“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;
yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”
Jesus was a Jew. All of his Apostles and disciples were Jews. They followed the law of Moses and the traditions and customs of the Jews. Yet, the Gospel was being preached to the gentiles, primarily by Paul and Barnabas. Signs followed, the Holy Spirit was given, and many believed. This created conflict. Should the Gentile followers of Jesus be required to follow all the prescriptions of the law, including circumcision? How was this to be decided? From where would the answer come?
The Acts of the Apostles recalls a meeting in Jerusalem with Paul and the Apostles, including Peter, where an answer to this question was discerned. We get the beginning and the end of this record in today’s first reading. This is considered the Council of Jerusalem and is the prototype for future ecumenical councils in the history of the church. Beginning with the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and continuing through the Second Vatican Council concluding in 1965 A.D., the church recognizes 21 ecumenical councils following the Council of Jerusalem recorded in Acts around 50 A.D. To be definitive, the decisions of the ecumenical councils must be affirmed by the Pope and promulgated to the entire church.
Something more than a gathering of leaders to decide certain questions is happening at ecumenical councils, however. Of course, as time goes on, new conflicts and questions arise related to how the teachings of Jesus must be applied and understood in the contemporary context and related to new developments. The Church must always respond to what is new, like the spread of the gospel to the gentiles. There are dogmatic and practical questions that must be addressed when new questions arise. How is this to happen? What is the right process? How is the right decision reached?
The something more that is happening is the work of the Holy Spirit. To be sure, every ecumenical council has been a very human process. There have been agendas and conflicts normal to human endeavors. In the midst of these, however, we recognize that the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus has been active, as well. The Advocate continues to teach and remind us of all that Jesus revealed. The church is a complex reality, both human and divine, with our own limited contributions and the unlimited wisdom of the Holy Spirit. It is not either human or divine, but both human and divine. The Holy Spirit is active in our midst.
To receive this, and to understand it, is an act of faith. We trust that God has not abandoned us, but continues to guide and shepherd his people though the work of the Holy Spirit. Not everything that comes from the Pope or the bishops is definitively the under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but the worldwide gathering of bishops in union with the Pope can speak definitively to new questions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The promise of Jesus is fulfilled, from Jerusalem to the Second Vatican Council, and an inspired continuity of teaching can be trusted as the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. God is with us.