2nd Sunday of Easter
ACTS 2:42-47
The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles in Jerusalem.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.
And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The third gospel and the book of Acts probably formed a single work, divided into two books, which were later separated (before 150 AD). They show a strong unity, not only thematic but also literary, in language, style, etc., which allows us to recognize a single author.
This author has been recognized by the tradition of the Church as Luke, and we have testimonies of this in documents from the 2nd century. The internal analysis of the text shows us a Christian from the apostolic generation, Greek or a Hellenized Jew, well acquainted with the Bible, with medical knowledge, and a companion of Saint Paul on his travels (in the travels he usually speaks in the first person plural).
Regarding the date and place of composition, we have nothing certain from external data, and we must be guided by the data provided by the book itself. Critics point out that it could not have been composed before the year 64 nor after the year 100. To recognize the author’s intention and way of working, let us remember the prologues of both books.
GOSPEL OF LUKE
Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed…
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father, “which you heard from me: for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together…
For this reason, this book is something like “The Gospel of the Church.” It narrates events (“acts”) of the first Christian community, because they signify the presence of God, the Spirit of Jesus, in that community.
It is, therefore, a narrative of great value. The author shows himself to be very well documented – even in his style the presence of different sources is appreciated – and, at times, an eyewitness to what he recounts or a first-hand recipient of the witnesses of the events. But it is not simply a history book. It fundamentally narrates the “History in the Spirit,” that is, the development of the Faith of the first Christian community.
In this field, several fundamental lines are observed:
1.- The proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah.
It is the fundamental theme of Peter’s and Stephen’s speeches, and the meaning of the “miracles.” Jesus is “the one we were waiting for,” he is the Messiah, who had to suffer and who is alive by the triumph of the power of God.
2.- The awareness of the church of its missionary vocation.
In this sense, the expansion of the Church is narrated in some particular missions (Peter, Philip, Paul…)
3.- The announcement to the pagans.
It is the first problem. The Church as a continuation of the Old Law, with submission to Mosaic precepts, or the Church as the New Covenant, surpassing the Old. The announcement to the Gentiles poses this problem to Peter (chapter 10) in such a way that he has to justify himself before the brothers (chapter 11). The same problem will be posed by Paul, and it will be one of the basic themes of the so-called “Council of Jerusalem” (Chapter 15).
Therefore, there is in the book a clear apologetic intention of Paul’s line: the announcement to the Gentiles (“they will listen”) and the liberation from the ritual obligations of the old Law.
IN SUMMARY
In the Book of Acts we find three components that interest us a lot:
1.- A history of the first Christian community and its expansion. But “history” of the “gospel” type, with an intention similar to that of the “historical” books of the Old Testament: history to show how the Spirit acts in that first community.
2.- A Christology: the most ancient expressions of faith in Jesus, prior to the elaborations of John and Paul. It is – almost – the first stage of the Church’s response to the great question about Jesus: “Who is this man?”.
3.- An ecclesiology: there is no doctrine about the Church, but we see how the Church functioned and what it thought of itself, how it prayed, how it was organized, how it solved problems… Which is very useful for reflecting on what is permanent and what is transitory in the institutions of the Church.
IN TODAY’S TEXT
We see a description – quite idealized – of the first community. From other texts – even from this same book – we know that not everything was rosy: there were problems, serious problems, of doctrine and organization.
Here only the “basic spirit” of that community is reflected: common prayer, the Eucharist, life and property in common, the appreciation of people, the gentle spread of the church. Later other problems and persecutions will come.
1 PETER 1:3-9
Blessed be God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, has given us new birth into a living hope, into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you.
The power of God guards you in faith for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time. Rejoice in this, even though for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials; so that the genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold, which though perishable is tested by fire – may result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Though you have not seen Jesus Christ, you love him; though you do not see him, you believe in him; and you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, attaining thus the goal of your faith: your own salvation.
We do not know when Peter left Jerusalem. We do know that he died in Rome in the year 64, during the persecution of Nero. It is also not clear that this letter is from the same Peter. The ancient Church Fathers, Irenaeus, Polycarp, attribute it to Peter. But there are many data, in the style, the internal data and other factors, that make it difficult to admit.
Scholars agree – at least – that this letter reflects Peter’s preaching and is written by someone from the circle of his closest disciples. The same letter (5, 12) tells us who was his disciple-secretary: Silvanus. Some continue to attribute it to the same Peter. The letter has hardly any thematic unity. It jumps from one topic to another.
The text is brought today to “accompany” the gospel, connecting with Jesus’ phrase to Thomas: “Blessed are those who believe without having seen.” And it is that we are facing the “second generation” of Christians, those who believe in Jesus through the preaching of the Witnesses. We are at the beginning of “The Tradition”, the long chain of people and generations that hand over to each other the faith in Jesus. Although it is not that human transmission that produces faith: that human transmission is only the vehicle of “The power of the Spirit”. Peter seems to marvel at that power: “You have not seen him and you believe in him!”
José Enrique Galarreta, S.J.