Peter

PETER

Scripture references:
the Gospels; 1, 2 Peter;
Acts 1–5; 10–12;
Galatians 2:11–21

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PETER’S ROLE IN SCRIPTURE

Peter was a central figure in the Gospel narrative and the most quoted figure of the disciples. He was clearly the spokesman for the Twelve, the first to see spiritual truths and express them, and at the same time the first to blurt out his unformed thoughts. Peter played a central role in the three great transitions from Old to New Testament realities. Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ, recorded in Matthew 16, marked the shift in Jesus’ teaching from an emphasis on the kingdom to an emphasis on the cross. Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2; 3) defined the gospel message and led to the forming of the first local church. Peter’s visit to the home of the Roman centurion Cornelius (Acts 10; 11) initiated the first Gentiles into what had been a purely Jewish church. Peter’s prominence in these three critical transition stages identifies him as one of the most significant men of the New Testament.

PETER’S LIFE AND TIMES

We can divide Peter’s life into four periods. Peter began life as a fisherman, became a disciple, then a preacher, and finally a missionary.

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Fishing Boat

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Peter the fisherman.Peter began his life as a fisherman in Bethsaida (John 1:44). Nathaniel and Philip, two other disciples of Jesus, were also from this little fishing village that lay on the shores of upper Galilee. Peter’s fishing business prospered. By the time we meet him in the Gospels, he had moved to Capernaum, the leading city of Galilee, and had gone into partnership with James and John, two other members of the Twelve.

Remains of what is believed to be Peter’s house in Capernaum have been uncovered by archaeologists and, in harmony with the Gospel account, they suggest that his residence was relatively large. Peter was not simply a fisherman; he was involved in a successful fishing enterprise. Some commentators have suggested that Peter’s business caught, salted, and transported fish to Jerusalem, where the disciple John oversaw their sale and distribution. While we cannot tell just how dominant Peter’s fishing cooperative was, we do know that it was a successful enterprise. And we know that Peter, who was older than the others, was the acknowledged leader of a team of men who were already friends and co-workers when Jesus called them to follow Him.

The historian Josephus stated that some 330 fishing boats operated on the Sea of Galilee in the first century. One such boat, cradled in mud for some 2,000 years, was recovered in the 1980s along Galilee’s shore. The boat, sketched here, was 27 feet long, and is undoubtedly the kind of boat Peter and his fishermen friends used.

Peter the disciple. It is striking that the team of fishermen Peter led responded to Jesus’ call to follow Him together. They left their fishing business, and for the next three to three and a half years they accompanied Jesus everywhere.

In New Testament times, the role of the “disciple” was well defined. A person trained for spiritual leadership not by enrolling in a seminary but by becoming the disciple of a recognized rabbi. The disciple literally lived with his master, learned by listening and discussing matters with him, and also learned by observing his life. As Luke 6:40 indicates, the goal of discipleship was to produce a person who, when fully trained, “will be like his teacher.”

The time Peter and the other disciples spent with Jesus was designed to prepare them for a life of ministry which, at the time, they could not envision. The time spent with Jesus was to prepare them not only to communicate what Jesus taught but to be Christlike.

Peter the preacher(Acts 2:22–39; 3:12–26). After Jesus’ resurrection, Peter was the first to preach a gospel sermon. Two of Peter’s sermons are recorded in Acts, and from them we can reconstruct the basic elements in the early preaching of Christ’s disciples:

•     Jesus, the historic person (2:22)

•     Was crucified and raised from the dead (2:23, 24; 3:13–15)

•     in accordance with Scripture (2:25–35; 3:18)

•     He is God’s Messiah (2:36; 3:20)

•     All who believe on Him will have remission of sins and receive the Holy Spirit. (2:37, 38; 3:19, 21–26)

Peter also was the first to present the gospel to Gentiles (Acts 10; 11). The later New Testament letters, written to predominantly Gentile believers, make it clear that the core gospel Peter preached remained central to Christian preaching throughout the New Testament era.

