official role or mission aspect more than the state or condition.
The apostleship of Peter became the foundation of the entire Catholic Church hierarchy—the belief that Jesus specifically granted Peter a special apostleship launched 2,000 years of debates about papal authority versus individual interpretation of Christianity.
Apostleship similarly carries male institutional bias from theological canon-formation that systematically downplayed women apostles' authority and teaching roles in first-century communities.
When historically accurate, 'apostleship' itself is acceptable; use 'held apostolic authority' or 'exercised apostolic leadership' to include women without linguistic gatekeeping.
["apostolic authority","apostolic leadership","apostolic function"]
Women held apostolic office; use 'apostleship' accurately when referencing female apostles to recover erased history.
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