Moore Perspective: Putting Simon Peter in His Place (Part 1 of 3)

While multitudes followed Jesus during his earthly ministry, one disciple stands out in the biblical record above most others. Simon was an uneducated fisherman from Galilee, whose name in the Greek NT (Σίμων) is the Grecized form of the Hebrew שִׁמעוֹן (Simeon), meaning “he has heard” (Gen. 29:33).¹ The name stems from the verb שָׁמַע (to “hear”), and at least in Simon’s case, it is suggestive of one needing to listen. Jesus gave Simon the nickname Πέτρος (Peter), the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic כֵּיפָא or Grecized Κηφᾶς (Cephas), meaning “rock” or “stone” (Mark 3:16; John 1:42)—indicative of one expected to be stable, solid, and firm.

Within the pages of the New Testament, especially the first five books, Simon Peter occupies significantly more space than most other Christ followers.

‣ He was counted among the Lord’s twelve closest disciples (Matt. 10:1-2; Mark 3:14-16; Luke 6:13-14).

‣ He, along with Andrew, James, and John, were the first to be called by Jesus, and on certain occasions Jesus was only with them (Mark 1:16-20, 29-31; 13:3-4).

‣ He, along with James and John, were repeatedly given unique opportunities unavailable to anyone else (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:32-35).

‣ Simon Peter is always named first when paired with John (Luke 22:8; Acts 3:1–4:23; 8:14)² and whenever the apostles are listed together by name (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13).

‣ On numerous occasions he is the main focus of the Lord’s attention and/or the biblical narrative (Matt. 14:28-31; 15:15; 16:16-23; 17:4, 24-27; 18:21; 19:27; 26:33-35, 40, 69-75; et al.).³

‣ At times the inspired record simply reads, “Simon and those with him …” (Mark 1:36), or “Peter and those with him …” (Luke 9:32).⁴

‣ In all four Gospels, the less-conspicuous Andrew is simply known as Simon Peter’s brother (Matt. 4:18; 10:2; Mark 1:16; Luke 6:14; John 1:40; 6:8).

‣ Having been promised “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 16:19), Simon Peter was the chief spokesman when the gospel was first preached to the Jews (Acts 2:14-40; Gal. 2:7b-8a) and the first to share the gospel with Gentiles (Acts 10:1–11:18; 15:7-14).

‣ Simon Peter contributed two inspired documents to the NT (1 Pet. 1:1a; 2 Pet 1:1a).

Why Simon Peter?

Simon Peter is consistently portrayed in the Gospels as erratic and impulsive, short tempered, quick to speak and react, slow to listen and understand. When he did not know what to do or say, his impulsive nature would not allow him to just sit back, be quiet, and observe. He regularly misread situations, misunderstood the Lord’s purpose, and required frequent chastisement and correction. Yet despite all of his shortcomings and mistakes (or perhaps because of them!), he received unparalleled attention from the Lord and from New Testament authors.

Repeatedly Singled Out

In the earliest days of the Lord’s ministry, Jesus got into Simon’s boat, asked him to go out a short distance, then said to Simon, “You [singular] launch out into the deep …” where loads of fish were caught by Simon and his partners (Luke 5:3-7). Irrespective of “all the ones with him,” including James and John, Luke reports that “Jesus said to Simon, ‘You [singular] stop fearing, from now on you [singular] will be catching men’” (Luke 5:8-10).⁵

While all the disciples struggled at times with their faith, and even though Simon Peter is the only one of them who actually walked on water, he is the one the Lord admonishes for having “little faith” (Matt. 14:31). This observation could have been repeated many times over.

Near the end of the Lord’s public ministry, he again focused his attention on this one disciple, saying, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan pleaded to sift you [all] as wheat, but I have prayed for you [singular], that your [singular] faith might not fail, and when you [singular/emphatic!] have returned, you [singular] strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32).

Shortly thereafter in Gethsemane, Jesus approached Simon Peter, James, and John, finding all three of them sleeping, “and he says to Peter, ‘Simon, are you [singular] sleeping? Were you [singular] not able to watch one hour?’” (Mark 14:37).⁶

Three days later, from the empty tomb, an angel said to the women, “But go, and say to his disciples and to Peter, that [Jesus] is going before you [all] into Galilee; there you [all] will see him, as he said to you [all]” (Mark 16:7). The eleven were to be reminded and informed, but especially Peter.

