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Week 10 Consuming the WordThe Early Church in the Book of Acts - Part 2

Last week we ended with these two Bible passages.

Ezekiel 2:9–10 (RSV2CE) 9 And when I looked, behold, a hand was stretched out to me, and behold, a written scroll was in it; 10 and he spread it before me; and it had

writing on the front and on the back, and there were written on it words of lamentation and mourning and woe. Ezekiel 3:1–4 (RSV2CE) 1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it; and it

was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go, get you to the house of Israel, and speak with my words to them.

Revelation 10:8–11 (RSV2CE) 8 Then the voice which I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, “Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

We ended giving some thought to this concept of “consuming the Word”, or eating the Word. God warned Adam and Eve in so many “words”, do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but instead eat of

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any other tree including the tree of life. They consumed the wrong words, and look what happened. Jesus, as the last Adam, comes and speaks new and eternal sacred words, this is My body, take and eat…this is My blood, take and drink. And we have the choice to obey, to consume those words and be fed by the life of Jesus Himself…or not…and you can guess what that result will be.

This week Scott begins by declaring that covenant is really all about family, and what better way to bring together family than sharing a family meal. And family life is all about sacrifice, without sacrifice the family cannot exist for very long. Covenant, family, a meal, and sacrifice…I think you can see where this is all going.

Christ transformed the Passover into a sacrificial covenant family banquet…the Eucharist…the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Old Testament sets forth a succession of fathers…Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve sons. Then on to Moses and Joshua, David and the descendant kings

that followed. Then comes the prophets, Daniel, Jerimiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and on and on and on. In the New Testament, through the sacrament of laying on of hands, we a see a clear succession of apostles, later on called bishops. St. Paul presents himself and his ministry to Peter, James, and John in Jerusalem, the result ends up being an approval of Paul as an apostle and his ministry. How? Following the pattern of the Old Covenant, with the sacred tradition of laying on of hands. Over time the primary bishop, the servant of all servants, is acknowledged in the Church at Rome. That succession of popes starts with Peter, down through the ages, bringing us to St. Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and now Pope Francis.

This is Paul’s account of presenting himself to the apostles in Jerusalem. He makes a very strong claim in this passage, see if you it shocks you as it must have the Galatians.

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Galatians 1:11–24 (RSV2CE) 11 Brethren, I would have you know that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the Church of God violently and tried to destroy it; 14 and I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with

flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still not known by sight to the churches of Christ in Judea; 23 they only heard it said, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

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Galatians 2:1–10 (RSV2CE) 1 Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up by revelation; and I laid before them (but privately before those who were of repute) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, lest somehow I should be running or had run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 But because of false brethren secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage—5 to them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who were reputed to be something (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who were of repute added nothing to me; 7 but on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for the mission to the circumcised worked through me also for the Gentiles), 9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised; 10 only they would have us remember the poor, which very thing I was eager to do.

Peter calls all the members of the Body of Christ living stones, the New Testament if full of vibrant temple language. 1 Peter 2:1–6 (RSV2CE) 1 So put away all malice and all guile and insincerity and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long

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for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation; 3 for you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 4 Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but in God’s sight chosen and precious; 5 and like living stones be yourselves built

into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and he who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

1 Timothy 3:15 (RSV2CE) 15 if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.

Here’s the critical point of all of this, the Bible points beyond itself to the Eucharist, that the early believers called the New Testament…and to the Church, and sacred tradition, and bishops set apart by the laying on of hands. All of these holy gifts make up the true authority of our Christian faith. Again, we are not diminishing the importance of sacred scripture, but are not trying to make it say something that it just doesn’t say. Here’s what it does say.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (RSV2CE) 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Scott believes Irenaeus, an Early Father from the second century, shows both the importance and balance of sacred scripture and sacred tradition. Listen to the writings of St. Irenaeus in his work Irenaeus Against Heresies.

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1. We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God, handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our faith. Irenaeus of Lyons. (1885). Irenæus against Heresies. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 414). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

For, after our Lord rose from the dead, [the apostles] were invested with power from on high when the Holy Spirit came down [upon them], were filled from all [His gifts], and had perfect knowledge: they departed to the ends of the earth, preaching the glad tidings of the good things [sent] from God to us, and proclaiming the peace of heaven to men, who indeed do all equally and individually possess the Gospel of God. Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews3 in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia. On this and similar statements in the Fathers, the reader may consult Dr. Roberts’s Discussions on the Gospels, in which they are fully criticised, and the Greek original of St. Matthew’s Gospel maintained.

2. But, again, when we refer them to that tradition which originates from the apostles, [and] which is preserved by means of the succession of presbyters in the Churches, they object to tradition, saying that they themselves are wiser not merely than the presbyters, but even than the apostles, because they have discovered the unadulterated truth. It comes to this, therefore, that these men do now consent neither to Scripture nor to tradition. Irenaeus of Lyons. (1885). Irenæus against Heresies. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 415). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company.

Mike Aquilina points to and every earlier Early Father, St. Clement of Rome. Clement is even named in scripture by St. Paul. Philippians 4:3 (RSV2CE) 3 And I also ask you, who are a true co-worker, help these women, for they have labored side by side with

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me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

First Epistle to the Church at Corinth, A.D. 96by His Holiness Pope St. Clement I

Chapter 40 These things therefore being manifest to us, and since we look into the depths of the divine knowledge, it behoves us to do all things in their proper order, which the Lord has commanded us to perform at stated times. He has enjoined offerings to be presented and service to be performed to Him, and that not thoughtlessly or irregularly, but at the appointed times and hours. Where and by whom He desires these things to be done, He Himself has fixed by His own supreme will, in order that all things being piously done according to His good pleasure, may be acceptable to Him. Those, therefore, who present their offerings at the appointed times, are accepted and blessed; for inasmuch as they follow the laws of the Lord, they sin not. For his own peculiar services are assigned to the high priest, and their own proper place is prescribed to the priests, and their own special ministrations devolve on the Levites. The layman is bound by the laws that pertain to laymen.

Chapter 41

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Let every one of you, brethren, give thanks to God in his own order, living in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brethren, are the daily sacrifices offered, or the peace-offerings, or the sin-offerings and the trespass-offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to His will, are punished with death. You see, brethren, that the greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is the danger to which we are exposed.

Chapter 42The apostles have preached the Gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ has done so from God. Christ therefore was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having therefore received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first-fruits of their labours, having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons. For thus says the Scripture a certain place, "I will appoint their bishops in righteousness, and their deacons in faith."