The Gospel of the Forty Days: Apostolic Teaching Office
The doctrinal function of the ministerial
office of Apostles and their successors came to be described later as the
teaching office, or “Magisterium,” of the Church. It is an aspect of the direct
command of the Lord Jesus to the Apostles (and their successors) to “preach the
Gospel” (Mk 16:15), “make disciples ... teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded” (Mt 28:19-20), to preach repentance (Lk 24:47), and Jesus’
command to Peter to “feed My sheep” (Jn 21:17) (cf., Catechism 888, and see
890). It also includes the aspect of the binding and loosing authority Jesus
gave to the Apostles (Mt 16:19; 18:18) for interpreting and preserving the
Faith (cf., Catechism 553), similar to the authority of the OT Levitical
priests (Deut 17:8-13; Hag 2:10-13), but which the Pharisees had assumed (Mt
23:4).
In recent articles we’ve seen that Jesus’
“gospel of the forty days” included that the Apostles would appoint their
successors, what today we call bishops, priests, and deacons. Interestingly,
St. Paul states that these different offices of ministry (charisms) are gifts
of the risen and ascended Christ (Eph 4:7-8), indicating again a likelihood
that Jesus’s instruction during the forty days would include both the nature of
the charisms and the ministerial office.
Now St. Paul also says the function of
these charisms is that the Church attain “the unity of the Faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God” so we no longer be tossed around by human
doctrines and deceits. (Eph 4:12-14). Such refers to doctrine, clearly part of
Jesus’ teachings given during the forty days (Ac 1:2-3; cf., Lk 24:26-27,
45-46).
Preservation of true, Apostolic doctrine
was and is crucial. Believers “continued steadfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine”
(Ac 2:42 AV). When St. Paul and St. Barnabas first preached in Cyprus, the
procounsel saw Paul’s miracle, yes, but he came to belief because “he was
astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Ac 13:12 AV). The Council of Jerusalem
was called precisely because a point of doctrine concerning Gentiles was so
important (Ac 15:2). Paul assures the bishops of Ephesus that he has declared
to them “the whole counsel of God,” indicating that accuracy of doctrine
includes not to omit any part of the teaching, and he charges them to take heed
for their flock against wolves and “men speaking perverse things” (Ac
20:27-30). He was zealous to “destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the
knowledge of God” (2 Cor 10:5) and pleaded with the Romans “to take note of
those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine
which you have been taught” (Rom 16:17). The epistle of Jude is an exhortation
to defend the doctrines of the Faith taught by the Apostles, “once and for all
delivered to the saints” (v. 3), and to remember what the Apostles had said to
them (v. 17). And how many times does the NT admonish us to hold fast to the
Apostolic Tradition? (1 Cor 11:2, 23; 15:3; 1 Tim 6:3; Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 4:2; 2
Thes 2:15; 3:6; 1 Pet 1:25.)
When in 451 AD the Council of Chalcedon pronounced
dogma concerning Christ (which has been accepted by all historical Christians),
the Council said it was “just as [1] the prophets taught from the beginning
about [Christ], and [2] as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself instructed us, and [3]
as the creed of the [Apostolic] Fathers handed down to us.” The 20th Century
expert on the history of Christian creeds, Jaroslav Pelikan, sees in this
statement [1] Scripture, [2] the Gospels and Jesus’ oral instructions during the forty days, and [3] the rule of faith or creed of the Apostles – all together
essentially one authority: the Scriptures as Christ interpreted and fulfilled
them according to Apostolic Tradition.
Jesus said, “You shall know the
truth” (Jn 8:32), and that the Spirit of truth would guide the Apostles “into
all the truth” (Jn 16:13). For we Christians who believe the Holy Spirit still
gives charisms of healings and miracles today, why is it so difficult for some
to also believe that the Holy Spirit still continues to give charisms of
apostolic succession, including the teaching office, to preserve the unity of
the one Faith and knowledge of the truth of God in Christ Jesus, when this is a
promise of Christ in Scripture and attested to by the early Church Fathers?
Why limit God's Holy Spirit?
Dibby Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.
References:
John Bergsma, Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity (New York: Image, 2019), p. 176-179, fn. 13 referencing
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3307-ginding-and-loosing.
Jaroslav Pelikan, Acts (part of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series) (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press) p. 38-39, 202-204, 219.
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/3307-ginding-and-loosing.
Jaroslav Pelikan, Acts (part of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series) (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press) p. 38-39, 202-204, 219.