Assurance and Apostolic Boldness

Scripture: Lectionary 302: Acts 28:16-20, 30-31. Psalm 11:4.5.7. John
21:20-25. With full assurance Luke 1:4.

We are at the end of the readings from Acts and from St. John's Gospel of
Revelation that Jesus is the living Word. Yesterday, we learned about
Peter's response to Jesus about whether he loved the Lord. He affirmed it
three times which means that he really meant what he said according to the
biblical importance of three times repeatings. He learns he will lose
control over his goings and comings (another biblical expression in Hebrew)
and that he will die a similar death as did Jesus--cruel crucifixion, the
deadliest of the Roman punishments. Today we learn of the mysterious
Beloved Disciple who is never named. Scholars struggle with this Beloved
Disciple not knowing with absolute certainty whether it is the writer of
the Gospel named John. The recent opinion that may have some value is that
behind this Gospel beginnings is the call of one of the sons of Zebedee
named John. He appears in the first chapter but is unnamed. The best of
the American New Testament scholars, Father Raymond E. Brown, SS. thought
it was John at first, but then changed his opinion as time move on. His
greatest Gospel study is that of the Anchor Bible series under John--three
volumes with two for the Gospel and one for the Epistles. Do not lose
these commentaries if you have them!

The apostles are curious whether Jesus intends to have the Beloved Disciple
live on until he comes again. This is an earlier type of expectation of the
Second Coming that is hinted here, but that is not what the redactor
intends to convery to us the readers. Jesus did not say he would not die,
but what is it to you, if he decides that the Beloved Disciple would
remain till he comes again. In other words, like questions about the end of
the world, this one is none of their business even thought they are
disciples and friends of the Lord. Some secrets are those of God and Jesus
and they should not be probed by curiosity. Jesus parenthetical remark
seems to be the same as he offered his own mother at Cana; Why do you ask
this of me. It is not your nor my concern that they have no wine! Such is
the common sense meaning of his retort that seems a bit caustic to Mary his
mother. However, he comes through by changing the water into wine and the
social shame that would have fallen upon the family is erased because of
Mary's intercessory request.

In Acts we have the last scene about Paul and his last mention in the New
Testament in so far as his historical presence is concerned. He is in Rome
and is under house arrest where he is able to meet and teach and preach
about Jesus to those who come to see him. No doubt, he had his friends
inviting both Jews and Christians to come to visit with him as he preached
about Jesus.

The ending of Luke's Acts of the Apostles has a parallel to the beginning
helpful introduction to his Gospel. Luke, the omniscient evangelist of the
things he wrote about, tells Theophilus, the person who probably payed for
the parchment on which he wrote that "I, too, have carefully traced the
whole sequence of events from the beginning, and have decided to set it in
writing for you, Theophilus, so that your Excellency may see how reliable
the instruction was that you have received." Luke uses the word
"asphaleian" for the reliability, the truth, and the conviction of what
Theophilus has received both orally and written about the Lord Jesus. Then
at the end of his second work we learn that Paul is accomplishing what Luke
intends: "For two full years Paul stayed on in his rented lodgings,
welcoming all who came to him. With full assurance, and without any
hindrance whatever, he preached the reign of God and taught about the Lord
Jesus Christ." (Acts, summary in chapter 28:30-31). (with full assurance
is the same as with "great apostolic boldness" and thus he puts into action
what Luke's Gospel attests to in writing. Amen. Alleluiah.