| Question Title | Posted By | Question Date |
|---|---|---|
| Were there 11 Apostles or 12 at Pentecost | Claire | Sunday, June 10, 2007 |
Question: Hello, Recently I was told that when Pentecost took place, there were only 11 Apostles (plus of course Mary) present when the tongues of fire appeared (Holy Spirit). In Acts, while they were gathered, before this occured, there were 11 present, but then Peter stood up and events took place in which Matthias was elected to replace Judas Iscariot as the 12th(Acts 1). THEN once he was elected, the Holy Spirit came upon all of them and they spoke in different tongues (Acts 2). Then in Acts 3, when the Apostles were accused of being drunk, it says "Peter stood up with the Eleven" indicating that Matthias was indeed among them. So, what is the correct teaching? I always understood that indeed Matthias was present as indicated by the sequence of events as presented in Scripture. Yet, others say this is not so. If it is not, then what is the "proof" that Matthias was not among the 11 Apostles at Pentecost, since he was elected prior to this occurance and yet he too was speaking in tongues afterwards? God bless and thankyou, from Claire |
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| Question Answered by Mr. Brian Schnelle
Dear Claire, Thank you for your question. In order to put some things into clearer perspective, let me first say that the bible is not a history book. In fact it is filled with apparent contradictions. (There are for instance two seperate creation stories in the book of Genesis). We, as Catholics do not practice literal interpretation of the word of God, but rather look to the inspired message he is revealing to us through the efforts of the author. When St. Luke wrote the book of Acts, some 40 to 45 years after our Lord rose, he had more in mind than just to provide future generations with a history of the early church. He is really showing us the hand of God in action, opening the hearts of the multitudes to hear and respond to the divine message of salvation. He is providing evidence that the mystery of the conversion of Jews and gentiles alike, in all parts of the known world, could not be the work of men alone, but rather the result of a miracle, a sacramental outpouring of God's grace. St Luke does provide much useful historicity, but his primary goals were ordered toward theological objectives. The very early Church in Jerusalem consisted primarily of practising jews who were now Christians. They called themselves "followers of The Way" and were viewed by their contemporaries as a kind of jewish subsect. Most of the apostles looked for the parousia to occur in their lifetime. Symbology was important to them, and so it was imperative that they restore the numbers of the leadership back to 12, representing the 12 tribes of Israel to whom the messiah was prophesied. It is likely that Matthias was present during the events described in the pentecostal narrative. It is also thought likely that Pentecost was not a single, dramatic event, but rather took place over a period of time, as the apostles gained more public acceptance and the Church grew in numbers. But does it really matter? Or is the importance really in the message God intended to send through St. Luke? As a side note, St. Thomas appears to have been missing from the upper room when the apostles first received the Holy Spirit. Remember also that the Holy Spirit is still passed on today, through the sacramental laying on of hands by the bishops, the successors of the apostles. (confirmation, ordination) Hope this helps, God bless,
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