Knowing the apostles Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36—10:8 The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the pope’s cathedral as bishop of Rome. The colossal white marble statues of each of the Twelve Apostles that stand in niches on either side of the basilica’s nave are the most striking feature of its interior. The artists who sculpted these statues portrayed the apostles in heroic postures, which is not exactly how the Gospels depict them. This prompts the question: What do we know about the Twelve Apostles? The answer is disappointing. Except for their names, we know little about them. In addition to the list of the Twelve Apostles appearing in today’s Gospel reading, the New Testament provides three other such lists: Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16 and Acts 1:13. There are some differences among these four lists that underscore our lack of knowledge about the apostles. The word “apostle” does not appear in the Gospel of John though the expression “the Twelve” does. The Fourth Gospel provides no list of the Twelve. Perhaps this means the messengers are not as important as the message. Proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and calling people to respond to that good news was the mission of the Twelve Apostles. The word “apostle” is derived from a Greek word meaning “one who is sent.” Jesus sent the Twelve “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 10:6). This conformed to the contours of his own ministry, which was limited to the Jewish people almost exclusively. Matthew, however, considered this restriction as limited to the period of Jesus’ earthly life. The evangelist concludes his Gospel with the “Great Commission” that the risen Christ gave to the apostles: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” (Mt 28:19). The cross destroyed the barrier of separation between Jew and gentile (Eph 2:14-16) and the apostles were to proclaim the good news of Christ to all people. For the most part, the first people to accept the Gospel were Jews. Some believed that Jesus came to show a more perfect way of being a Jew. While the Jewish Christians were willing to accept gentiles into the community of believers, they required converts to live according to the way of life set out in the Torah. This was vehemently opposed by Paul (see Galatians), who maintained that faith in Christ was the way to salvation. The Book of Acts twice affirms that gentiles were to be admitted to the community of believers without the requirement of Torah observance (Acts 11:19-26; Acts 15:1-35). The number of gentiles who came to accept the Gospel grew steadily primarily due to the efforts of Paul and his coworkers. A small Jewish-Christian community continued to exist until it was absorbed by the much larger Gentile-Christian community when Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century. The gentile Christians believed that they were heirs to the promises made to the patriarchs and to the people of Israel. Christians asserted that they were now the “kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” spoken of in today’s first reading (Ex 19:6a; see 1 Pt 2:9). Some Christians believed that Christianity replaced Judaism. This fed antagonism toward Jews and Judaism that eventually found expression in the antisemitism whose horrendous consequences are the shame of Christianity. Urged by the Second Vatican Council and the personal example of popes such as St. John XXIII, St. John Paul II and Pope Francis, the Catholic Church has repented of the anti-Judaism of its past and has sought a bond with the Jewish people that recognizes their unique relationship with God and appreciates them as our elder sisters and brothers. Although we cannot undo the past, we can create of future based on our common belief in the one God.
About the Author Father Leslie Hoppe, OFM, is professor emeritus of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union, 5416 S. Cornell Ave., Chicago.