Listen

S. Sts Peter and Paul.25 Acts 15:1-21

‘Peter rose up and said to them… you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe… purifying their hearts by faith.’

But did the so-called Jerusalem council listen to Peter? Or Paul?—who says the same thing!—that we we are saved by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone without any works of our own, such that requiring obedience to the law, whether circumcision or kosher eating, or moral conduct, destroys the Christian Faith completely? Did they heed the apostolic word of grace and faith and Christ alone?

NO! They listened to James—NOT AN APOSTLE!, not even a pastor—a layman, some kind of kinsman of Jesus, he’s Pharisee-adjacent (or maybe just a straight up Pharisee?) who merged Xn Gospel with Judaizing Law…

Today we commemorate the martyrdom of Sts Peter and Paul—remembering that not only did the world not listen and heed their word of life and forgiveness and salvation given gratis by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, but they killed Peter and Paul by Nero’s hand as dangerous insurrectionists guilty of sedition and disturbing the Pax Romana. (!)

It’s always seemed strange to me that the two greatest apostles have to share a day on the church calendar, while minor figures like Timothy get a day to themselves. Weird, huh? I suppose it is due to the tradition they were martyred on the same day as part of Nero’s persecution of the Xns, blaming the great fire of Rome in 64 AD (that most historians think Nero set himself 😉 on the Xns and executing the two chief apostles to make his point…

Weirdly, Nero—who’d met and acquitted Paul of sedition around 61 AD, recognized what the early church gathered in Jerusalem did not: that these are the guys through whose mouths the Gospel of Jesus Christ is authoritatively and infallibly proclaimed!

James, the “brother” of our Lord, apparently died a peaceful death of old age in bed. Because the so-called gospel he preached is no gospel at all! It’s just the Law repackaged and “glowed-up” and is no threat to the tyrannical kingdoms of the world that Satan holds captive by the law none of us can keep.

I mean, no one knows for sure. But it is a very old tradition to observe the martyrdom of St. Paul (by beheading at the site of the church St. Paul’s Outside The Walls in Rome, because he was a Roman citizen, crucifixion was too cruel and unusual a punishment for a citizen) and St. Peter by being crucified upside down in the Circus Maximus (not in the Colosseum) of Rome).

The fire was early summer ’64 AD. And those who were closest to the time would know. So June 29, 64 AD: Nero—under fire (see what I did there? 😉 not just for the fire but for being a monster and tyrant in general who was chewing through the Roman treasury building a vast palace in the most prime real estate of Rome for himself and committing unspeakable acts of debauchery when he wasn’t doing that—scrambles to round up the chief Xn apostles, hustles Paul off for beheading and Peter for crucifixion.

It is not difficult to picture the smoky haze over the old city, near sunset, to see in the mind’s eye the two 60-something men who’d lived a tough life, been beat-up, beat-down, but never defeated being led to their deaths at the same late hour. The centurion reluctantly leading Paul (the Roman soldiers always liked the guy, not only because he was a total bad-ass, but because he had a smart mouth 😉 to the stone. Having him kneel asking “Any last words?”

And Paul, with a smile, bending his neck over the stone, “Lord forgive them, they know not what they do.” And as everyone is in place, the sword raised: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”.

And at the same moment, in the Circus Maximus, a less reluctant squad laying Peter on the cross, driving the nails into his hands and feet and as they hoist him up, asking if he has any last words and the Apostle with a smile (also a total bad-ass) saying “Guys, I’m not worthy to die like my Master? Would you mind flipping me upside down?”

I can hear Rilke’s words, “Victories are not inviting to them. Their gain is to be profoundly vanquished by ever greater things.”

The Jerusalem Council foreshadows their martyrdom. Judaizing “Christians” came to the church at Antioch where Paul and Barnabas were recounting their latest tour of duty and insisted that just believing in Jesus, just idolizing him and getting caught up in his life and death by the divine service of his word and sacrament, living by faith in Christ alone wasn’t enough! “But you have to be circumcised and keep the Law!”

Peter and Paul, with one voice (as they died, so they lived—like Butch and Sundance, a buddy movie I’d like to see 😉 say NO! to the Law, NO! to knowing anything but Christ and him crucified; but they get sidelined, over-ruled by…

James a slick-talking bureaucrat who’s never been a pastor—certainly not at Apostle!—a day in his life!

See what James does here? The Pharisees say: “they must be circumcised and keep the law” and Peter and Paul say “NO! FAITH ALONE in Christ alone purifies the heart!” And James goes “I agree; no circumcision, just… keeping these 4 point of the Law…”

Paul says: if you would be justified by the Law at all, well then: you must keep it all! And since you can’t, the Law will always kill and damn you!

It astonishes me how modern Christendom today, even our Synod following CFW Walther, accepts James’ epistle where he says Abraham was justified by faith and works!—in direct and obvious contradiction of Peter’s and Paul’s word of faith in Christ Jesus alone—putting James in the canon of scriptures alongside the Real Apostles, Peter and Paul!

The fathers at Nicaea 325 explicitly excluded James (along with Revelation, 2 and 3 John, Hebrews, Jude, 2 Peter) from the catholic canon of holy scriptures—as did the 16th century Lutherans! But… try denouncing James as the Pharisaical snake he was, and you’ll hear the nails and knives clattering for you!

Modern Christendom makes our works of proselytizing pagans the be-all and end-all of the church (the ‘Gentiles’ Peter and Paul baptized were god-fearing catechumens they found in Israel’s synagogues, BTW, Acts 13:42!) instead of simply being the church, and like Peter and Paul sitting down and shutting up when the Word is spurned…

When faith and works saves, you’re listening to James more than to Peter and Paul—the rocks built on the Rock of Christ and him crucified. We shed tears over those brave martyrs. But most of Christendom decorates their tombs, showing they’re really sons of the murderers, giving pride of place to James and his missional message of Gospel and Law works, thereby muzzling Peter’s and Paul’s mouth.

But their clear voice still sounds over all the noise, proclaiming… Peace, surpassing all understanding, guarding the faithful’s hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.