It Is The Decision of the Holy Spirit and Us - A Teaching on the Catholicity of the Early Church

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 05-14-20 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[Salvation]

Posted on May 14, 2020May 14, 2020 by Msgr. Charles Pope

It Is The Decision of the Holy Spirit and Us – A Teaching on the Catholicity of the Early Church

The first readings at daily Mass this week recount the Council of Jerusalem, which scholars generally date to around 50 A.D. It was a pivotal moment in the history of the Church, because it would set forth an identity for Her that was independent of the culture of Judaism per se and would open wide the door of inculturation to the Gentiles. This surely had a significant effect on evangelization in the early Church.

Catholic ecclesiology is evident in this first council in that we have a very Catholic model of how a matter of significant pastoral practice and doctrine is properly dealt with. What we see here is the same model that the Catholic Church has continued to use right up to the present day. In this and all subsequent ecumenical councils, there is a gathering of the bishops, presided over by the Pope, that considers and may even debate a matter. In the event that consensus cannot be reached, the Pope resolves the debate. Once a decision is reached, it is considered binding and a letter is issued to the whole Church.

All of these elements are seen in this first council of the Church in Jerusalem, although in seminal form. Let’s consider this council, beginning with some background.

1. Bring in the Gentiles! Just prior to ascending, the Lord gave the Apostles the great commission: Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19). The Gentiles were now to be summoned and included in the ranks of discipleship and of the Church.
2. The Church was mighty slow in beginning any outreach to the Gentiles. While it is true that on the day of Pentecost people from every nation heard Peter’s sermon, and more than 3000 converted, they were all Jews (Acts 2). In fact, there seems little evidence of the Church moving far from Jerusalem let alone to all the nations.
3. Perhaps as a swift kick in the pants, the Lord allowed a persecution to break out in Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). This caused the gospel to begin a northward trek, into Samaria at least. Samaritans, however, are not usually considered Gentiles, because they were a group that had intermarried with Jews in the 8th century B.C. There was also the baptism of an Ethiopian official, but he, too, was a Jew.
4. Fifteen Years? The timeline of Acts is a bit speculative. However, if we study it carefully and compare it to some of what Paul says (especially in Galatians), it would seem that it was between 12 and 15 years before the baptism of the first Gentile took place! If this is true, then another nudge or push from the Lord was surely needed. There was strong racial animosity between Jews and Gentiles, which may explain the slow response to Jesus’ commission. Although it may explain it, it does not excuse it. However, the Lord does not fail to guide His Church.
5. Time for another kick in the pants. This time the Lord goes to Peter, who was praying on a rooftop in Joppa, and by means of a vision teaches him that he should not call unclean what God calls clean. The Lord then sends to Peter an entourage from Cornelius, a high Roman military official seeking baptism. Cornelius, of course, is a Gentile. The entourage requests that Peter accompany them to meet Cornelius at Cesarea. At first, he is reluctant, but then recalling the vision (the kick in the pants) that God gave him, Peter decides to go. In Cesarea, he does something unthinkable: Peter, a Jew, enters the house of a Gentile. He has learned his lesson and as the first Pope has been guided by God to do what is right and just. After a conversation with Cornelius and the whole household as well as signs from the Holy Spirit, Peter baptizes them. Praise the Lord! It was about time. (All of this is detailed in Acts 10.)
6. Many are not happy with what Peter has done and they confront him about it. Peter explains his vision and also the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, insisting that this is how it is going to be. While it is true that these early Christians felt freer to question Peter than we would the Pope today, it is also a fact that what Peter has done is binding even if some of them don’t like it; what Peter has done will stand. Once Peter has answered them definitively, they reluctantly assent and declare somewhat cynically, “God has granted life giving repentance even to the Gentiles!” (Acts 11:18)
7. Trouble is brewing. The mission to the Gentiles is finally open, but that does not mean that the trouble is over. As Paul, Barnabas, and others begin to bring in large numbers of Gentile converts, some among the Jewish Christians begin to object that they are not like Jews and insist that the Gentiles must be circumcised and follow the whole of Jewish Law—not just the moral precepts but also the cultural norms, kosher diet, purification rites, etc. (That is where we picked up the story in yesterday’s Mass.)
8. The Council of Jerusalem – Luke, a master of understatement, says, “Because there arose no little dissension and debate …” (Acts 15:2) it was decided to ask the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem to gather and consider the matter. So the Apostles and some presbyters (priests) with them meet. Of course Peter is there as is James, who was especially prominent in Jerusalem among the Apostles and would later become bishop there. Once again, Luke rather humorously understates the matter by saying, “After much debate, Peter arose” (Acts 15:7).

Peter arises to settle the matter because, it would seem, the Apostles themselves were divided. Had not Peter received this charge from the Lord? The Lord had prophesied, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift you all like wheat but I have prayed for you Peter, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:31-32). Peter now fulfills this text, as he will again in the future and as will every Pope after him. Peter clearly dismisses any notion that the Gentiles should be made to take up the whole burden of Jewish customs. Paul and Barnabas rise to support this. Then James (who it seems may have felt otherwise) rises to assent to the decision and asks that a letter be sent forth to all the Churches explaining the decision. He also asks for and obtains a few concessions.