The heart of the gospel message, preached from the earliest days of the Christian movement, is that “‘Christ died for our sins,’ according to the scriptures, and ‘he was buried,’ and ‘having been raised the third day,’ according to the scriptures, and ‘he was seen by Cephas, then the twelve …’” (1 Cor. 15:3b-5; cf. Luke 24:34).⁷

On the third occasion of the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances, Simon Peter, having disavowed Christ three times, is singled out yet again and is asked three pointed questions with the threefold exhortation: “You be feeding my lambs,” “You be shepherding my sheep,” and “You be feeding my sheep” (John 21:14-17). Then after revealing how Peter would eventually die, Jesus says to him, “You follow me” (v. 19), and after another brief exchange, Jesus again says to him, “You [emphatic!] follow me” (v. 22).

Awkward Moments and Miserable Failures

On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Moses and Elijah, Simon Peter did not know how to respond, so he arbitrarily offered to construct a makeshift hut for each of them (Mark 9:5-6). His well-intentioned suggestion, with no apparent logical or meaningful purpose, was immediately overshadowed by a cloud and the voice of God.

On multiple occasions he had the audacity to resist, disagree with, challenge, and even reprimand Jesus (Matt. 16:22; Mark 8:32; 14:29-31; Luke 5:4-5a; John 13:6-8). Because of his fallible human perspective, oblivious to the loftier ways of God, he proved to be “a stumbling block” to Jesus and an agent of Satan’s work, obstructing (albeit inadvertently) God’s predetermined plan (Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33).

When he said to Jesus, “I will lay down my life for [ὑπέρ - ‘in behalf of’] you” (John 13:37), despite his good intentions and noble words, how would his sacrificial death have made any significant contribution to the divine scheme of redemption? When he said to Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with [μετά] you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33), he obviously didn’t get it. While the Lord had other plans for Simon Peter, it was the perfect Lamb of God who had to suffer and die, and the only one who could remedy the sin problem. Nevertheless, when it was time for the necessary and inevitable to be accomplished, Simon Peter would make a foolish attempt to prevent it (John 18:10).

Perhaps most notoriously, reported in all four Gospels, Simon Peter is remembered for his bold promise to the Lord, “I will never be made to stumble …. I will not deny you” (Matt. 26:33, 35; Mark 14:29, 31; Luke 22:33; John 13:37), followed by his infamous triple denial (Matt. 26:34, 69-75; Mark 14:30, 66-72; Luke 22:34, 54-62; John 13:38; 18:15-27).

James, the Lord’s brother, who knew Simon Peter well (Acts 12:17; 15:6-14; Gal. 2:9), may have had him in mind when he wrote: “Know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For man’s anger does not produce God’s righteousness” (Jas. 1:19-20).

In the next post we will consider what Simon Peter got right.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation, with emphasis added in italics.

² See also Mark 6:7; 14:13; John 13:23-24; 21:20-22.

³ See also Mark 8:29-33; 9:5-6; 10:28; 11:21; 14:29-31, 37, 54-72; 16:7; Luke 5:3-10; 8:45; 9:20, 33; 12:41; 18:28; 22:31-34, 54-62; 24:12, 34; John 1:40-42; 6:68-69; 13:6-10, 24, 36-38; 18:10-27; 21:2-22; Acts 1:15; 2:14, 38; 3:6, 12; 4:8-12; 5:3-9, 15; 9:32–11:18; 12:3-19; 15:7-14; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5; Gal. 1:18–2:14.

⁴ See also Matt. 26:37; Luke 5:8-9; 8:45[text.variant]; John 20:3; 21:2-3; Acts 2:14, 37; 5:29.

⁵ Although spoken directly to Simon Peter, this was inclusive of and for the benefit of the others as well (Matt. 4:19; Mark 1:17).

⁶ Again, also for the benefit of the others (Matt. 26:40-41; Luke 22:46).

⁷ Paul’s repeated use of the conjunction ὅτι with the words that follow (1 Cor. 15:3b-5) is functionally equivalent to quotation marks, identifying this section as what some would call a “creedal formula,” i.e., the fundamental core of the Christian message commonly believed and reiterated in the early church. See BDAG 732; H. E. Dana and J. R. Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek NT (NY: Macmillan, 1927): 252; G. D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987): 718.