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Ephesians 3:1-12

 

For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles-assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.


Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. (ESV)

The Voices of Christ

The Epiphany of our Lord

6 January 2011

The apostles had a leg up on the rest of us. They were not superior in regard to faith or salvation, but in office. They were saved by grace like the rest of us. They received in the font the life that was fed by the body and blood of Christ. They wept over the unbelief they saw among their fellows. They suffered because of the faith, and with the exception of the Apostle John, died for it. Their glory was hidden. Their triumph will only be revealed at the revelation of the Christ whom they served; just like us, but with one exception.


They were apostles. They were personally called by Christ to be witnesses to His life, death, and resurrection, which covered the sins of the world. Their life and ministry was a public extension of His life and ministry. The apostolic ministry was none other than the ministry of Christ Himself. Christ sent them to become His hands and mouth in the world. They were the hands that signed the  holy absolution their mouths spoke. They raised the dead, healed the sick, and spoke for Christ. This is why when the apostles spoke, they presumed obedience (Gal 5:10) and expected agreement, even if they always worked by persuasion rather than by force. Apostolic practice was the church's practice and none other (1Co 11:16). They had all the virtues of the divine grace communicated to them, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of the church to which they shared it. They well knew that the Word of God that came from their lips had its own performative power. It had its own power to persuade.


This is why the church exists today. The apostles still speak in the pages of the apostolic Scripture. A leading criterion of scriptural authority is the apostolicity of the Word. New Testament Scripture is authoritative for the church today because it is the voice of the apostles. Even the Gospels (including the red letters!) are the voice of the apostles, because their voice is the voice of Christ. Therefore, the ancient church accepted the authority of letters written by the apostles, like the letter to the Romans. The apostles and their writings are the glory of the church, reflecting the shining face of Christ. How blessed we are that we have been made part of the conversation to hear the voice of Christ. In their blessed office we have received the fullness of divine grace. Who wouldn't listen to their voice?
John Chrysostom

"Paul had something more committed to his hands than believers have. He had apostleship conferred on him, a thing full of countless blessings, and at once greater than, and comprehensive of, all the gifts. What more could we say of it, than that whatever Christ was doing when He was present, He committed into the Apostles' hands when He departed. Paul exclaims about this, speaking of it and magnifying the dignity of the Apostles' office: "We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us" (2Co 5:20), that is, in Christ's place.

 

"'Set apart for the gospel of God' (Rm 1:1). For as in a household, each one is set apart for different tasks; thus also in the church, there are various distributions of service. Paul seems to me to hint, that he was not appointed by chance only, but that of old and from the beginning he was ordained to this office. As Jeremiah said what God spoke about himself, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you a prophet to the nations' (Jer 1:5). Because Paul was writing to Rome, a vainglorious city, and completely full of itself, he uses every possible way of showing that his election was from God. For God Himself called him and set him apart. He does this to give the letter weight, so it would be well received."

  John Chrysostom, Homilies on Romans, 1

Prayer

O God, by the leading of a star You made known Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles. Lead us, who know You by faith, to enjoy in heaven the fullness of Your divine presence; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

For the labor of teaching and preaching the gospel in India, that the Lord of the harvest would grant fruit

 

For Philip Wuthrich, who is recovering from heart bypass surgery, that the Lord would grant him complete healing

 

For families struggling with conflicted marriages, that the Lord would grant forgiveness and give earthly peace

Art: MEMLING, Hans Adoration of the Magi  c. 1470

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