Peter the missionary.While the Book of Acts follows Peter’s ministry for only a few chapters, firmly established tradition tells us that Peter spent the rest of his life—some three decades after the resurrection—traveling and sharing Christ. Apparently, Peter focused on the Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire (Gal. 2:8), while Paul focused on reaching Gentiles. Early tradition states that John Mark, who traveled with Peter, wrote the Gospel of Mark and that Mark’s Gospel reflected the stories Peter told about the Savior.

Another generally accepted tradition tells us that Peter died in Rome in the mid-60s, crucified upside down by the Roman government within a year or two of the execution of the apostle Paul.

EXPLORING PETER’S RELATIONSHIPS

Peter’s relationship with the other disciples. Several facts indicate that the Twelve looked to Peter as their leader, although all looked to Jesus as Lord. Wherever the Gospels list the Twelve disciples, Peter’s name is listed first (Mark 14:13). Peter’s name occurs over 150 times in the Gospels and Acts—far more than any other disciple’s name.

The Gospel accounts also make it clear that three of the Twelve were closer to Jesus than the others, and at times they accompanied Him while the others waited behind. Not only was Peter one of the three, but again when the three are named Peter’s name is given first (Mark 5:37).

Peter served as the disciple’s spokesman. When a disciple’s dialog with Jesus is recorded, it is almost always Peter who speaks up. Peter’s influence over the others is reflected in John 21, which recounts that while the disciples waited in Galilee for Christ to visit them after His resurrection, Peter said, “I am going fishing.” And the others said, “We are going with you also” (John 21:3).

Peter was clearly the leader, not only by virtue of his outspokenness, but also because he could galvanize others to action by his example.

Peter’s relationship with Jesus.Peter shared with the other eleven disciples the privilege of traveling with Jesus and learning from Him. Yet, the Gospels make it abundantly clear that Peter was something more than another member of a group that had gathered around the Lord. A number of incidents recorded in the Gospels relate one-on-one interactions between Peter and our Lord. Several of them are beneficial in helping us understand Peter as a person and as a disciple.

Peter’s first contact with Jesus (John 1:41, 42). When John the Baptist began his exciting ministry in the Jordan Valley wilderness, many people came to hear his preaching. Among them was the team of fishermen headed by Peter. It happened that the fishermen were there the day Jesus was baptized, and two of them, Andrew and probably Philip, overheard John speak of Jesus as the “Lamb of God.” Intrigued, the two followed Jesus and spent the day with Him. That evening, or perhaps the next morning, they told their companions that they had found the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. This exciting message delivered by his brother Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus.

Jesus was from Nazareth, a hamlet not far from Capernaum. So the fishermen traveled back to Galilee with Jesus. On the way they stopped at a wedding in Cana, and there the future disciples witnessed the first of Jesus’ miracles (John 2). They then went on together to Capernaum, where Jesus visited with the fishermen for some time, apparently staying as a guest in Peter’s house (Mark 1:29). While the first story about Jesus and the fishermen pictures their call to discipleship, Peter and the others had come to know Jesus earlier. By all accounts, months after meeting Jesus, He called them to follow Him.

Peter’s call to discipleship (Matt. 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–18; Luke 5:1–11). Matthew and Mark gives quite sparse accounts of the disciples’ call. Luke fills in many details and relates the special role Peter played.

Jesus had been preaching to large crowds that kept pressing in on Him. Jesus borrowed Peter’s boat, put out from the shore, and taught from there. Afterward Jesus told Peter to launch into deeper water and let down his nets. Peter was skeptical. Fishermen on Galilee worked at night, not during the day, and the night before they’d caught nothing. Peter, who knew the ways of the fish, was sure there was nothing there to catch. “Nevertheless,” Peter said, “at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). When a great school of fish swarmed into the net, Peter was stunned. When they returned to shore with boats almost sinking from the weight of the fish, Peter fell on his knees and begged Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (5:9). This simple nature miracle convinced Peter as nothing else had that Jesus truly was Lord. Moreover, seeing Jesus in this way made Peter deeply aware of his own sinfulness. It was not that Peter felt unworthy to be in Jesus’ company; Peter felt uncomfortable.

Peter’s reaction is a common one for those who possess spiritual sensitivity. The presence of the holy makes spiritually sensitive people recognize their own lack and makes them aware that they deserve God’s judgment. Jesus immediately put this fear to rest, for Jesus intended to make Peter His companion. “From now on you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).

