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Is it important to know what the Apostles taught? Although there may be various nuances, everyone who considers himself a follower of Christ Jesus would say "yes". Some may say that they need to know exactly what they taught. Others may claim that only the basics are necessary. And others (usually Catholics) would say that at least the clergy need to know, and they can disseminate it down to the people. Regardless of your answer, we would all say that in some way knowing the content of their teachings is necessary.
How, then, does anyone decide what the Apostles said? It is easy to determine their words (just read the Bible), but that is not the same thing as knowing what they meant by those words. There are essentially two ways that we can make this determination. First, we can examine (only) their written words, and try to determine what they meant based primarily (if not exclusively) on our personal opinion and knowledge. This places us on the throne of judgment, and puts all the weight on our limited experience and wisdom (if any).
Secondly, we can examine their written words, their spoken words, and their actions based on the knowledge of those who knew them personally and learned directly from them. This helps to prevent us from presuming upon our own personal knowledge and abilities. It also allows those who clearly know more than we do about the question at hand to give us guidance. Although most non-catholics would admit that these individuals (usually called the Church Fathers) have important information to tell us, they will also say that their opinions are suspect because they were (believe it or not) "too close" to the Apostles. Somehow, this opinion states that only those who have no experiential knowledge of the Apostles can understand them. This is somewhat akin to me saying that I know General Robert E. Lee better than his contemporaries because I can read a book about him. The foolishness of this idea should be obvious.
Just considering the basic principle of what we are discussing, who would be more likely to give us the correct interpretation of the words of the Apostles? First, is it we who have never met the Apostles, who live 2000 years after they died, and who do not have any first-hand experience in the society that they lived in? Or, secondly, is it those who were right there with them? The answer is self-evident; and for anyone who really thinks that he could figure this out today better than the Church fathers who lived with the Apostles, he needs a healthy dose of humility.
It is because of this simple principle that (almost) everyone will admit to, that the Church puts so much authority in the Church Fathers. I have heard many times a non-catholic refer to the Church Fathers and say that their writings are "only their opinion". It is amazing how that is not a refutation, but a support for the Catholic position. Although the Church Fathers did not write with the charism of infallibility, they did write what they believed. If, in writing what is "just their opinions", then it is remarkable how they agreed on the essentials that are held by the Catholic Church (i.e. Church hierarchy and authority, the Sacraments--especially the Eucharist, and liturgy). The Apostles are the "eyewitnesses" of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Church Fathers are the "eyewitnesses" of the Apostles. Let us trust what God has said through them.