NOTE: - 31 -

[... the Apostles] of Christ, T‘adēos and Bardughimēos, are called the first and original Illuminators of the Armenian nation. Behold, in like manner, the original and first Spirit-assembled councils are named in the Holy Scriptures and in ecclesiastical histories the councils of the Holy Apostles, as is written in the Acts of the Apostles. For the first council was [held] for the purpose of appointing someone from among the two chosen [men] in place of the betrayer Judas; as it is written: “And they appointed two, Yovsēp‘ who was called Barsaba, who was surnamed Yustos, and Matat‘ia. And having prayed, they said: ‘Thou, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, reveal the one whom Thou hast chosen from among these two, to take the lot of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away to go unto his own place.’ And they gave lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matat‘ia, and he was numbered with the eleven Apostles” (Acts 1:23–26). Furthermore, the Holy Apostles assembled once again in Jerusalem to remove the murmuring of the Greeks by choosing the seven deacons, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles (6:1–7). Likewise, there was also a council of the Apostles in Jerusalem concerning legal matters; for the Jewish believers from the sect of the Pharisees began to insist and say: “Although it is good to receive the Gentiles into Christianity, yet it is necessary for them first to receive Judaism, that is, to be circumcised and to keep the distinctions of the Mosaic law”; as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles (15:1–34). Behold, these are the original councils. And thereafter, from time to time, according to the occurrences of arising schismatic opinions and errors, and various deliberations and happening ecclesiastical disputes, the Church of Christ lawfully convened a council, whether diocesan, which the Bishop of that same diocese convened, or provincial, where there was an assembly of the bishops of that province. A particular national council takes place when all the prominent clergy and learned persons of an entire nation assemble by the command of the universal Patriarch of the same nation, that is, the Catholicos. A council is called Ecumenical when the bishops, abbots, and priests of the churches of all nations are invited to speak in unity and decide upon what is necessary, having for themselves as an infallible teacher and counselor the Holy Spirit of truth, according to the testimony [...]