Today, we have only the same two choices Peter faced. We can invite Jesus to leave us alone or we can accept His invitation to become His followers. That day on Galilee, Peter and his friends made the right choice. “They forsook all and followed Him” (Luke 5:11).

Peter’s budding faith (Matt. 14:22–33). The disciples had been with Jesus for some time and seen many miracles when, one evening, they found themselves trapped in a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

The Sea of Galilee rests between high hills that often funnel winds across the water. The storms that toss the sea come up suddenly, and are often fierce. This storm was exceptionally violent, and row as they would, the disciples could make little progress. Unexpectedly, they saw a figure walking on the water toward them. The disciples’ first thought was that the figure was a ghost, a supernatural apparition. Then Jesus spoke to them, and they recognized Him. Excited, Peter shouted out, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And when Jesus said, “Come,” Peter unhesitatingly stepped over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But then Peter realized what he had said and where he was. Shifting his gaze from Christ to the white-capped waves, Peter began to sink.

Immediately Peter cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me,” and Christ lifted him up and helped him into the boat.

Much has been made of Christ’s mild rebuke in which He called Peter a “little-faith” and asked, “Why did you doubt?” More should be made of the insight the incident gives into Peter. Peter was impetuous, yes. Peter may have had little faith, but Peter had more faith than the others did who stayed in the boat and watched! When Peter began to sink, his first thought was to call out to Christ. Today the faith still needs men who are willing to step out into life’s storms and who, even though they may begin to sink, will quickly call on Jesus to save.

Peter’s confession of Christ (Matt. 16:13–28). For at least eighteen months, Jesus traveled through Jewish territory in Galilee and Judea. His preaching and His miracles were now well known, and wherever Jesus went He drew crowds. Yet the crowds viewed Jesus merely as a prophet, albeit a great prophet. When Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was, Peter spoke: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16).

Jesus attributed Peter’s correct response to God’s work in Peter’s heart: “This was not revealed to you by man, but by My Father in heaven” (16:12 NIV). Then Jesus went on to say two things to Peter that have been greatly misunderstood: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (16:18). The modern Roman Catholic Church views this statement as Peter’s commissioning to be the church’s first pope. However, even the church fathers to whom the Catholic Church appeals differ on what Jesus was saying. Three views have been argued:

•     Peter is the rock.

•     Christ is the rock.

•     Peter’s confession is the rock.

Part of the confusion comes from the name “Peter,” petros,which meansstone in Greek. But the term here for “rock” is petra. While the similarity between petrosand petrais obvious, the words are not the same, and the verse might be best understood as “You are Pebble, and on this boulder I will build my church.” The chances are that Peter the Pebble is not the boulder Christ referred to!

Noting this, some of the church fathers argued that the boulder on which the church rests is the confession of Christ as the Son of God. This has much to commend it, for acknowledging Christ as God the Son lies at the heart of the New Testament revelation. Even so, it is more likely that the boulder is Christ Himself, the subject of Peter’s confession. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church because Jesus is God, and His power is fully invested in protecting His own. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

“I give unto you the keys to the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19). This verse, too, is important in Roman Catholic theology. The church assumes that the “keys” passed from Peter to pope after pope. Thus the Catholic Church claims to hold the keys that open heaven’s door to the faithful through the sacraments. Protestants have, however, pointed out that Peter used his keys in preaching the gospel first to the Jews (Acts 2; 3) and then to the Gentiles (Acts 10; 11). In using the keys Peter, by articulating the gospel, threw open the door of salvation to all who believe. With the door flung open, never to be shut, “keys” become irrelevant.

While Matthew 16 is important in the study of theology, we look at the passage to learn more of Peter the man. Peter had already displayed spiritual sensitivity; now we see him grow in his responsiveness to God’s will. But, at the same time, we see a person who has a long way to go!

Immediately after Peter’s bold confession of Christ as the Son of God, Peter rebuked Jesus for predicting His death on the cross! When Jesus spoke of His coming death, Peter blurted out, “Far be it from You!” (Matt. 16:22). The very idea seemed unthinkable!

