Saints, Baptism, and Jesus’ Messiahship | Year C

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Hey everyone,

 

Welcome to The Sunday Catholic Word, a podcast where we reflect on the upcoming Sunday Mass readings and pick out the details that are relevant for explaining and defending our Catholic faith.

 

I’m Dr. Karlo Broussard, staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and the host for this podcast.

 

In today’s episode, we’re going to focus on six details in the readings for this upcoming 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. The first detail is the whole of the first reading, taken from Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, and 8-10. It’s not necessarily a detail that comes up in apologetical discussions. But it does serve an apologetical purpose insofar as it gives biblical justification for the Catholic Liturgy of the Word. The next three details come from the second reading, taken from 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. The relevant apologetical topics are the intercession of the saints, the salvific efficacy of baptism, and Holy Spirit’s distribution of spiritual charisms. The last two details are found in the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21, and the apologetical topic there are Luke’s credibility as an historian and Jesus’ Messiahship.

 

Let’s start with the first reading, again, taken from Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, and 8-10. Now, before I read the whole passage, note that there’s not much to say by way of commentary. The passage speaks for itself insofar as it serves as biblical foundation for the Catholic Liturgy of the Word in Mass. So, for any Christian who wonders what’s the biblical roots of what we do in the Liturgy of the Word, here it is. We read,

 

Ezra the priest brought the law [the Word of God] before the assembly,
which consisted of men, women,
and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate,
he read out of the book from daybreak till midday,
in the presence of the men, the women,
and those children old enough to understand;
and all the people listened attentively to the book of the law.

 

[Imagine that! Going to Mass to hear God’s Word proclaimed from 6 am to noon. I think the pews of our churches would be empty]

Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform [you should be imagining the ambo here]
that had been made for the occasion.
He opened the scroll
so that all the people might see it
— for he was standing higher up than any of the people —; [hence the higher elevation of the ambo] and, as he opened it, all the people rose. [very similar to how we rise for the hearing of the Gospel of Jesus, the New Law of the Lord]

Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God,
and all the people, their hands raised high, answered,
“Amen, amen!” [This maps on to our “praise to you O Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of the Gospel. It’s basically our Amen!]

Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD,
their faces to the ground. [We don’t do this. But at least on a spiritual level we should be prostrating before God’s Word in our hearts]

Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God,
interpreting it so that all could understand what was read. [This, of course, maps on with the homily]

Then Nehemiah, that is, His Excellency, and Ezra the priest-scribe
and the Levites who were instructing the people
said to all the people:
“Today is holy to the LORD your God.
Do not be sad, and do not weep”—
for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,
and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;
for today is holy to our LORD. [The Lord’s Day is Holy]
Do not be saddened this day,
for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!”

 

Like I said, not much by way of commentary since the passage speaks for itself. Our form of worship within the Liturgy of the Word has its roots here in Nehemiah. No Christian can deny that at least this part of the Catholic Mass is biblically based.

 

Let’s now turn to 1 Corinthians 12:12-30. I’m not going to quote the whole passage. Rather, I’ll just highlight the verses that are relevant to the points that I want to make here.

 

Just by way of summary, Paul is comparing the union of Christians in Christ to members of a physical body. He begins in verse 12, “As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ . . . 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.”

 

Now, as I mentioned in the introduction, there are three details that I want to focus on here. The first is Paul’s statement, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” Given that this body is referred to as “Christ’s body,” it follows that baptism incorporates us into this body of Christ.

 

The question, however, is whether Paul means by “body of Christ” simply the visible corporate body of believers, which is common among some Protestants, or the mystical body of Christ, which is constituted by believers united via grace. This would the Catholic view, along with Orthodox and others. If Paul intends the latter view, then we have revelation of the salvific efficacy of baptism, since to be “in Christ” is not to be subject to condemnation, as Paul teaches in Romans 5:1. I argue Paul intends the latter view—that’s to say, baptism incorporates us into the mystical body of Christ.

 

I think the key is the analogy of the body. Paul compares each member of Christ’s body, which refers to Christians, with each member of a physical body. Now, each member of a physical body doesn’t live with its own life. Rather, it lives with the life of the person whose body the member is a part of, such that if a member gets cut off from the body, it’s dead and no longer living with the life of the person. And it’s this single life of the person whose body it is flowing through each member of the body that unites them, such that one member can assist the other.

 

Given that Paul compares the union that Christians have with this sort of union, it’s reasonable to conclude that Paul envisions Christians not living spiritually with a life of their own, but with a life of the person whose body it is, namely, Christ. There is a mystical union among Christians in Christ via grace that Paul envisions here.

 

Since baptism incorporates us into that mystical union in Christ, and that union in Christ is a. state of salvation (being free from condemnation), it follows that baptism saves.

 

The next detail in this text that I want to focus on is Paul’s statement, “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you, “nor again the head to the feet, “I do not need you.” As I point out in my book The Saints Pray for You: How Christians in Heaven Help Us Here on Earth, I think this verse is relevant in discussions about our invocation of the saints’ intercession.

 

We know the saints in heaven are still members of the mystical body of Christ, since Paul teaches us in Romans 8:35 that death can’t separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Given that the saints are still members of Christ’s mystical body, and given Paul’s instruction that one member can’t say to another member, “I have no need of you,” we, as members of Christ’s mystical body on earth, cannot say to those members of Christ’s mystical body in heaven, the saints, “I have no need of you.” \

 

Assuming that the saints in heaven are interceding for us, which I argue for at length in my book, we have to at least say that we can’t reject or deny their intercessory prayers.

