APOSTOLIC CONSTITUTIONS. – Apostolic writing. It is read in them (VI, 18, 11) that it was sent to the Church by the Apostles through Clement and other disciples. According to the A. C. (VIII, 10, 7) there existed at the beginning of the Church four bishops: James (Jerusalem), Clement (Rome), Evodius (Antioch) and Annianus (Alexandria). In VIII, 47, 85 (p. 592, 6 ff., ed. Funk) the compiler of the A. C. adds his 8 books to the 2 epistles of Clement in the list of canonical writings, ordering however that they not be made public because of the mysteries (ibid., p. 592, 9) contained therein. This latter text therefore attributes the authorship of the A. C. not to the Apostles, as in VI, 18, 11, but to Clement.
The forger certainly knew the pseudoclementine literature, and this explains, at least in part, the importance attributed to James and Clement. The author of the apocryphal work wrote in Syria (contrary to H. Lietzmann, *Geschichte der alten Kirche*, III, Berlin 1938, p. 293), probably in Antioch, and perhaps presupposes the activity of St. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM in that city. The purpose of this forgery is not clear. The assertion of Ed. Schwartz (*Über die pseudo-apostolischen Kirchenordnungen*, Straßburg 1910, p. 20) that the writing was directed against monasticism seems erroneous. The first 6 books are a revision of the Didascalia Syriaca (v. DIDASCALIA). The seventh book is in its first part an expansion of the Didascalia. Chs. 33–38 are a collection of judicial prayers, slightly Christianized, of the greatest importance for the history of liturgy and Antiochene theology. The text contains among other things a Trisagion in its Jewish form (VII, 35, 3) and a prayer for the Sabbath (ch. 36). Chs. 39–45 are precepts for the instruction of catechumens (cf. Drews, in *Zeit. für Neutest. Wissenschaft*, 1907, p. 226 ff.) and for Baptism. Ch. 46 contains lists of the most ancient bishops; ch. 47 the angelic hymn (*Gloria in excelsis Deo*) for the Morning Office (for the text V. A. Baumstark, in *Hundert Jahre Marcus und Weber Verlag*, Bonn 1919, p. 86 ff.); ch. 48 the *Laudate pueri Dominum* for the Evening Office; ch. 49 a prayer before meals. The eighth book is based on the Constitution of Hippolytus. Chs. 5–15 contain the famous liturgy generally called Clementine (12, 5–6 also in a papyrus, cf. S. G. Mercati, in *Aegyptus*, 8 [1927], pp. 40–42), probably an ideal liturgical formulary whose relationship with judicial prayers has been studied by W. Bousset, in *Nachrichten der Götting. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften*, 1915 (passim). There follow chapters on the consecration of the various grades of the hierarchy and other liturgical ordinances. Ch. 47 contains 85 Apostolic Canons (v. CANONES APOSTOLORUM).
The author of the A. C. is not identical with the author of the long recension of the letters of Ignatius. In his theology he is neither Arian nor Apollinarian, but represents a type of ancient Syrian theology which, because of its affinity with Jewish theology, gives the impression of Arianism. The Quinisext Council in 692 declared the A. C. a forgery; but it had no influence on their authority, because despite the condemnation they were introduced into the collections of the Eastern Churches.
Edition: *Didascalia et Constitutiones apostolorum*, ed. F. Funk, Paderborn 1906. For the text of Book VIII V. Turner, in *Journ. Theol. Studies*, 31 (1930), p. 128 ff.