And Jesus, who had just praised Peter, now rebuked him: “Get behind Me, Satan.” Peter, who had so quickly taken God’s part, now promoted a course that would have delighted Satan, not the Lord.

How like Peter we all seem to be. We have insights into God’s will and His ways. At the same time, we all too frequently take a course that runs counter to God’s. We may be motivated, as Peter was, by a love for Jesus. But good motives are no substitute for an understanding of and submission to God’s will.

At the same time, we need to recognize Peter’s quickness to speak and act as one of his strengths. Peter was not one of those persons who hesitate until the opportunity for action passes. Peter was ready to act, wisely or unwisely, on what he believed right.

Christ is still able to correct those who in their zeal for Him act unwisely. But it is the immovable, the waiting, and the hesitant who pass on life’s opportunities and accomplish nothing for the Lord.

Peter spoke too quickly (Matt. 17:24–26). One day Peter was approached by those who collected the temple tax—an annual payment due the Jerusalem temple from every adult Jewish male. The tax collectors asked if Christ paid the tax, and Peter blurted out, “Of course!” Later, Christ spoke with Peter about it, asking whether rulers collected taxes from sons or from strangers. Peter gave the obvious answer: from strangers.

Jesus’ question communicated a fascinating insight. That all Jewish males were to pay a temple tax demonstrated the truth that mere physical descent from Abraham did not make anyone a child of God! The temple tax was collected from strangers, not sons! But should Jesus then pay the temple tax? Again the lesson was no. Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Son of the living God!

Jesus sent Peter to the seashore where he caught a fish in whose mouth was a coin large enough to pay the temple tax for both Peter and Christ. Peter was again reminded that despite being one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter was not qualified to answer questions that should have been addressed to Christ Himself. Again, we see Peter as impetuous, perhaps even unthinking. We see him as a person who despite spiritual sensitivity still lacked insight into the underlying significance of issues on which he too readily spoke.

Peter denied Christ (Matt. 26). As the day of Christ’s crucifixion approached, Jesus warned His disciples that He was soon to die. He also warned them that in that hour they would desert Him. Peter couldn’t believe Christ’s words. Didn’t Jesus know how committed he and the others were to their Master? So Peter blurted out, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You” (Matt. 26:35). The others followed Peter’s lead and protested their loyalty. And even when Jesus told Peter that before morning came Peter would deny Him three times, Peter couldn’t imagine anything that would make him deny His Lord.

Later than night, a mob led by Judas found Christ in Gethsemane. As usual, Peter showed himself braver than the others. He tried to protect Jesus, and even cut off the ear of one of the high priest’s servants with his knife (the same word in Greek is translated both “knife” and “sword”) (John 18:10). Jesus told Peter to put his weapon away, and, powerless, Peter fled as the others had done. But even then, Peter followed the mob that led Jesus away, and slipped into the courtyard of the high priest’s home.

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Peter boldly tried to defend Jesus when He was taken by the mob led by Judas.

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When a servant girl said she recognized Peter as one of Jesus’ followers, Peter vehemently denied any association with Christ. Later, he repeated his denial when recognized by another girl, and finally denied Jesus a third time when some bystanders commented on Peter’s Galilean accent. Only when the cock crew, and Jesus, being led out of the house, looked across the courtyard and caught Peter’s eye, did Peter realize what he had done.

Then he went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75).

In this we see Peter at his best and his worst. He was so full of self-confidence that he rejected Christ’s words of warning. He was bold and fearless, but at the same time cowardly. He was ready to face a mob with nothing but a fisherman’s knife, yet caved in before the accusations of a slave girl. Despite his gifts of leadership and his willingness to risk, Peter seems surprising unstable, and all too quick to act without giving serious thought to what he said and did.

Peter’s recommissioning by Christ (John 21).Events associated with the earliest days after the resurrection show that Peter was as eager as anyone to establish Christ’s return to life. Peter and John both ran to the tomb when they heard it was empty, and although the younger John outran Peter, Peter was the first to enter the empty tomb and discover the grave cloths in which Jesus had been wrapped, lying there empty.

