The Apostle Simon Peter is one of the most famous Apostles. He has been illustrated in cartoons as the gatekeeper of Heaven and hailed by the Catholic Church as the first pope. As a favored Apostle by many, his popularity is most likely due to the ‘before and after’ illustration presented within the Bible. From impulsive restless behaviors to servant leader and spokesman of the Apostles, Preacher of Pentecost, pillar of the Church, and finally martyrdom; one can easily understand Simon Peter’s life is presented by inspiration of the Holy Spirit as an example of God’s active transforming work within a human life submitted and obedient to God (CCCI, 26).
I. PETER’S BACKGROUND
Peter, is also known as Simon ben Jonah, Simon BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha, original name was Simon or Simeon before being called to be a disciple by Jesus. His life is primarily featured in the New Testament Gospels as a fisherman from the Galilean town of Capernaum, the brother of the disciple Andrew and son of Jonah [Matthew 16:17]. According to the gospels Mark, Luke, and John, it was Jesus who renamed Simon to Peter or Cephas in the original Aramaic language which means, “piece of rock, or pebble” (Vines, 302). According to tradition, Simon Peter lived until AD 64 when he was crucified upside down by Roman authorities under Nero who blamed Christians for the burning of Rome.
II. THE TWO KINDS OF ROCKS
The four gospels depict Peter as a person who had very little self control or restraint. It would appear that one of Peter’s struggles was with his tongue and sin nature. One of the most memorable is when he rebuked Jesus for declaring He must suffer and be crucified:
“Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!
But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to ME]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men”
[ Matthew 16:22-23]
Simon Peter probably did this because He saw Jesus as the Messiah King who would save and conquer the enemies of Israel. Interestingly in a few verses before Jesus commended him as Simon Bar-Jonah only to give him a new name, Peter:
“Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men], but My Father Who is in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros – a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek Petra – a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build my church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].”
[Matthew 16:17]
Simon Bar-Jonah’s name meant ‘hearkening or listening” and Jesus said to him “flesh and blood” or the nature of man didn’t reveal that He was “the Christ, the Son of the Living God” but He was listening to His Father. Then Jesus names him ‘Rock’ which is important metaphorically because it represents a founding Christianity, the transforming work of God. The name can be understood in two manners:
- A rough, un-fashioned piece of stone, which could represent man’s imperfect nature, unfertile or stony ground [Mark 4:5[.
- A piece of rock which has its fitted place upon a greater, a building block which begins rough and is cut to fit into a building plan which represents a useful member of the body of Christ who is “fitly joined”[Ephesians 4:16, Romans 12:4-5].
Both views of Peter’s name are important to understand because it represents our sinful life as a rough, jagged, rock which has no depth and is “in the way” of God’s will and it also represents hope of the transforming work by the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit as a polished stone set in its place functioning as it should with the greater whole [1 Samuel 17:49, Matthew 16:17, Matthew 16:22-23].
Either way, one can understand there are two functions of a rock of a rock, one for building, one for tearing down [Matthew 21:44]. These views are also represented within the same passage as Peter is first commended by Jesus and called a rock which is part of a greater, then almost immediately called a stumbling block or a stone which causes someone else to fall (Vines, 302).
III. THE EXAMPLE OF CHANGE
Further, the importance of Peter’s name is, being that Simon (meaning listener) was commended for hearing God reveals a key to changing one’s character. Listening to God’s words, being in His presence and listening to His instruction will cause our flesh man’s nature to change and take up God’s nature [Psalm 85:8, Ecclesiastes 5:1, Malachi 2:2, Matthew 10:27, Matthew 13:15]. It is during this time of listening and understanding of God’s word that the Holy Spirit’s work is changing us. Paul states Jesus gave himself that:
“he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.“
[Ephesians 5:26-27]
In the Old Testament story of David and Goliath, it isn’t by coincidence that David picked five smooth stones from the stream [1 Samuel 17:40]. The stones had been smoothed by flowing water in the stream, which is a type of the Holy Spirit’s work in “washing us” or eroding our rough edges. The more time we spend in His presence, in His word, in His will, the more we are transformed.
IV. HIS LIFE’S STRUGGLE
While Jesus was on the Earth almost every occasion Peter attempts with His words to say or do the right thing, he then fails. One can see this pattern when he boldly proclaimed Jesus the Son of the Living God and was commended only to be rebuked and called Satan for trying to deny God’s will in His death [Matthew 16]; and when he walked on the water, only to sink crying out for Jesus to rescue him [Matthew 14:24-31]; when he told Jesus he would never be offended of Him, and he denied Jesus three times [Matthew 26:33-34]; and when Peter used his sword to attack Jesus’ captors and in doing so cut off the right ear of a servant of the high priest only to have Jesus rebuke him again [John 18:10]. The Bible reveals to us what happens when we act upon our own impulses and imaginations or what we think rather than what God thinks or what His will is.
V. THE TRANSFORMATION
The turning point in Simon Peter’s life was when he was reunited with Jesus and repented and made right his relationship with the resurrected Jesus [John 21:15-17]. Meeting the resurrected Jesus is the first step to change which brings the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit into our lives.
The second step to change is revealed during Pentecost. The scene at Pentecost in the upper room had just drawn the attention of the whole city. As the people mocked and jeered all the disciples, the scene could have grown much worse if Peter stood and rebuked the crowds the way he had once been known to handle opposition, with an reaction based upon his emotions.
Thankfully, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit miraculously changed Simon Peter and gave him power to serve God, and over his body, emotions, and tongue. Simon Peter being full of the Holy Spirit, he stood and urged everyone to “hearken or listen” to the word of God from Joel. The difference is that Peter acted in God’s will which in doing so resulted to three thousand converts believing Jesus is the Son of God [Acts 2:14].
CONCLUSION
Simon Peter’s life, his testimony are all positive to the Kingdom of God in that any Christian can easily identify with his life, the events he took part in which are recorded throughout the New Testament. If studied from his introduction in the Gospels, one can clearly observe the awesome power of God to change someone who listens to God but doesn’t always understand; To a useful building block joined with the Cornerstone [Ephesians 2:20]—being fitly joined to the body of Christ, fulfilling God’s will [Ephesians 4:16] by leading thousands of people into the saving power of Christ [John 21:15-25].
Peter’s life was so mightily used by God that even today we’re inspired and instructed as believers today through his writings and canonized life.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Harrison House. “The Word Study Bible King James Version” Harrison House, Inc. 1990.
- Lockman Foundation and Zondervan Corporation. “King James Version / Amplified Bible Parallel Edition.” Zondervan Publishing House. 1995.
- Calvary Christian College & Institute. “Introduction to Bible Theology II – TH 302”.
- Vine, W.E. “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.” World Bible Publishers. 1981.