Word to the Wise
Monday, May 3, 2010 - Sts. Philip and James, apostles
[1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and John 14:6-14]After that he appeared to James, then to all the Apostles. Last of all, as to one born abnormally, he appeared to me.
Yes, I know, this feast is about Philip and James, and not about Paul! Well.....in a way it IS about Paul. Paul's claim to apostleship rested not on having known Jesus during Jesus' ministry, but on the experience he had with the Risen Christ. It is from this experience, which he claims to share with all the apostles, that he claims the same commission that the Twelve have! It's as if he is saying that he wears the same badge they do! Needless to say, it took a while before the Christian community was willing, conversion or not, to accept him on the same basis as the Twelve. Too many folks had seen him dragging members of the community off to prison! The experience of the Risen Lord was a foundational "credential," as it were, but the Twelve did have the additional "credential" that they had been with Jesus from the very beginning of his ministry. That is the criteria they applied when it came time to replace Judas! [Acts 1:21-22] We know that Philip and James were "charter members." The tension that was caused by Paul's claim to apostleship on the same basis remains with the church even today! There are many great preachers who have found themselves at odds with The Twelve. But, as Paul points out, there are many roles created by the Spirit in the Body of Christ. Not all are apostles! [1 Cor. 12:28-29]. The Twelve are the guarantors of the original historical experience of Jesus' ministry and his commission to "do this in memory of me." The Church is "apostolic" in its foundation and belief. However, those other roles are there, too, and are also the creation of the Spirit. Celebrating the feast of Philip and James is a reminder that there is more to the body than the head! AMEN
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