Later the disciples were fishing in Galilee, and Jesus appeared on the shore. When Peter realized it was Jesus, he tore off his outer cloak and plunged into the sea to swim to Him. Despite this evidence of Peter’s continuing love for the Lord, Peter seems to have held back on that occasion. While the others crowded around Jesus, Peter dragged a net filled with fish up on the shore (John 21:11). But after they had all shared breakfast, Jesus singled Peter out.

Three times Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved him, and three times Peter professed his love for Christ. There is an interplay in the Greek that is not reflected in our English versions. The first two times Christ asked Peter, “Do you love me,” He used the Greek word agape. This word, a rather neutral word in secular Greek, is used in Scripture to express the utterly amazing love of God seen in Jesus’ sacrifice of Himself for us. God’s love is a love that consciously, purposefully, acts for the benefit of the one loved whatever the cost to the lover.

When Peter answered Jesus’ questions, “Do you love me?” with “Yes, Lord, You know that I love you,” Peter used a different word for “love.” That word was used in both secular and biblical Greek to represent a deep affection for the one loved, but not the total commitment of agape love.

Finally, when Jesus asked Peter a third time, “Do you love me,” Jesus used Peter’s word for love. And Peter responded with that same affirmation of a “deep affection” love for His Lord.

Much has been made of the interchange of the words for love used here. But perhaps the best explanation is that Peter had at last recognized his own fallibility. Peter had been so sure that His commitment to Jesus would carry him victoriously through any test. But Peter had failed. Now Peter, deeply aware of his weakness, was unwilling to profess a depth of commitment that he might not be able to maintain. Peter knew he loved Jesus as Lord. But Peter also knew that without a supernatural source of power, his love, however great, would not enable him to be the man he wanted to be.

Jesus accepted Peter’s three professions of love. And Jesus commissioned Peter to “feed my lambs.” Peter’s denial of Christ had not disqualified him from the leadership role Christ intended Peter to fill. For failure there is forgiveness. And, as Peter was about to learn, for our weaknesses there is God’s own strength.

Peter’s leadership after the ascension (Acts 1). Despite the fact that Peter’s companions must have been well aware of his weaknesses, he remained their acknowledged leader in the days following Christ’s ascension. Peter’s name is first on the list of the disciples turned apostles (Acts 1:13), and it was Peter who stood up and, applying Psalm 109:8, called for the selection of a man who had been with the disciples from the beginning to take the traitor Judas’s place. Peter took the lead. The others followed.

Whatever we may say about Peter’s flaws, he was a man others looked up to, a man of influence.

Peter’s first sermons (Acts 2; 3). On the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit Jesus had promised to His disciples filled the little company of believers and gave birth to the church, Peter took public leadership of the little band. Miraculous signs that amazed the people of Jerusalem marked the Spirit’s coming. Peter stepped forward to announce that Christ, the promised Messiah, had died and risen again that all who believe in Him might be forgiven. Peter’s sermon was powerful, not because he was a great orator, but because the truth of his words was borne to the hearts of many by the Holy Spirit. Acts tells us that 3,000 were saved that day. Acts goes on to report another powerful sermon preached by Peter after the healing of a man who had been lame from birth.

Peter, the man who had been such a natural leader despite his glaring weaknesses, was now filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The disciple had become an apostle, not only sent by God but also equipped by God for ministry.

Peter’s mission to Cornelius (Acts 10; 11). The earliest Christian church was a Jewish church, and no one at that time expected Gentiles to become believers on a spiritual par with Jews. Peter, like the other earliest believers, was convinced that the Jews were God’s chosen people and that Jesus was the Jews’ Messiah. But Peter was both teachable and willing to take a stand for what God taught him.

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The first large-scale conversion of Gentiles to Christ took place in the home of the retired Roman centurion, Cornelius.

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God showed Peter a vision: a group of animals that Old Testament dietary laws classified as unclean, and God commanded Peter to kill and eat them. Shocked, the apostle refused, only to hear God’s voice telling him not to classify as “unclean” what God had cleansed. The vision was repeated, and as Peter puzzled over its meaning, messengers from a Roman centurion named Cornelius knocked on the door of the home where Peter was staying.

In the first century, pious Jews considered Gentiles unclean and would not enter a Gentile’s home for fear of being ritually polluted. Peter immediately realized that God had sent the vision to show him that he was to go to Cornelius’s home. Once there, Peter spoke of Jesus, and the entire company was not only converted but began to speak in tongues as the disciples themselves had on the Day of Pentecost.

