On the Day of the Division of the Apostles [July 15]
De numero et officio Apostolorum
Of the number and office of the Holy Apostles.
De numero quatuor Evangelistarum dicam die S. Lucæ in Exordio: I will speak of the number of the four Evangelists in the exordium on the day of St. Luke.
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Confidence of all holy Apostles and of ourselves, my Portion in the land of the living (Ps. 142), my heart’s Comfort and my Portion (Ps. 73), forever more blessed and beloved with God the heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Devout hearts, that we may say something noteworthy concerning the Division of the Apostels, join me in praying, “The Father and the Son bless us; God the Holy Ghost bless us, whom all the world doth glorify,” etc.
Hear with devout attention the appointed Gospel which was traditionally read on the day of the Division of the Apostles, from the 9th chapter of St. Luke:
The Lord Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases; and sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick; and said unto them, Ye shall take nothing with you on the way, neither staff nor scrip nor bread nor money, neither shall any have two coats. And when ye enter into a house, abide ye there until that ye depart thence. And whosoever receive you not, go ye out of the same city and shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them. And they went out and passed through the marketplaces, preaching the Gospel and healing in every place.
Quid intelligatur sub titulo Divisionis Apostolorum: What is meant by the title “Division of the Apostles.”
God-devoted hearts! The feast of the Divisionis Apostolorum, of the Division of the Apostles, does not remind us that the holy Apostles gladly and willingly divided their goods among the poor according to their means (Acts 2). For the word of Christ was ever in their mind, “Be ye merciful, as your Father is merciful.” Much less does it remind us that Christ left them a worldly estate which they divided among themselves after His ascension. For He Himself laments (Matt. 8), “Foxes have holes, and the fowl under heaven have nests, but the Son of Man hath not whereon to lay His head.” Whoever still seeks worldly goods with Christ today will certainly be disappointed. For His kingdom is not from thence. Rather, the Division of the Apostles reminds us how, at about this time of year, those twelve dear men, after receiving the Holy Ghost, were willingly divided one from another and scattered into the whole world according to Christ’s command [Matt. 28], “Go ye into all the world, teach all nations,” etc.
Thomas makes his way among the Parthians, Medes, Persians, Hyrcanians, and Bactrians, and into the remotest Indians; Matthew into Macedonia and Ethiopia, Bartholomew into Lycaonia and further India, Andrew into Achaea and Scythia, John into Asia, Peter into Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Italy, James the Great into Spain, Judas Thaddæus into Mesopotamia, Simon into Egypt, and Philip into Gaul, while James the Less remained in Jerusalem. And from these lands, the whole world was filled with their teaching according to the prophecy of Psalm 19: “Their line (the Apostles’ teaching, the plumbline and norm of our faith and life) is gone into every land.” The ancient doctors of the church inform us that they first established the Symbolum Apostolicum and agreed to abide by that in every land. Peter is said to have initiated it, saying, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,” Andrew thereupon to have said, “And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.” And so each added his piece to it until finally Matthias concluded with “eternal life,” even as these twelve articles are commonly written under the image of the Apostles.
If we also abide by these articles of the Apostles’ Creed, we are agreed with the Apostles in religion and can be saved just as certainly as the holy Apostles.
Cur legatur hic textus: Why this text is read.
Now, because a similar division of the holy Apostles also occurred in the Promised Land before our Lord Christ’s Passion, when He sent them ahead of Him two by two into certain Judean cities (as Mark bears record in ch. 6) to announce Him and His Gospel and say that He would quickly follow on their heels wherever He may be a welcome Guest to them, therefore our forefathers assigned this account for this day. Matthew describes the account at great length in chapter 10, which is why Pomerius [Bugenhagen] refers to this text. But here, St. Luke gives a very quick summary. Therefore let us stick with the old missals and direct our devout attention to three points:
Dispositio: Outline.
1. From what considerations the Lord Jesus divided the whole world with the doctrine of precisely twelve Apostles; why He chose twelve persons, no more, no less, to preach the Gospel at first.
2. What He obligated them to do when for the sake of their office they were to be divided up and part ways.
3. How each one obediently found his assigned portion and served Christ faithfully, that we might all have them for examples.
The Lord bless us out
of Zion, even He who made heaven and earth (Ps. 134). . . .
[Part of this Postil has been omitted.]
Of the Third Point.
Whoever obeys, honors.
What do the Apostles do at this command? “They went out and passed through the marketplaces, preaching the Gospel and healing in every place.” They divided up according to Christ’s command. Each one goes to his own assigned place and portion. They do the same thing also after Christ’s ascension. For “obedience is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15). Oboedientia optima reverentia. Let every man examine his conscience as to what he would do if God spoke to him in hurch. When you go home, there is also a divisio discipulorum Jesu, a division of Jesus’ disciples. One goes out one door, another goes out another door. Let each go to his own portion, place, and vocation in which God has set him. Let no man go to the brandy house, to the place of villains, to evil deeds, but let each consider in what portion and in what estate God has placed him. If any man govern, let him attentive; if any man teach, let him study further; if any many labor, let him be more diligent than before. In summary, in every place of your vocation obey your Savior Jesus, and on the Last Day you will be recalled again from every place and, gathered with the holy Apostles, glorify God forever. Amen.
Closing Benediction.
Jesus Christ, the holy Apostles’ only Foundation, at whose command they willingly divided themselves and faithfully served God in every place whither the Holy Ghost drove each one, grant that we may willingly divide ourselves in the world (each in his own area), faithfully serve God in every place of our vocation, and afterward, by a blessed last hour, be gathered with joy to eternal glory, where with the Twelve Apostles we will see God face to face and be healed forever. Amen.
(Translation © 2023 Matthew Carver.)
