Posted on 05/15/2018 7:28:18 AM PDT by Salvation
The first reading from Tuesday’s Mass is Paul’s farewell speech to the presbyters (priests) of the early Church. Here is a skilled bishop and pastor exhorting others who have pastoral roles within the Church. Let’s examine this text and apply its wisdom to bishops and priests as well as to parents and other leaders in the Church.
Paul’s Farewell Sermon – The scene is Miletus, a town in Asia Minor on the coast not far from Ephesus. Paul, who is about to depart for Jerusalem, summons the presbyters of the early Church at Ephesus. He has ministered there for three years and now summons the priests for this final exhortation. In the sermon, St. Paul cites his own example of having been a zealous teacher of the faith who did not fail to preach the “whole counsel of God.” He did not merely preach what suited him or made him popular; he preached it all. To these early priests, Paul leaves this legacy and would have them follow in his footsteps. Let’s look at some excerpts from this final exhortation.
From Miletus Paul had the presbyters of the Church at Ephesus summoned. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time from the day I first came to the province of Asia. I served the Lord with all humility and with the tears and trials that came to me … and I did not at all shrink from telling you what was for your benefit, or from teaching you in public or in your homes. I earnestly bore witness for both Jews and Greeks to repentance before God and to faith in our Lord Jesus … But now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem … But now I know that none of you to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face again. And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God … (Acts 20:17-27 selected).
Here, then, is the prescription for every bishop, priest, deacon, catechist, parent, and Catholic: we should preach the whole counsel, the entire plan of God. It is too easy for us to emphasize only that which pleases us, or makes sense to us, or fits in with our world view. There are some who love the Lord’s sermons on love but cannot abide his teachings on death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. Some love to discuss liturgy and ceremony, but the care of the poor is far from them. Others point to His compassion but neglect His call to repentance. Some love the way He dispatches the Pharisees and other leaders of the day but suddenly become deaf when the Lord warns against fornication or insists that we love our spouse, neighbor, and enemy. Some love to focus inwardly and debate doctrine but neglect the outward focus of true evangelization to which we are commanded (cf Mat 28:19).
In the Church today, we too easily divide out rather predictably along certain lines and emphases: life issues here and social justice over there, strong moral preaching here and compassionate inclusiveness over there. When one side speaks, the other side says, “There they go again!”
We must be able to say, like St. Paul, that we did not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God. While this is especially incumbent on the clergy, it is also the responsibility of parents and all who attain any leadership in the Church. All the issues above are important and must have their proper places in the preaching and witness of every Catholic, both clergy and lay. While we may have particular gifts to work in certain areas, we should learn to appreciate the whole counsel and the fact that others in the Church may be needed to balance and complete our work. While we must exclude notions that stray from revealed doctrine, within doctrine’s protective walls it is necessary that we not shrink from proclaiming and appreciating the whole counsel of God.
If we do this, we will suffer. Paul speaks above of tears and trials. In preaching the whole counsel of God (not just your favorite passages or politically correct, “safe” themes), expect to suffer. Expect to not quite fit in with people’s expectations. Jesus got into trouble with just about everyone. He didn’t offend just the elite and powerful. For example, even His own disciples puzzled over His teachings on divorce, saying, “If that is the case of man not being able to divorce his wife it is better never to marry!” (Matt 19) As a result of Jesus’ teaching on the Eucharist, many left Him and would no longer walk in His company (John 6). When Jesus spoke of His divine origins, many took up stones with which to stone Him, but He passed through their midst unharmed (Jn 8). In addition, Jesus spoke of taking up crosses, forgiving one’s enemies, and preferring nothing to Him. He forbade even lustful thoughts, let alone fornication, and insisted we learn to curb our unrighteous anger. Yes, preaching the whole counsel of God is guaranteed to earn us the wrath of many.
Sadly, over my years as a priest, I have had to bid farewell to many congregations. This farewell speech of Paul is a critical one I use to examine my ministry. Did I preach even the difficult things? Was I willing to suffer for the truth? Did my people hear from me the whole counsel of God or just what was “safe”?