So there it is, the first council of the Church. That council, like all the Church-wide councils that would follow, was a gathering of the bishops in the presence of Peter, who worked to unite them. At a council a decision is made and a decree binding on the whole Church is sent out—very Catholic, actually. We have kept this biblical model ever since that first council. Our Protestant brethren have departed from it because they have no pope to settle things when there is disagreement. They have split into tens of thousands of denominations and factions. When no one is pope, everyone is pope.

A final thought: Notice how the decree to the Churches is worded: It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us (Acts 15:28). In the end, we trust the Holy Spirit to guide the Church in matters of faith and morals. We trust that decrees and doctrines that issue forth from councils of the bishops with the Pope are inspired by and authored by the Holy Spirit Himself. There it is right in Scripture, the affirmation that when the Church speaks solemnly in this way, it is not just the bishops and the Pope speaking as men, it is the Holy Spirit speaking with them.

The Church—Catholic from the start!

[Salvation]

Video

[Salvation]

Monsignor Pope Ping!

[Zuriel]

Mr Pope left out someone: Mary isn’t mentioned at all in that early church history lesson.

[Campion]

What does that mean? She's there from the beginning of Luke 1. She's there with the Apostles on the day of Pentecost.

She wasn't at the Council of Jerusalem. So what? She was neither a bishop nor an apostle. The Council is believed to have been around AD 50; Mary may not have even been alive on earth at that point. What are you trying to say?

[rwa265]

There wasn’t a mention of any women at that meeting. It was Apostles, elders, presbyters, men, brothers, brethren, etc.

[ealgeone]

What does that mean? It means none sought out Mary's input on the issues at hand.

None prayed to her.

None had to get her ok on what was decided by the Council.

There's a HUGE lesson in this for the Roman Catholic IF they're paying attention.

[ealgeone]

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles. Acts 15:19 NASB

James's decision....not Peter's.

James was running this Council....not Peter.

Another lesson for the Roman Catholic IF they're paying attention.

[smvoice]

James was the first pope? He had the Final decision at that Council meeting, not Peter.

[ealgeone]

There was no office of the papacy. That’s what our Roman friends are missing.

[smvoice]

The whole basis is built on a lie. James was in charge of the Council. Not Peter. That changes EVERYTHING, you would think. The Scriptures say what they say. Rather we like it or not. THIS is why traditions and doctrines of men are necessary: to change the TRUTH into a LIE.

[allwrong57]

There weren’t any protestants at the Council. There’s a HUGE lessin in this for protestants IF they’re paying attention.

[ealgeone]

There's only one denomination mentioned in the New Testament if you want to play that game.

I'll see if you can find it.

HINT: it isn't Roman Catholicism.

[ealgeone]

Much of Roman Catholicism is built on error due to their elevation of "tradition" to equal, or in some cases, trump Scripture.

That Mary was not consulted at this Council should be an eye opener for the RCs.

[smvoice]

Yep. It should be a light bulb moment. But they cannot see the light. They’re too busy lighting candles and praying to Mary. And thousands of dead people.

[NRx]

On the Unity of The Church in the First Three Centuries (long read)

http://www.oodegr.com/english/biblia/episkopos1/perieh.htm

[ealgeone]

Always find it interesting that these other documents that are appealed to were never included in the canon of Scripture.

The Didache has many conflicting errors with the NT when one compares it to the NT.

[Glad2bnuts]

Paraphrased “No man should call another Father, but Father God who is in Heaven” maybe badly paraphrased. The act of placing a man you call father, between you and THE Father of us all is blasphemy. Now we have one intercessor between mankind and Father God, his name is Yeshua Messiah, Jesus the Christ. THERE IS NO OTHER. Come out of the false religion you beautiful, and religious Catholics. Come to the freedom from rules of man, into the rules written in Red.

[cloudmountain]

Mr Pope left out someone: Mary isn’t mentioned at all in that early church history lesson.
Just because she isn't mentioned it doesn't mean that she was absent.

===============================

John 21:25 Jesus and the Beloved Apostle 25There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written.

John 20:30,31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: …

===============================
The Bible wasn't written as a HISTORY BOOK so one simply cannot treat it as such.
It was/is the Word of God. God told us how to live.

===============================

The THREE PILLARS OF THE CHURCH AUTHORITY:
1. Sacred Scripture
2. Sacred Tradition
3. Living Magesterium

===============================
If you are Protestant then you might not believe in any of what I wrote.

[smvoice]

You’re telling us that MARY, the RCC “CO-REDEMPTRESS, THE QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE(acc.to the RCC), THE “THROAT BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH the BODY OF CHRIST(acc.to RCC) could have been there and just not mentioned?!?!!

This tops the pile of ridiculous excuses that the RCC has foisted on gullible, too lazy to look for the truth members.

[Zuriel]

In the three pillars topic: does the living magesterium include the current pope Francis???