What do Peter and Paul show us about their faith in Jesus?

2ndAmendment · Nov 21, 2005

Peter lived daily with Jesus, but when Jesus was arrested, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times.

Matthew 26:69-75

69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. 70But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."

72He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"

73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."

74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"

Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Peter was not absolutely sure that Jesus is who He is. He had doubt and he was afraid for his own life. After Jesus was resurrected from the dead and appeared to Peter and many others, Peter chose crucifixion rather than deny Jesus again. Peter knew Jesus is who He is; Peter no longer had any doubt.

Saul was a persecutor of Christians. He was responsible for many early Christians being put to death. He then experience the power of the risen Jesus and became absolute in his faith that Jesus is the Son of God. After his experience, he changed his name to Paul.

Acts 9:1-22

1Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

4and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"

5And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

6but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do."

7The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

9And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,

12and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight."

13But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;

14and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."

15But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake."

17So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

18And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

19and he took food and was strengthened. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

20and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God."

21All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"

22But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Paul chose imprisonment and eventually was beheaded rather than give up his faith in Jesus.

Both Peter and Paul chose death rather than deny Jesus.

The earliest mention that we have of Peter's death is in a letter from Clement, bishop of Rome (AD 88-97), to the Corinthians. He mentions the suffering and martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Rome.

Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, bears the following testimony (about AD 180) referring to Peter and Paul: "Both of these having planted the church at Corinth, likewise instructed us; and having in like manner taught in Italy, they suffered martyrdom about the same time."

About AD 200, Tertullian, a Christian teacher, mentions the deaths of Peter and Paul as occurring in Rome under Nero.

Peter's death is also found in Caius, an ecclesiastical writer (3rd century), who says that Peter and Paul "suffered martyrdom about the same time."

Eusebius in his book entitled Ecclesiastical History (written AD 325) says: "Thus Nero publicly announcing himself as the chief enemy of God, was led on in his fury to slaughter the apostles. Paul is therefore said to have been beheaded at Rome, and Peter to have been crucified under him. And this account is confirmed by the fact, that the names of Peter and Paul still remain in the cemeteries of that city even to this day" (Ecclesiastical History 2:25).

Railroad · Nov 21, 2005

WELCOME BACK!!!

Thanks, 2A!!!

SamSpade · Nov 21, 2005

I always thought that Peter's denial was that it came on the heels of something he never dreamed would happen - instead of Jesus rising up against the Romans and establishing a paradise kingdom on earth - like he'd longed for - Jesus was arrested and was about to be PUT TO DEATH. He was *never* prepared for it.

(An interesting side note: I once heard a sermon where Peter's lack of faith when walking on the water was brought up - why did he doubt? But it was ALSO mentioned that Peter was the ONLY person to step out of the boat - and to this day, the ONLY man other than Jesus to ever walk on water. Peter *had* faith - and Jesus recognized this - telling him to strengthen his brethren, after he "turned back again" - he knew it would be Peter who would have the strength even AFTER his betrayal).

Saul/Paul knew all about death. He'd only known the crucified Christ at this point - he was never starry-eyed and dreaming of sitting at the right hand of Jesus in his earthly kingdom. (I always thought it interesting when James and John asked to be at Jesus' right and left when he came into his kingdom - not realizing they were asking to take the place of the TWO THIEVES!) Saul began his journey with Christ with conviction - as an *enemy*. He knew firsthand what fate awaited Christians, because he'd DONE it to them.

Given the two - I always liked Peter. He seemed more "real" to me.

What do Peter and Paul show us about their faith in Jesus?

2ndAmendment

Just a forgiven sinner

Railroad

Routinely Derailed

SamSpade

Well-Known Member