On the day of Pentecost, the apostles acted as a body, with Peter serving as spokesman by the operation of God’s outpoured spirit. (Ac 2:14, 37-42) They were clearly “older men” in the spiritual sense by virtue of their early and intimate association with Jesus and their having been personally commissioned by him to teach. (Mt 28:18-20; Eph 4:11, 12; compare Ac 2:42.) The attitude of those becoming believers shows that they acknowledged that the apostles had governing authority in the new nation under Christ (Ac 2:42; 4:32-37; 5:1-11) and had authority to make appointments to service, either directly as a body or through representatives, the apostle Paul being a notable example. (Ac 6:1-6; 14:19-23)

Paul and Peter, as “older men” with apostolic authority, at times exercised oversight over other “older men” in certain congregations (compare 1Co 4:18-21; 5:1-5, 9-13; Php 1:1; 2:12; 1Pe 1:1; 5:1-5), as did the apostle John and the disciples James and Jude​—all writers of letters to congregations. Paul assigned Timothy and Titus to represent him in certain places. (1Co 4:17; Php 2:19, 20; 1Ti 1:3, 4; 5:1-21; Tit 1:5)