Bad Theology
Text for today: Acts of the Apostles 1 xv-xxvi
After the resurrected Jesus ascends to Heaven, a hundred and twenty disciples gather to settle the burning question of who will occupy the celestial throne initially promised to Judas Iscariot. Peter points out that Judas has fulfilled the Scriptures and has been rewarded with disembowelment and the everlasting disapproval of the righteous, and since the Saviour proclaimed that twelve thrones are waiting it would be a pity to let one go to waste. The disciples choose two candidates and cast lots to determine which of them shall inherit the property, having first petitioned the Father to guide their dice as He is apparently suffering from a temporary inability to inspire them directly. The winner, one Matthias, is so brilliant a choice that he is never mentioned again.
Peter begins by putting Judas posthumously in his place, invoking the Scriptures and then, rock-like, thinking better of it. If Judas betrayed Jesus according to the will of God, then he did not turn aside of his own accord, but was turned aside by the Father's grace. If Judas betrayed Jesus against the will of God, then the crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension, which resulted from Judas' actions, are necessarily against the will of God also. Therefore, having admitted at the outset that Judas was acting in fulfilment of the Scriptures, Peter understandably denies this truth by stating that Judas turned aside from his ministry to go to his own place.
Being thoroughly schooled in the vindictive and arbitrary ways of their Father, none of those present asks why Jesus promised thrones to all twelve apostles when He and His Father must both have been aware of the Father's intention to have one apostle forfeit his place. With equally commendable prudence, the disciples also refrain from asking, in light of Judas' fate, what the Saviour's other promises might be worth.
After the resurrected Jesus ascends to Heaven, a hundred and twenty disciples gather to settle the burning question of who will occupy the celestial throne initially promised to Judas Iscariot. Peter points out that Judas has fulfilled the Scriptures and has been rewarded with disembowelment and the everlasting disapproval of the righteous, and since the Saviour proclaimed that twelve thrones are waiting it would be a pity to let one go to waste. The disciples choose two candidates and cast lots to determine which of them shall inherit the property, having first petitioned the Father to guide their dice as He is apparently suffering from a temporary inability to inspire them directly. The winner, one Matthias, is so brilliant a choice that he is never mentioned again.
Peter begins by putting Judas posthumously in his place, invoking the Scriptures and then, rock-like, thinking better of it. If Judas betrayed Jesus according to the will of God, then he did not turn aside of his own accord, but was turned aside by the Father's grace. If Judas betrayed Jesus against the will of God, then the crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension, which resulted from Judas' actions, are necessarily against the will of God also. Therefore, having admitted at the outset that Judas was acting in fulfilment of the Scriptures, Peter understandably denies this truth by stating that Judas turned aside from his ministry to go to his own place.
Being thoroughly schooled in the vindictive and arbitrary ways of their Father, none of those present asks why Jesus promised thrones to all twelve apostles when He and His Father must both have been aware of the Father's intention to have one apostle forfeit his place. With equally commendable prudence, the disciples also refrain from asking, in light of Judas' fate, what the Saviour's other promises might be worth.
2 Comments:
At 7:38 pm ,
Brian M said...
I can't stop laughing, DAVROS....errr, Philip. This is truly an EPIC post. And we need epic posts in these dark... and hysterical times.
Did you know, for instance, that if you have a heart attack and die...and during the postmortem tested for COVID, you would be classified as a virus death? Or if you are a 22 year old fitness coach who dies, the media would breathlessly post another "we are all going to die" article, neglecting to mention until the last sentence that the poor person had terminal, undiagnosed leukemia.
At 2:14 am ,
Philip said...
If I have a heart attack and die, an autopsy followed by global hysteria would be the least of my expectations.
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