Peter and Paul

 

Peter

• The basics:

• Peter’s given name was Simon

• He was a fisherman

• He was the brother of Andrew and the son of Jona (or Jonas or John)

• The Bible says Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law so Peter is the only apostle we are certain was married

• John 1:40-42, One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

• In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus calls Peter to be a follower but here, John records the first time Peter meets Jesus.

• We know Jesus called Simon Peter after his profession of Jesus as the Messiah in Matthew 16:15-18, He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

• Perhaps it was his profession that earned Simon the nickname of Peter, but we see in John that Jesus already seemed aware that Simon would make that profession. He called Simon Cephas (Aramiac/Hebrew) the first time they met.

• There are actually 2 different words being used (although they are related)

• Petros (Πέτρος) - Strong’s word 4074

• Petra (πέτρα) - Strong’s word 4073

• According to Strong’s: 4073 pétra (a feminine noun) – "a mass of connected rock," which is distinct from 4074 (Pétros) which is "a detached stone or boulder" (A-S). 4073 (pétra) is a "solid or native rock, rising up through the earth" (Souter) – a huge mass of rock (a boulder), such as a projecting cliff.

• Jesus is the Rock on which His Church is built.  Peter was a rock that was placed upon it.

• Peter was perhaps the boldest of the twelve, with John being a close second.

• Peter often asked Jesus questions the other disciples seemed afraid to ask

• He asked Jesus how many times we should forgive our brother

• He asked Jesus to walk on the water

• He asked Jesus, “What shall be our reward?”

• When Peter was told he would be martyred, he asked Jesus, “What about John?”

• Peter is the apostle who drew a sword at Jesus’ arrest and was ready to fight

• He had said earlier that he would die for Jesus.  Here, he seemed ready to do it.

• Yet in spite of everything he did for Jesus, Peter is sometimes best remembered for having denied even knowing Him

• It’s sort of like doubting Thomas

• Remember, people can always let us down but Jesus will never let us down!

• Jesus used Peter’s failures to strengthen him into being a de facto leader of the twelve

• Luke 22:31-34, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me. 

• Peter’s ministry was primarily to the Jews

• He was considered one of the Elders in the church in Jerusalem

• Peter kept the Kosher laws, even though Jesus declared all food clean

• Acts 10:9-15 talks about a vision Peter had while praying.  He saw all sorts of beasts and a voice tells him to rise, kill, and eat them.  He replied, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 

• Later in Acts 10, Peter said God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

• He was preaching to some gentiles there and they received his word and were saved

• Acts 10:43-48, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

• The Jews still struggled with the concept that non-Jews could be believers

• Tradition has it that Peter was crucified in Rome in 68 AD.  It’s said he asked to be crucified upside down because he did not deserve to die in the same manner as Jesus

Paul

• The basics

• Paul was born Saul, in Tarsus and was a Roman citizen

• He was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee

• He had also learned a trade, he was a tentmaker

• We’re introduced to Paul in Acts 7, at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

• Acts 7:58-60, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 

• Acts 8:1, 3-4, And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles…. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

• Peter wanted every Jew to become a Christian.  Paul wanted to kill every Jew who became a Christian

• Paul’s persecution of early Christians was actually causing the gospel to be spread throughout the world faster

• Even though Paul approved of the death of Stephen, I wonder if the witness of Stephen’s faith even in death had an impact on him?

• Paul’s famous conversion on the road to Damascus

• Acts 9:1-5, And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

• Jesus seems to be saying that the persecution against Christians is a persecution of Him directly

• Jesus seems to express out loud a nagging doubt Paul had been feeling - It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks

• Seeing the faith of Christians and how rapidly the gospel was being spread, he may have sensed his efforts were futile

• Once again we see that Jesus wants even the most vile sinner to come to repentance

• Paul used his experience as a sinner as his testimony

• 1 Timothy 1:12-15, And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

• Paul’s ministry was to the gentiles which wasn’t very popular among the Jews

• Remember that some Jews in Jerusalem had made a pact not to eat or drink until Paul was dead

• Galatians 2 talks about this tension between believing Jews and gentiles.  Paul confronted Peter directly about it.

• Galatians 2:11, But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

• Peter repented and agreed Paul’s calling was to the gentiles

• Paul made 3, far-reaching missionary journeys.  

• He visited cities like Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, and Thessalonica.

• Later, he would write to the churches in the cities he’d visited or to people he’d met.

• These epistles (meaning, letters) became books of the Bible Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Thessalonians, etc.

• Paul is believed to have written 13 books of the Bible, more than any other biblical author.  

• Paul was persecuted constantly because of his ministry

• He was arrested, shipwrecked, and even stoned at one point

• Tradition holds that Paul was beheaded at the command of Nero in 68 AD