By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM
Part 2
In the previous article we saw that Jesus gave to the apostles the royal ministry, that is, the power to exercise authority over the people in His Church, to shepherd over, to rule over, and even to judge them. He also gave to the apostles the prophetic ministry, to be the teachers of the Truth to be believed.
The great commission is seen in St. Matthew’s Gospel: “All power is given to me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore teach you all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And behold I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:18-20).
The same mission to teach in His name is recorded in St. Mark’s Gospel: “Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16).
But the apostles were not to preach in their own names, sharing their personal feelings about the Bible. They were to preach in Jesus’ name: “He that hears you, hears me; and he that despises you, despises me; and he that despises me, despises him that sent me” (Luke 10:16).
They were sent in Jesus’ name: “As the Father sends me, so I also send you” (John 20:21).
More: Jesus guarantees their fidelity by giving to Peter the gift of infallibility in his teachings: “Simon, Simon, behold that Satan has desired to have you — plural — that he might sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for thee — singular — that thy faith may not fail. And when thou hast converted — turned again — confirm thy brethren” (Luke 22:31-32).
Conclusion: Jesus gave to His apostles the prophetic mission, that is, the mission to preach to the people and teach them to observe all His teachings, in His name and with the unfailing protection of His prayer. He also gave to the apostles the priestly ministry, that is, to offer sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
At the Last Supper, He consecrated bread and wine into His Body and Blood, and gave the apostles the commandment: “Do this in memory of me” (Luke 22:19). Do this, just as I did it, remember what I did, with which items, and the words that I used. Do this in memory of me.
And for over 1,500 years all Christians understood it precisely as He said it: It was His Real Presence. The unbloody renewal of the Sacrifice of the Cross and the Last Supper continues His saving mission over the centuries, as all Christians have maintained until Martin Luther invented his new doctrines.
In order to further bring forgiveness of sins, He gave His apostles the power to forgive sins! “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:23).
The apostles understood perfectly that they had power to forgive sins: “Is there anyone among you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James 5:14-14).
Conclusion: Jesus gave to His apostles the priestly ministry, that is, the power to offer sacrifice and forgive sins in His name.
Therefore, the Church of Jesus Christ carries on His mission throughout history. And how did He build this Church of His: on a solid foundation — rock — or on a shaky foundation — sand?
At the conclusion of the Sermon of the Mount, He said: “Everyone therefore who hears these my words and acts upon them, shall be likened to a wise man who built his house on a rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it was founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house on sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and was utterly ruined” (Matt. 7:24-27).
And so He did! “Thou art Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Peter’s original name was Simon (which sounds like the word “grain of sand” in Aramaic). Jesus changed it to Kepha (Cephas, Petros, Peter, meaning “rock” — John 1:42).
Jesus did not build his house upon a “grain of sand” — a Simple Simon. He built his house upon a Kepha, a Rock, which He Himself established to guide, teach, and sanctify His Church. Not the little, impetuous, mood-changing, braggart Galilean fisherman, but the solid Rock He established (Matt. 16:18), to whom He entrusted His flock (John 21:15-17), and to whom He gave the power of binding and loosing (Matt. 15:18), the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 16:19), and the power to forgive sins (John 20:23).
“Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I say to you, you are Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:17-19).
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If you were to ask any Protestant Christian this question, “What is the pillar or mainstay (ground, foundation) of the truth for Christians in the New Testament?”
“The Bible!” he would reply without any hesitation. But the Bible says that it is the Church that is the pillar and mainstay of the truth, the guide of Christians — not the Bible alone. St. Paul says it:
“I write these things to you hoping to come to you shortly, but in order that you may know, if I am delayed, how to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and mainstay of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).
The Church of Jesus Christ is the pillar and foundation of the Truth. And the apostles were made rulers, teachers, and priests of His Church.
He promised to remain with His Church till the end of time: After His Resurrection, our Lord promised the apostles: “Behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:20), the last saying of our Lord recorded in St. Matthew’s Gospel, and that Gospel’s very last verse as well.
Parting words have special meaning in any relationship. Jesus wanted to ensure that His very last promise — I am with you — would be a certitude that He would remain with His Church.
This expression appears about 90 times in the Bible, always meaning special divine assistance to ensure the fulfillment of the mission.
The great commission could not be — and was not — realized in the apostles’ lifetime. Not even today.
Jesus cannot give a mission that is impossible to fulfill. Otherwise His Church would have died with the death of the last apostle. He promised that He would be with them, and also to send the Holy Spirit.
But He promised to send the Holy Spirit to guarantee the Church’s indefectibility — next article.
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(Raymond de Souza is director of the Evangelization and Apologetics Office of the Winona Diocese, Minn.; EWTN program host; regional coordinator for Portuguese-speaking countries for Human Life International [HLI]: president of the Sacred Heart Institute, and a member of the Sovereign, Military, and Hospitaller Order of the Knights of Malta. His website is: www.RaymonddeSouza.com.)
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