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Luke and Early Catholicism* 4 LUKE AND EARLY CATHOLICISM LUKE AND EARLY CATHOLICISM* LEON MORRIS* The publication of Philipp Viel- ways defined and the discussion hauser's essay, "On the Taulinism' may become a trifle confused ac­ of Acts",2 sparked off a lively de­ cordingly. The term is not new and bate in Lucan studies. Vielhauer John H. Elliott notes its use at least held that Acts did not come from a as far back as Ferdinand Christian disciple and friend of Paul; it is a Bauer.5 But it has had a much later writing emanating not from greater currency during recent the primitive church but from the years. E. Käsemann sees it this developing catholic church. Hans way: "Early Catholicism means Conzelmann's important book, The that transition from earliest Chris­ Theology of St Luke,3 gave the de­ tianity to the so-called ancient bate some impetus. It cannot be Church, which is completed with said that anything approaching un­ the disappearance of the imminent animity has been reached. Indeed expectation (i.e. of the parousia)."6 the situation was well summed up This puts all the emphasis on the in the title of W.C. van Unnik's con­ attitude to the parousia. Hans Con- tribution to the Paul Schubert zelmann emphasizes other aspects Festschri/t "Luke-Acts, A Storm of the church's life: Center in Contemporary Scholar­ The relationship of the Church to ship".4 This was published in 1966, the eschatological future loses in but the situation has not greatly importance in comparison with changed in the intervening period, the present possession of 'means at least in this respect. of grace* ... and their mediation Among the matters in dispute is to the individual; these are the relationship of Luke to what has administered and experienced in been called "early Catholi­ the institutions of the cult. So the office of the priest acquires a cism". This expression is not al-i 1. This is a revised end updated version of an arti­ new, that is to say constitutive, cle published in The Westminster Theological significance in relation to the Journal xxxv. Winter 1973, and printed here with the permission of the editor of that Journal. salvation of the individual. It was presented at a Seminar at the University Originally the office of the of Cape Town during 1980. preacher had as its task the 2. "Zum 'Paulinisms' der Apostlegeschichte," in Evangelische Theologie, χ, 1950-51, ρρ.1-15. It proclamation of the unconditional appears in English translation in the Paul Schu­ character and the immediacy of bert Festenri/t. edited by Leander E. Keck and J. Louis Martyn, Studies in Luke-Acts, Nashville salvation for every individual; but and New York, 1966, pp.33-50. This volume is now the priest acquires the new hereafter abbreviated as SLA. character of mediator intervening 3. The Mitte der Zeit, Tübingen. 1953, 2nd edition 1957 (English translation. 196α) between God and man. In place of 4. SLA. pp.15-32. 5. The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, xxxi. 19Θ9. * Leon Morris was, until his retirement, professor p.213. of New Testament at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia. β. New Testament Questions of Today, London, 1969. p.237. JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA 5 the proclamation of a salvation witness for primitive Christianity, without presuppositions, which from which these other parts of the recognises no condition other New Testament are seen as a de­ than that of faith, and no means parture. other than the Word, we encoun­ ter now the invitation to enter on 1. VARIETY IN NEW TESTA­ a way of salvation under the MENT TEACHING guidance of the Church, and that means in fact under the guidance So seriously is this taken that it is of ecclesiastical authority. The contended that the New Testament Church has become an institution contains not merely differing but for the transmission of salvation incompatible views of the essence ... and that means that it stands of Christianity. Käsemann holds in need of a new law. For the first that it is no longer possible to hold time in the history of the Church it to the great Reformation principle becomes evident that sacramen- of sola scriptum, for scripture talism and moralism are brothers; speaks with more than one voice: to the sacramental administration The time when it was possible to of salvation is added of necessity set up Scripture in its totality in the disciplinary administration, opposition to Catholicism has especially when the priesthood gone beyond recall. Protestantism has reached its monarchical cul­ today can no longer employ the mination in the office of bishop.7 so-called Formal Principle with­ What is in mind