 

The last detail is Paul’s teaching about the different ministries and spiritual gifts, commonly referred to as “charisms.” Here’s what he writes in verses 27-30:

 

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually parts of it.
Some people God has designated in the church
to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers;
then, mighty deeds;
then gifts of healing, assistance, administration,
and varieties of tongues.
Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?
Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing?
Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

 

The implication to all these rhetorical questions is that not all work mighty deeds, not all have gifts of healing, not all speak in tongues, and not all interpret. I bring this up because there are some Christians, especially Pentecostals, who believe that a necessary sign for having the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.

 

A long time ago I had a Pentecostal guy ask me if I had ever spoke in tongues. Upon telling him no, I asserted, “Then you haven’t received the Holy Ghost yet.”

 

Leaving the nature of the gift off to the side for now, we can at least say that this view conflicts with Paul’s teaching here. Clearly, in Paul’s mind, I can be a member of Christ’s Body, and thereby have the Holy Spirit dwelling within me, and not speak in tongues. As Paul says earlier in verse 11, concerning the spiritual gifts, “the same Spirit . . . apportions to each one individually as he wills.” So, speaking in tongues is not a necessary condition for having the Holy Spirit dwell within you.

 

Let’s now turn to the Gospel reading, taken from Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21. I’ll focus first on the first part of the reading—1:1-4. Luke writes,

 

Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events
that have been fulfilled among us,
just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning
and ministers of the word have handed them down to us,
I too have decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew,
to write it down in an orderly sequence for you,
most excellent Theophilus,
so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings
you have received.

 

The point to make here is that Luke explicitly expresses his intention to write reliable history. He’s not intending to write something within a mythological genre, nor does he believe himself to be communicating the stuff of legend. There are four details that confirm this.

 

First, which is more general in nature, several scholars have noted that the overall gist of Luke’s prologue here is similar to that of the historical prologues written by Greco-Roman authors such as Herodotus, Thucydies, and Josephus. Dr. Brant Pitre points this out in his book The Case for Jesus, on page 79. New Testament scholar Joseph Fitzmyer is another example. He makes this point in his The Gospel According to Luke, Volume I, which is part of the Anchor Yale Bible.

 

Secondly, the word “narrative” translates the Greek word degesin, which was a word that Greco-Roman authors used to specify the “writing of history.” This is documented by Fitzmyer in his The Gospel According to Luke, Volume I, 292.

 

Thirdly, Luke mentions that he’s consulted “eyewitnesses.” He knows that by basing his narrative on eyewitnesses he makes it possible for his readers to corroborate his testimony about Jesus.

 

Fourthly, and the last detail, Luke identifies the purpose of his Gospel to give “the truth” about what has been taught. Luke uses the Greek word asphaleian, which is a word he uses elsewhere for “the facts” (Acts 21:34).

 

To sum up these points, ask your friend these questions:

 

“Why would Luke use a word that means “writing history,” emphasize “eyewitnesses,” and identify his purpose in presenting “the facts,” if he were trying to write mythology or folklore?”

 

I think a more reasonable conclusion is that Luke is giving a factual narrative and not a mythical one.

 

The second portion of the Gospel reading, which comes from 4:14-21, records Jesus entering into a synagogue in Nazareth and quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 61:1-2:

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring glad tidings to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.

 

Luke then tells us that after reading this prophecy, Jesus told them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

There’s not much to say here than that Jesus viewed himself to be the Jewish Messiah, given that Isaiah 61:1-2 was a Messianic text. Whether he actually was the Messiah? Well, that’s a separate question, an answer for which would involve an assessment of his miracles, the greatest being his resurrection. If he rose from the dead, then he would be the Messiah, since such a miracle would vindicate the claim.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Well, my friends, that does it for this episode of the Sunday Catholic Word. The readings for this upcoming 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, year C, definitely don’t sell us short when it comes to apologetical material. We have material for

 

• The biblical foundations for Catholic worship, particularly the Liturgy of the Word,
• A biblical principle that helps us see the reasonableness of the intercession of the saints,
• The salvific efficacy of baptism,
• The false view that speaking in tongues is a necessary condition for having the Holy Spirit,
• The historical credibility of Luke, and
• Jesus’ Messiahship.

 

As always, I want to thank you for subscribing to the podcast. And please be sure to tell your friends about it and invite them to subscribe as well through any podcast platform that they use. You can also access the archived episodes of the Sunday Catholic Word at sundaycatholicword.com.

 

You might also want to check out the other great podcasts in our Catholic Answers podcast network: Cy Kellet’s Catholic Answers Focus, Trent Horn’s The Counsel of Trent, Joe Heschmeyer’s Shameless Popery, Jimmy Akin’s The Jimmy Akin podcast, and Tim Staples “1 on 1 with Tim,” all of which can be found at catholic.com.

 

One last thing: if you’re interested in getting some cool mugs and stickers with my logo, “Mr. Sunday podcast,” go to shop.catholic.com.

 

I hope you have a blessed 3^rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C. Until next time, God Bless.