There is no "clear biblical record" of the apostles making new apostles..Jesus never gave them that right or that authority.. He told them to make disciples not apostles.
Jesus chose 12 Apostles for a reason, Twelve had significance to the Jewish people
There were 12 tribes of Israel. We see that carry through in the prophetic book of Revelation
Revelation 21:12 "And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the Twelve Tribes of the Children of Israel:"
Revelation 21:14 "And the wall of the City had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the Twelve Apostles of the lamb."
This was not intended to be an ongoing process, the selection belonged to Christ, He never gave that away
We don’t claim apostles “make new apostles.”
We claim that the apostles passed on their authority.
Two different things.
Where in the Bible is the authority of the nascent Church’s leaders shown to dissipate and leave all believers on their own with issues of authority?