What about you? Have you proclaimed the whole counsel of God? If you are a clergyman, when you move on; if you are a parent, when your child leaves for college; if you are a youth catechist, when the children are ready to be confirmed; if you teach in RCIA, when the time comes for Easter sacraments—can you say you preached it all? God warned Ezekiel that if he failed to warn the sinner, that sinner would surely die for his sins but that Ezekiel himself would be responsible for his death (Ez 3:17 ff). Paul can truthfully say that he is not responsible for the death (the blood) of any of them because he did not shrink from proclaiming the whole counsel of God. What about us?
We must proclaim the whole counsel of God, not just the safe or popular things, not just what agrees with our own politics or those of our friends. We must present the whole counsel, even the hard parts, even the things that are ridiculed. Yes, we must proclaim the whole counsel of God.
"Pecca fortiter." - Martin Luther
I would not say, though, that Luther actually meant sinning so that grace would more abound--- an error St. Paul warned against. It's one of those short, intentionally provocative slogans which positively requires interpretation: like St. Augustine's "Love, and do what you will."
Did you know that all the Reformation fathers, and Christian denominations opposed contraception until 1930?
Fortunately, we have the promise of Christ that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church He established.
“I know it is against the laws of God and man, but I can do it anyway because I am saved” — heard it from a FReeper, in fact.
“Pecca fortiter.” - Martin Luther
***
1: It’s a logical fallacy to ascribe to all Christians the acts of a single person.
2: That quote of Luther’s is PAINFULLY taken out of context, unfortunately.
Look at the context, and you see Luther was talking about being bold when confessing one’s sins and admitting freely that yes, we are sinners before God, and we depend on the Lord’s grace and not our own works.
Luther was saying, “Don’t hide your sins; confess your sins,” and “No sin is too great for God to forgive.”
He NEVER told people to go out and sin, and he was furious when people started to do so.
Additionally, here are some additional quotes from Luther re: works and faith.
““I have often said that there are two kinds of faith. First, a faith in which you indeed believe that Christ is such a man as he is described and proclaimed here and in all the Gospels, but do not believe that he is such a man for you, and are in doubt whether you have any part in him and think: Yes, he is such a man to others, to Peter, Paul, and the blessed saints; but who knows that he is such to me and that I may expect the same from him and may confide in it, as these saints did? Behold, this faith is nothing, it does not receive Christ nor enjoy him, neither can it feel any love and affection for him or from him. It is a faith about Christ and not in or of Christ, a faith which the devils also have as well as evil men…That alone can be called Christian faith, which believes without wavering that Christ is the Saviour not only to Peter and to the saints but also to you. Your salvation does not depend on the fact that you believe Christ to be the Saviour of the godly, but that he is a Saviour to you and has become your own. Such a faith will work in you love for Christ and joy in him, and good works will naturally follow. If they do not, faith is surely not present: for where faith is, there the Holy Ghost is and must work love and good works.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 1:21-22]
“For it is impossible for him who believes in Christ, as a just Savior, not to love and to do good. If, however, he does not do good nor love, it is sure that faith is not present. Therefore man knows by the fruits what kind of a tree it is, and it is proved by love and deed whether Christ is in him and he believes in Christ. As St. Peter says in 2 Pet. 1, 10: “Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never stumble,” that is, if you bravely practice good works you will be sure and cannot doubt that God has called and chosen you.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 1:40]
“But here we must take to heart the good example of Christ in that he appeals to his works, even as the tree is known by its fruits, thus rebuking all false teachers, the pope, bishops, priests and monks to appear in the future and shield themselves by his name, saying, “We are Christians;” just as the pope is boasting that he is the vicar of Christ. Here we have it stated that where the works are absent, there is also no Christ. Christ is a living, active and fruit- bearing character who does not rest, but works unceasingly wherever he is. Therefore, those bishops and teachers that are not doing the works of Christ, we should avoid and consider as wolves.”[Sermons of Martin Luther 1:93]
“But you say I would indeed await [Christ’s] coming with joy, if I were holy and without sin. I should answer, what relief do you find in fear and flight? It would not redeem you from sin if you were to be filled with terror for a thousand years. The damned are eternally filled with fear of that day, but this does not take away their sin; yea, this fear rather increases sin and renders man unfit to appear without sin on that day when it comes. Fear must pass out of the soul and there must enter in a desire for righteousness and for that day. But if you really desire to be free from sin and to be holy, then give thanks to God and continue to desire to be more free from sin. Would to God that such desire were so sincere and powerful in you as to bring you to your death.” [Sermons of Martin Luther 1:76-77]
“What Augustine says is indeed true: He who has created you without yourself will not save you without yourself. Works are necessary for salvation, but they do not cause salvation; for faith alone gives life. For the sake of hypocrites it should be said that good works are necessary for salvation. Works must be done, but it does not follow from this that works save… Works save externally, that is, they testify that we are just and that in a man there is that faith which saves him internally, as Paul says: ‘With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation’.” [What Luther Says 3: 1509]
More by the grace of God: https://web.archive.org/web/20140528104851/http://tquid.sharpens.org/sin_boldly.htm#c5 (If it doesn’t skip to the quotes, go to part 6)
Forgive the wall o’ text, but this is one of my bigger pet peeves.
