The Life of the Apostle Peter

A biblical figure we can all identify with is Simon, bar Jonah (son of Jonah), known to us as the apostle Peter. Through the gospels we get to know him as a person in all his wondrous complexity and contradictions: Peter, the self-appointed defender and champion of Jesus to the bitter end. Peter the one who dared to correct the master. Peter, who slowly understands, but quickly puts himself at the head of the group. Impulsive and devoted, irrational and insightful, unpredictable and stubborn, zealous and tyrannical, open yet too often silent when it mattered—Peter was a man like most of us. Oh yes, we can all identify with Peter. May his restoration and rehabilitation by his Lord and Master inspire us all.

honor and adventure

Peter was a Galilean from northern Israel. A Jewish writer said these outdoorsy types were quick-tempered but generous by nature. The Jewish Talmud said of these robust people that they were always more concerned with honor than with gain. The theologian William Barclay described Peter thus: "Fiery, impulsive, emotional, easily excited by a call to adventure, loyal to the end—Peter was a typical Galilean." The first 12 chapters of the rapidly developing Acts of the Apostles outline Peter's prominent position among the early Christians. It is Peter who initiates the election of a new apostle to replace Judas. (Apg 1,15-22)Peter was the spokesman for the small group during the first sermon on Pentecost. (Apg 2)Peter and John, guided by their faith in their Lord, healed a well-known sick man in the temple, attracted a large crowd, and resisted the Jewish leaders when they were arrested. (Apg 4,1-22)5000 people came to Christ because of these impressive events.

It was Peter who went to Samaria to secure the cause of the Gospel in this challenging mission territory. He was the one who confronted the cunning magician Simon Magus. (Apg 8,12-25)Peter's rebuke caused two swindlers to fall down dead. (Apg 5,1-11)Peter raised a dead disciple from the dead (Apg 9,32-43)But perhaps his greatest contribution to church history was that he baptized a Roman officer into the church – a courageous step that drew criticism from the early Jewish-influenced church. God used him to open the door of faith to the pagan world.Apg 10, Apg 15,7-11).

Peter. Peter. Peter. He dominated the early church like a converted colossus. Incredible that the sick were healed in the streets of Jerusalem when his mere shadow fell upon them. (Apg 5,15).

But as we have seen, he didn't always behave this way. On that dark night in Gethsemane, when the crowd came to arrest Jesus, Peter impulsively cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest with a misplaced sword thrust. Later, he realized that this act of violence marked him. It could cost him his life. So he followed Jesus from a distance. Lukas 22,54-62 The passage clearly depicts how Peter denies his Lord – three times, just as Jesus had foretold. After his third denial of even having known Jesus, Luke simply reports: “And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” (Lk 22,61)Then Peter finally realized how insecure and unprepared he truly was. Luke continues: "And Peter went outside and wept bitterly." It was precisely in this moral defeat that both Peter's brokenness and his phenomenal development lay.

The pride of the ego

Peter had a major ego problem. It's one we all have to some degree. Peter suffered from excessive pride, overconfidence, and an overestimation of his own human abilities and judgment. 1 John 2:16 warns us about how much a proud life (pride) determines our actions. Other texts show that this silent killer can creep up on us and thwart our best intentions. (1. Kor 13,1-3)That happened to Peter. It can happen to us too.

As we approach Passover and Easter and prepare to share the bread and wine at the Lord's Supper, we are called to examine ourselves for this deeply ingrained quality. (1. Kor 11,27-29)Our silent killer is best identified by analyzing its horribly diverse aspects. There are at least four of them that we can point out today.

First, pride in one's own physical strength. Peter was a sturdy fisherman who likely led the partnership of two sets of brothers on the shores of Galilee. I grew up around fishermen—they can be very tough and blunt, and they don't use silk handkerchiefs. Peter was the man people most liked to follow. He enjoyed the rough and turbulent life. We see that in Lukas 5,1-11When Jesus instructed him to cast their nets to catch a fish, Peter was the one who protested: “Master, we have worked hard all night and caught nothing.” But as usual, he complied with Jesus’ request, and the sudden large catch of fish left him astonished and emotionally overwhelmed. This emotional turmoil continued and was likely due to his overconfidence—a trait that Jesus would help him replace with divine faith.