is the tendency out rendering itself unworthy of towards institutionalism which credence in the eyes of historial would in due course produce the analysis. The canon of the New catholic church. Those who see this Testament does not divide as misguided often contend that at Judaism from early Catholicism; it first Christians had little or no in­ affords a foothold to the latter as terest in the church as an institu­ well as to the former.8 tion, being concerned basically Specifically he maintains that in with the proclamation of the the matter of "the essence and kerygma. There was a charismatic order of the Church" Paul's con­ freedom, a sense of liberation as cept is "in the starkest contradic­ men, led by the Spirit of God, tion to" that of early Catholicism.9 moved into the life of the new age. He bestows on Luke the dubious Luke is seen as a prime mover in honour of being "the first to suppressing the chaotic freedom of propagate the theories of tradition the first believers and leading the and legitimate succession which way into a more formal institu­ mark the advent of early Catho­ tionalism. He was not alone in this licism."10 What then are we to do? and other New Testament writings Hans Kung outlines the problem: with this tendency are said to be the dilemma of the Protestant parts of Matthew, Ephesians, the theologian is obvious: either to ac­ Pastoral Epistles, 2 Peter and Jude. cept early Catholicism as an ele- Paul is usually seen as our primary 8, &says on New Testament, Themes. London, 1964, p. 103. 7. Cited by Stephen Neill, The Interpretation of the New Testament 1861-1961. London, 1964. pp. 9. Ibid.. p.92. 168-9. See also Elliott, op.cit. p.214. la Ibid.. p.91. β LUKE AND EARLY CATHOLICISM ment of the New Testament and come under the criticism, "Your thereby definitely embark on the gospel is too small!" The gospel as road to "late Catholicism," or else the New Testament expresses it is to reject early Catholicism as an too big and too comprehensive to be element of the New Testament and confined within a straitjacket, be it correct the canon accordingly.11 made by Catholicism or biblical cri­ Faced with this dilemma H. ticism or anything else. The gospel Schlier took the first road. He is infinitely satisfying. It meets the abandoned Lutheranism and em­ needs of all men, not only those of braced Roman Catholicism. Käse­ "catholics" or of modern German mann prefers the second. He has critical scholars. It is more compre­ evolved a canon within the canon. hensive than any limited selection He insists that the teaching of Paul of New Testament texts can make in Galatians and Romans is central, it. It needs all the contributions of and he emphasizes the importance all the New Testament writers for of justification by faith. No Protes­ its diversity and its range to be­ tant would want to quarrel with come apparent. this emphasis, but it is worth It is not at all clear that those asking on what principle Käse­ who pose the sharp antithesis be­ mann chooses to emphasize this tween Paul's authentic Christianity rather than some other aspect of and Luke's early Catholicism are New Testament teaching. doing justice to either. At any rate As far as I can see there is no Ulrich Wilckens does not think so. good reason. In fact at times Käse­ He says, mann openly repudiates any objec­ It is Paul, interpreted existen- tive standard. He writes, for exam­ tially, who is so sharply set ple, "that Word, as biblical criti­ against Luke as the great but cism makes plain, has no existence dangerous corrupter of the in the realm of the objective — that Pauline gospel. But the existen­ is, outside our act of decision."12 tiell interpreted Paul is not the But what if we decide other than historical Paul. And the essential Käsemann? To take an extreme in­ points of theological criticism stance, what answer can be given levelled against Luke are gained from this standpoint to the man not so much from early Christian who says that the heart of Chris­ tradition itself as from the motifs tianity is to be found in 2 Peter with of a certain modern school of its teaching on being made par­ theology which disregards or mis­ takers of the divine nature and who interprets essential aspects of rejects everything (including justifi­ early Christian thought.13 cation by faith) that he finds incom­ Stephen Neill makes much the patible with it? He seems just as en­ same point. He thinks that some titled to his position as the man who continental scholars suffer from a emphasizes justification by faith. deeply ingrained anti-Catholic pre­ Surely anything is better than such judice which does not allow them to subjectivism.
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