What is our apostolic heritage, and how do we hear it?

http://usccb.org/bible/readings/101419.cfm
Romans 1:1-7
Luke 11:29-32

Not many of us could imagine ourselves as an apostle. We have good reason. We don’t fulfill the official pillars of the title. The strict interpretation of an apostle is one directly chosen, as in Christ as Messiah — hand-picked in person. An apostle is also directly taught, as in Jesus the rabbi personally doing the teaching. Finally, an apostle is directly sent, as in Jesus the Lord sending him off on a mission. “Feed my sheep.” Their twelve names are listed in Mark 3:13-19.

Our reading in Romans (1:1-7) today begins with Paul pointing out that he is also an apostle. Well, is he really? He said so clearly in a 1Corinthians. For those of us who take the scriptures seriously, his defense is compelling.

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? Although I may not be an apostle for others, certainly I am for you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 9:1-2)

Paul doesn’t just imagine his designation as an apostle by the time he writes Romans. He firmly claims it. He identified himself as an apostle, and then he described what it meant — “set apart for the gospel of God.” 

The word “apostle” translates literally to one who is dispatched. In Paul’s letters, he describes the functional trifecta of being chosen, taught, and sent as a signaling for all Christians. For apostles, however, those things happened face-to-face with Jesus. Among the 120, or so, disciples, 12 were noted as unique. Paul says he, too, is in the community.

There is another apostle, other than Paul, identified chosen after the original twelve. Matthias, one of the earliest disciples of Jesus Christ, was designated as the replacement for Judas, the lost apostle. We get here another path toward apostleship. Matthias was elected by the eleven apostles that were left, right before Pentecost. This took place long before Paul’s encounter with Jesus. 

So, we historically end up with eleven initially designated apostles, after one is dismissed on Good Friday, one elected apostle, and one self-described apostle. Some would call the total apostolic count as unlucky thirteen. In truth there were all together fourteen. Judas was still an apostle. Coincidentally, or co-incident for us Christians, the original Jewish 12 tribes have been described in various books in the Torah with fourteen different names. That’s kind of a cool thing, because not only does God do what God does, there’s a wink and nod toward God’s freedom regarding institutional boundaries and compartments. 

In the expansion of the original apostolic office by the Church’s official tradition, and an authority affirmed when Jesus breathed upon the twelve before Pentecost, we say an apostle is several things. He is a person assigned and tasked by God to perform a mission, which is specifically to preach the gospel. He is also given to be the authority on the divinely revealed teachings of the Church, in both scriptural interpretation and doctrines. 

The Catholic Encyclopedia lists a bunch of items different theologians have determined also unique to the apostles. Among them are graces in such abundance as to eliminate the apostles’ ability and desire to sin. These graces are conferred upon them as a form of infallibility in the arena of discernment. The office also provided the apostles with no limit on jurisdiction regarding their power of office on earth. No matter where they went on their own their authority went with them.

As the apostles began to die off they were also charged with the selection of their successors. The “Laying on of hands” becomes an apostolic tradition. At the Mass we honor and call for prayers from Mary and Joseph, the twelve apostles (Matthias is in there). Then, as the litany continues, Linus, Cletus and Clement are the first mentioned. Paul ends up last. I mention Linus, Cletus, and Clement because they were the first appointed successors to Peter in Rome. All three certainly knew Peter personally. The Roman Church, and most non-Catholic theologians, agree that Peter performed this function of naming them bishops of Rome.

Paul's name being last fulfills his personal identification as the least among the saints. It's both prescient, and the Church's nod to his preference. Not with irony, but with honor, I would think.

A bit of interesting insight regarding Paul’s notion of being “free” in the verses above from 1 Corinthians can be said to refer back to the notion of jurisdiction regarding apostles. Paul was not limited to a jurisdiction. He moved about through the ranks of assigning folks to pastor and teach in certain areas of the missionary outreach. Paul himself had no rank, but had the authority of appointment. “Am I not free?” he says. I believe this does not only point to his citizenry state, but to his apostolic range also. Paul is led, or driven rather, by the Holy Spirit. His travels were epic.

“Are you not my work in the Lord?” he also adds. While jurisdictional leaders in the Church take responsibility for their city and environs, Paul spoke about his work of establishing Churches wherever he went. His ministry to the gentiles took place mostly through Jewish communities. Those he appointed then preached like Paul did to them. The extension of non-jurisdiction limits into apostolic appointed Churches comes across in Paul’s divinely attributed letters. These treasures, read throughout Christendom in the first centuries, eventually make up the bulk of our New Testament Canon.

Our earnest efforts to apostolic succession in Catholic (including the Orthodox), Protestant, and Evangelical (as not exactly protesting others) faith expressions exemplifies the broad brush of the Holy Spirit. From within the Church, by choosing Matthias, the Spirit works in one way. From outside the Church, by choosing Paul, the Spirit works in another. This is not to say that the different expressions of the Christian faith are designed similarly to the selecting of the apostles. It’s only to say that the Holy Spirit responds to us without limitations. 

Indeed, there are many thousand arms of the Church. Many do not recognize a united governing, but all are drawn and gathered by the Holy Spirit. That is the point. We’re all asked to come to God with the same humble Spirit — His will, not ours, and His gift of faith, not our forcing his hand. So, like the many varieties of testimonies which reveal the range of ways that God claims us, how many are the ways that God even formed the apostolic beginnings? Probably even more than we know. What of the apostles we know so little about? We are learning more all the time about their apostolic reach.

The full circle of what we are to do as Christians, after our humble beginnings in submitting our will to the Father, gets summed up by Paul, an apostle, for us:

Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, 
to bring about the obedience of faith,
for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles,
among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ …
(Romans 1:5-6)

This statement comes from an apostle, hand-picked by Jesus, taught by Jesus, and commissioned by Jesus. His words reach across time that there is authority among us, within the Church, to say such things to us. Peter said Paul’s words were authoritative, and scripture themselves. Clement in a letter he wrote in the year 96 called Paul an apostle. The circle continues in an authoritative mesh of men and women of faith who honor and recognize our earliest brothers in this Church founded by Jesus. 

This Holy Spirit annointed authority continues in even more broad ways today. Apostles, bishops, priests, deacons, ministers, pastors, teachers, prophets, and evangelists are gathered and anointed and appointed. Graces fall upon them, and subsequently all of us. In one thing, though, Paul says we are all the same — called to belong to Jesus Christ.

This is our takeaway. When someone who belongs to Jesus Christ explains that two millenia of believers are called to reach out to us, we should review our situation. At which point has an authority spoken to us, and at which point have we been put in the position of authority to speak to another? Both are necessary. Neither stands alone. 

The Holy Spirit called us and we belong to Jesus Christ. How has that authority been annointed and appointed in our life of faith? How is that happening at this very moment?