Fortunately, we have the promise of Christ that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church He established.
***
This is true.
I would argue that the ekklesia is larger than just the Roman Catholics, mind you.
But we know who wins in the end, and it’s not the devil.
And...???
Did you know Roman families have shrunk from 8-10 down to 1-3?
Amen and second it.
Amen and second it also.
They are wrong. And doubly wrong, because they should know better.
“No: Paul taught the “whole counsel of God” as he knew it at the time...”
No. It was either “whole”, or “not whole”.
“But what did God say in 100 AD about human embryo therapies, mitochondrial transplants...”
Nothing, so I think we can assume those do not fall under the “counsel of God” to men. Whole for what?
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Paul did not teach them everything they needed to know to build a nuclear reactor, but he taught what was needed so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Sola Scriptura doesn’t mean all knowledge of very sort is found in scripture, but that scripture is sufficient so “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
If you want to play the flute, you won’t learn it from reading the Bible. But scripture “is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The “whole counsel of God”, which can make you “complete, equipped for every good work”.
“Whole”
“Complete”
Which implies “more is not needed for the purpose of God”...
"Nothing, so I think we can assume those do not fall under the “counsel of God” to men. Whole for what?"
Whole for living a Christian life. Or evena human life, for that matter.
All the matters I mentioned above have HUGE implications in terms of understanding the nature of human beings, ethics, moral behavior, and church governance. If God didn't give us a means of figuring out the moral implications, --- well, it's unimaginable He would have been so short-sighted.
Being all-wise and ceaselessly active --- the Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church --- He us the means for the development of doctrine. The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. (John 14:26)
“They are wrong. And doubly wrong, because they should know better.”
I’d bet the number is closer to most.
Scripture never forbids contraception of pregnancy.
Works alone do not nor does Faith alone. Do we disagree?4
“Works alone do not nor does Faith alone. Do we disagree?”
I agree with God...
Ephesians 2:8-9 - “For *it is by grace you have been saved, through faith*—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— *not by works*, so that no one can boast.”
We are saved by grace, through faith and not by works.
Couldn’t be any more specific.
Faith that saves is always followed by a life marked by good works, as a result.
“Whole counsel of God is found in Scripture... with nothing added.”
Remember Stephen, his wisdom did not come from the scriptures...
Acts 6:”10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”
Per James 3:
There are Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
BTW - has the Pope ever spoken "ex cathedra"? In any case, I certainly hope the present office holder refrains from trying to do so...
Your argument conflates Revealed Truth that is unchangable and contains all needed for salvation and Christian maturity with wisdom for a specific situation.
I'm not looking for infallible statements from a pope, especially this one. I'm looking for ongoing adult moral responsibility. This impeded by the slack premise that everything we need to know to avoid moral error and the shipwreck of the Faith can be explicitly found in your Biblical concordance.
If it's "all there" in the pages of Scripture, why would we need to be instructed by the Holy Spirit?
Read Genesis 38. The only Biblical example of contraception. And it is so hateful to God that God slew the man.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.