Those in the know know

This second aspect is called intellectual pride (elitist knowledge). he will in 1. Korinther 8,1 mentioned where we are told that knowledge puffs up. It does. Peter, like many of the Jewish people who followed Jesus, thought they knew everything. Jesus was clearly the expected Messiah, so it was only natural that He would fulfill the prophecies of national greatness and the appointment of the Jews as supreme leaders in the kingdom foretold by the prophets.

There was always this tension among them about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Jesus had whetted their appetite by promising them twelve thrones in the future. What they didn't know was that this lay far in the future. Now, in their time, Jesus came to reveal himself as the Messiah and to assume the role of the suffering servant of God. (Jesaja 53)...to fulfill. But Peter, like the other disciples, missed this subtlety. He thought he knew everything. He rejected Jesus' announcements (of the suffering and resurrection) because they contradicted his understanding. (Mk 8,31-33)...and opposed Jesus. This earned him the rebuke: "Get behind me, Satan!"
Peter was wrong. He was wrong about the information he had. He put 2 and 2 together and got 22, like so many of us.

Even on the night Jesus was arrested, the so-called faithful disciples argued about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God. They had no idea what terrible three days awaited them. Peter was among the deluded disciples and initially refused to let Jesus wash his feet, ostensibly to set an example of humility. (Johannes 13)The pride of knowledge can cause this. It manifests itself when we think we know everything, when we listen to a sermon or perform a religious service. It is important to recognize this, because it is part of the deadly pride we carry within us.

Proud of your position

Peter and the first disciples encountered their own class snobbery when they resented the mother of James and John for asking for the best places next to Jesus in the Kingdom of God for her sons. (Mt 20,20-24)They were annoyed because they were convinced that these seats were rightfully theirs. Peter, the acknowledged leader of the group, was bothered by the fact that Jesus seemed to have a special affinity for John. (Joh 21,20-22)This kind of politics among Christians is widespread in the Church. It is responsible for some of the worst blunders the Christian Church has committed throughout history. Popes and kings fought for supremacy in the Middle Ages, Anglicans and Presbyterians killed each other in the 16th century, and some extreme Protestants still harbor deep suspicions about Catholics today.

It has something to do with religion, which is primarily about getting close to the infinite, about getting in touch with the ultimate things, in our minds to "I love God more than you, so I'm closer to him than everyone else» can perish. Thus pride in one's own position often gives way to pride number four, pride in the liturgy. The Western and Eastern Churches have had many divisions over the years, and one of these was over the question of whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in the sacrament. These divisions have tarnished the reputation of the Church throughout history, for the average citizen sees this dispute as a controversy about the question, "My host is better than yours." Even today, some Protestant groups celebrate the Lord's Supper once a week, others once a month, and still others refuse to celebrate it at all because it symbolizes a unified body, which they say is not true.

In 1. Timotheus 3,6 Churches are warned not to ordain someone new to the faith lest they puff themselves up and fall under the devil's judgment. This reference to the devil seems to make pride an "original sin" because it caused the devil to inflate his self-esteem to the point of opposing God's plan. He just couldn't resist being his own boss.

Pride is immaturity

Pride is a serious matter. It leads us to overestimate our abilities. Or it deeply nourishes the desire within us to feel good about ourselves by elevating ourselves above others. God hates pride because He knows it can damage our relationship with Him and with others. (Sprüche 6)Peter had a large dose of it, as do all of us. Pride can lure us into the ultimate spiritual trap, causing us to do the right things for the wrong reasons. We are warned that we might even offer up our bodies for burning out of secret pride, just to show others how righteous we are. This is spiritual immaturity and pathetic blindness for a crucial reason. Every experienced Christian knows that it is not how we appear in people's eyes that will justify us at the Last Judgment. No. It is what God thinks of us that matters, not what other people around us think. Once we realize this, we can make real progress in the Christian life.

That was the secret of Peter's amazing ministry in Acts. He understood. The incident on the night of Jesus' arrest finally led to the collapse of old Peter. He went out and cried bitterly because he could finally vomit that poisonous concoction called the pride of the ego. Old Peter had suffered a near-fatal collapse. He still had a long way to go, but he had reached the turning point in his life.

It may also be said of us. As we approach the commemoration of Jesus' sacrificial death, let us remember that, like Peter, we can become new through our brokenness. Let us thank God for Peter's example and the love of our patient, far-sighted Master.

by Neil Earle