A few days ago our Bible story was the end of Acts 1 when the group of disciples had the first synodical convention and voted on a twelfth apostle, choosing Matthias for Judas's spot. In the past, Pastor Wiest had pointed out to us that Jesus didn't tell them to vote, Jesus didn't tell them to fill a vacancy, Jesus didn't tell them they needed twelve right away. Jesus told them to wait. They didn't wait very well. (Looky, looky -- they're just like me! Oh, wait, that'd be a tangent....)
Paul would be the twelfth. But it would be quite a while before God sent them #12.
Pastor pointed out something this morning in our Bible story from Acts 2. Luke (closely associated with Paul) was still talking about "the Eleven" even after Matthias's election. It's like Luke was making a point that, even though Matthias "was numbered with the Eleven," he was not #12. Luke continues to refer to "the Eleven."
I'd never noticed that before.
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I've heard this explanation before, but I'm inclined to disagree.
ReplyDeleteSt. Peter directs the selection of Matthias on the basis of the Word of God, and it is the Lord who is recognized as the One who actually chooses Matthias. It seems to me that St. Luke is quite deliberate in showing the restoration of the Twelve prior to the pouring out of the Spirit on Pentecost, because the Apostles constitute the new patriarchs of the new Israel.
St. Paul, on the other hand, is not the twelfth apostle, but the thirteenth. This goes hand in hand with the fact that he is specifically the apostle to the gentiles. He personifies the extension of the Kingdom (which was always the intention) beyond the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Hence, he describes St. Peter as the Apostle to the Circumcised, and himself as the Apostle to the Uncircumcised.
At least, that's my take on it.