LUKE says that there were “about one hundred and twenty persons” listening to Peter; he sounds (not for the first time) as if he is being both vague and precise at the same time. Peter declares that the number of the Twelve must be “filled up”, to pass on Judas’s share in their ministry. That share is allotted to Matthias. It could not be clearer that the Twelve stand for something fundamental. Their number, depleted by Judas (Matthew 27.5), needs to be restored; and ten times twelve are there to witness it. Peter’s speech is addressed to “men and brothers” (using the Greek word for adult males, not the generic term for human beings), but the NRSV disguises the gender specificity: “friends”. So does the NIV: “brothers and sisters”.
Having prophecies that were fulfilled (Acts 1.16) made Christianity attractive to many people. Life seems unpredictable to us at present; but that is nothing compared with Bible times when everyone, rich or poor, was at the mercy of weather and disease, without any of the scientific resources with which we protect ourselves. No wonder that, when the first Christians read the OT and found passages predicting events in the life of Christ, they saw the OT books as a USP for the new faith. Prophecy fulfilled could tame the unknown future.
When we read the passage of Acts alongside the epistle, it is easy to miss the connection. Both speak of witnessing (Acts 1.22, 1 John 5.9-11), but the epistle obscures this by translating it as “testimony”. The Greek word for someone who offers testimony is “martyr”, but it is not yet a label for those who are faithful to the point of death. For now, it is a less extreme objective: simply declaring the truth about Jesus, based on personal experience of him. In this sense, we should all be martyrs.
In Acts, Matthias was suitable because he was there with the others following Jesus from the beginning (Acts 1.21-22). In the next chapter of the story, even before Peter and the others have realised that this criterion of theirs for witness and leadership has a very limited shelf life, the solution has been provided. The Holy Spirit will become the criterion of authentic Christianity for all the generations yet to come, including ours.
Christian faith is sometimes criticised for offering, instead of good things in this life, “pie in the sky when you die”. That phrase comes from a song attacking preachers who promised blessings in heaven instead of fighting for human rights on earth. John, the author of the epistle, takes a different tack, telling us three times in three verses that, for the faithful, eternal life has already begun. We are living life eternal right now (1 John 5.11-13). We need to remember that, and act accordingly.
The Gospel comes from Jesus’s farewell discourse, or “high-priestly prayer”. The language is solemn, ranging back and forth over the meaning of Jesus’s life. I find it difficult to keep my grip on chapter 17 (unlike most of John). The words of the prayer are like a sparkling surface of water in sunlight, each flash gone in a moment, but leaving a trace of transcendence in our minds. This is different from the way Jesus teaches his disciples to talk to his Father (e.g. Matthew 6.9-13). Verse 10 reminds me of wedding vows, which signal a “mystical union” symbolised by the sharing of persons and property; the relationship of Father and Son is certainly that.
Jesus asks his Father for protection, unity, joy, and finally, repeatedly, consecration (also translated “sanctification”) for us. Consecration is a divine gift. It does not turn the thing that is consecrated into something completely different, but makes it the best and truest version of itself. We are waiting for the descent of the Holy Spirit to fill the void left by Christ’s ascension. As we do so, we need to remember that we are not our own (1 Corinthians 6.19). Like Christ, we are consecrated (John 17.17, 19). Our experience of consecration tells us that what God does in us changes us — and not only in our imagination or will. It becomes an objective truth about us. This is how we come to be a “kingdom and priests” (Revelation 1.6; 5.10) who are promised a crown of glory (1 Peter 5.4) and a crown of life (Revelation 2.10).
