I think the twelve and Paul would be shocked to hear of their calling linked with status.Paidion, you are well read on the early church. Do you know of any 1st or 2nd century Christian(s) so bold as to claim to have been equal in staus to the twelve and Paul?
As I see it, the twelve were a special group who had been called by Jesus. At the time Judas was replaced, it seemed that the critierion was to have been a witness to the resurrection of Christ. So the eleven wished to choose a person who had gone in and out among them, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when Jesus was raised from the dead.
So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection." Acts 1:21, 22
It is interesting that the Lord chose Matthias. It was Joseph that seemed to have been the man of status:
And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. Acts 1:23
It is interesting that Joseph's other name and surname are mentioned, as if he were someone important, whereas Matthias is just plain Matthias.
I think the twelve were a subset of all true apostles. They had to have had the qualification of being called by Jesus, or at least to have walked among the others, as had Joseph and Matthias.
I don't think Paul belonged to this subset. I think he belonged to the wider group who are called apostles. It's true that Christ appeared to him in a miraculous way and called him to be his witness.
The broader group were also called by Christ, perhaps not in as dramatic way as Paul. They were especially chosen, as you have said, Homer, to be special messengers. However, I do think the noun "apostolos" is closely related to the verb "apostellō" This verb has a more specific meaning than simply "send". If the writer had simply meant "send", he would have used "pempō"
"apostellō" means "to send with a commission". If you are sent in that way, you have a job to do.
There is also evidence that these apostles had authority in the church. This is obvious from Paul's letters, although he often states that he hadn't exercised that authority, but appealed to those in the churches instead. Also, he didn't exercise his right to be supported financially, but supported himself by working instead.
I have observed a genuine humility in some of those that the local church with whom I meet, regard as apostles. These leading brethren always seem to have time to listen to people, and pray with them concerning their problems. I have seen them truly serve those whom the Lord has placed in their charge.
To answer you question, Homer, I know of no one in the first or second century church who claimed to be one of the Twelve. Yet several in the first century, as you yourself mentioned, were called "apostles".
It seems that the term "apostle" was dropped rather quickly in the second century, and leading brethren were called "overseers" of the Church in a city of area. The Church at Corinth, for example, was probably made up of several home churches with an overseer in each one, but a general overseer for the total of churches in Corinth. The term "overseer" seemed to have been replaced by simply "elder" in a particular congregation to distinguish him from the general overseer. Thus the elder-overseer distinction appeared in the second century, whereas no such distinction is made in the New Testament.
However, the term "prophet" appears to have continued throughout the second century.