[UntoHim]

ZNP you are looking at this whole thing from the wrong angle.

The Holy Spirit chose several of the earliest apostles, along with some others closely related to them, to write what would eventually be accepted as the Canon of the New Testament. We know that there were many writings (gospels, epistles, private letters, etc) produced by many different sources during the first Century after the death & resurrection of our Lord.

At a certain point, the Holy Spirit then chose a number of wise and spiritual men to come and put together what we now know as the New Testament. Among their many considerations, one was surely to identify the authenticity of each gospel, epistle, letter, etc. The fact that some (most) of these writers were apostles is not necessarily connected to the "requirements" of apostleship. Since nobody is writing scripture today (apostle or not) this is essentially a moot point for us in the here and now.

Nobody is being appointed to be an apostle directly from the Lord Jesus anymore (if somebody tells you they are, then run straight for the door). This is why I keep harping upon the idea that our only way to know is to compare and contrast a person's words and actions with those of the original apostles as recorded for us in the New Testament. Any and all "discernment" in this area MUST come from our knowledge and wisdom gained from the Word of God.