Apostolic College refers to the twelve Apostles of Christ as the body of men commissioned by Him to spread His message over the whole world and to give it the stability of a well-ordered society: i.e. to be the founders, the foundation, and pillars of the visible church on earth. The name "apostle" denotes their commission. An apostle is a missionary, sent by competent authority, to extend the Gospel to new lands. In this context it denotes exclusively Christ's Apostles.