When Peter returned to Jerusalem, he told what had happened, and argued that since the Gentiles had not only trusted in Christ but that the Holy Spirit had also shown His presence in them, these Gentiles must be considered believers, full members in Christ’s church. The apostles and elders agreed, glorifying God that “God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18).

Clearly Peter had become more teachable. At the same time, he had maintained his influence as a leader.

Peter’s failure in Antioch (Gal. 2:11–21). Some time later, Peter visited a Gentile church in the city of Antioch that Paul and several elders and prophets led. Peter fit in well, enjoying his fellowship with Gentile believers—until a group of Jewish Christians came down from Jerusalem to visit. When they arrived, Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles that he might follow the strict Jewish dietary laws. Paul immediately confronted Peter. Peter’s actions implied that Gentile believers were second-class Christians. Peter’s actions were hypocritical. Worse than that, they cast doubt on the gospel message that salvation was by faith apart from works, a free gift to all who would place their trust in Christ. While Paul did not say so, it’s clear that Peter accepted the rebuke and changed.

Peter’s stand at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15). It had been relatively easy for the church in Judea to accept the few Gentiles who believed. As the gospel spread beyond the Jewish homeland, tensions emerged. More and more Gentiles came to Christ until the church outside Palestine was predominantly Gentile, drawn from a population with customs that differed radically from Jewish customs. Soon a faction emerged that insisted that Gentile Christians should adopt the Law of Moses and follow Jewish customs.

The apostle Paul fought this movement, convinced that any who relied on keeping the Law as a means for living in vital relationship with God denied grace and misunderstood the implications of the gospel. The matter became so divisive that finally a council was held to settle the matter. Paul reported on God’s work among the Gentiles, arguing against the position that the Gentile believers must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. Peter, now clearly grasping the significance of this issue, supported Paul’s position. Peter argued strongly that since God “made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith” that there was no reason to test God by “putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear” (Acts 15:9, 10). Salvation was and must remain a matter of “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:11).

Paul, Peter, and James the brother of Jesus who chaired the council carried the day, and the council officially rejected any confusion of faith with works.

We know little from Scripture about Peter’s later life. We have two letters written by Peter preserved in the New Testament. The letters are addressed to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire and the East. Yet, from the material we have in the Gospels and in Acts we can draw a rather accurate picture of Peter, the prince of the apostles, who truly was the leader among Jesus’ disciples and later one of the most influential leaders of the early Christian church.

PETER: AN EXAMPLE FOR TODAY

Peter was a successful businessman and a natural leader. He was enthusiastic and impulsive, quick to speak and quick to act. While driven by the best of motives, Peter was not always wise in what he said and did. Yet, Peter was open to God and teachable. He was the acknowledged leader of the disciples and of the earliest church, and the man God chose to open the door of the gospel to Jews and Gentiles alike. We truly have much to learn from Simon Peter.

•     Peter reminds us that men who are willing to step out and take risks have great value in God’s kingdom. Men who are willing to put themselves on the line and who will lead by example are at a premium today as in the first century.

•     Peter challenges those who come to Christ later in life. Peter was mature and a successful businessman when called to follow Jesus. Many like Peter today seek second careers in ministry.

•     Peter encourages us not to expect too much from our leaders. Peter was a man with flaws as great as his strengths. Yet his commitment to Christ shines through. Our leaders, too, will be imperfect. We need to encourage them, not judge them or gossip about their flaws.

•     Peter alerts us to the dangers of too much self-confidence. None of us is immune to temptations or to failure. None of us is so strong that we can follow Jesus in our own strength.

•     Peter encourages us to believe in growth and change. Peter made mistakes, but he increasingly displayed a teachable spirit and a desire better to carry out God’s will. And Peter matured! In this, Peter is an encouragement to all.

•     Peter focuses our attention on trust in Christ and empowerment by His Spirit as the secret of spiritual accomplishment. Peter’s natural gifts were great, but they were not enough. When Peter kept his eyes on Christ and relied on the Spirit, He did his greatest work for the Lord.

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