Reconciliation Ritual continued

In the last two postings I suggested that in the Acts of the Apostles we have evidence of a reconciliation rite that was patterned after the baptismal liturgy. By that I mean a ‘death and burial’ ritual as suggested by what happens to Sapphira and Ananias by the faith community in Acts 5. I also suggested that instead of a burial in water, that there was a washing rite that we see in Acts 9 in the healing of Tabitha. I also suggested that Tabitha was faint from fasting, and that I’d give you some evidence that the fast was probably seven days in length.

Toward the end of the Acts of the Apostles, when Paul is on his way to Rome, Paul heals the father of Publius who 'lay sick of fever and dysentery'. Paul prays over him, and then,laying hands on him, the man is healed. Well and good.

What is particularly interesting is that this healing by Paul happens to be the wW, the wisdom statement of the Wisdom section of a Story written in the literary form of the parable.

After three months pass, Paul sails in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered on the island where Paul had washed ashore with the rest of the crew after their ship had wrecked. After some days of travel they came to Puteoli, where Paul finds brothers. These brothers make an earnest request to Paul to stay with them for seven days. This earnest request by these brothers that Paul stay with them for seven days happens to be the wAW of the particular Story that we are interested in. Since there is nothing in the reading to suggest that Paul didn’t stay, I assume that he did—for there must have been a good reason for their request. I suspect that someone among the brothers were seeking reconciliation, and that the faith community was supporting him…and that they needed some help from one of the recognized ‘apostles.’ Why do I think that? Again, we find the reason by observing the literary form in which that Story was written. Since the wAW is why or how the wW is put into practice, then:

‘This earnest request that Paul stay with them for seven days,’ is why and/or how Paul’s healing of Publius was put into practice. Of course, I’m suggesting that the healing of Publius was a spiritual healing. In the two past postings, Peter was the apostle who bestowed forgiveness to the person who repented. I think that the brothers saw in Paul the same apostleship. After seven days of fasting and prayer by the community, I think Paul was going to bestow Christ’s forgiveness to this person who had repented.