Moore Perspective: Putting Simon Peter in His Place (Part 2 of 3)

What Simon Peter Got Right

Although occasioned by his impulsiveness, taking initiative often led to positive results that benefitted him and others. When Jesus warned against the dangerous influence of the Pharisees and likened them to an uprooted plant and blind leaders of the blind, it was Simon Peter who spoke up and asked for clarification (Matt. 15:13-15). Jesus then explained the spiritual defilement of sinful hearts as opposed to the inconsequential neglect of man-made rituals, directing his response to “you [all]” (vv. 16-20).¹

After Jesus gave instructions about how to handle interpersonal conflict and church discipline, Simon Peter approached him and asked, “how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” (Matt. 18:21). The Lord’s reply “to him” was an impactful lesson about forgiveness but for the benefit of all who were present and listening: “you [all]” (v. 35).

Jesus’s teachings included familiar analogies and illustrations, and it was Simon Peter who asked, “Lord, do you speak this parable to us, or also to all?” (Luke 12:41). This led to Jesus speaking to “you [all]” (vv. 44, 51) about obedience and faithfulness, contrasting the wise and faithful with the foolish and disobedient (vv. 42-53).

When many followers of Jesus turned away from him, he said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” Simon Peter answered for the group, saying, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of everlasting life. And we have believed and have known that you are the holy one of God” (John 6:68-69).² In response, Jesus spoke not only to Peter but to “them” (v. 70).

While Jesus warned his disciples about the dangers of material wealth hindering sacrificial service in God’s kingdom, Simon Peter spoke up and said, “See, we have left all and followed you …” (Matt. 19:27). Even though the impetuous fisherman had not given up his family, boat, house, and personal possessions,³ his statement led Jesus to express “to them” the assurance that any sacrifices made for his name’s sake pale in comparison to the manifold blessings received (vv. 28-30).

After the Lord had cursed a barren fig tree and it was withered the next day, Simon Peter was the one who remembered and called attention to it. In response, Jesus said to them, “You [all] have [the] faith of God,” with further instructions and encouragement directed to “you [all]” (Mark 11:22-24).

During their final meal together, when Jesus revealed that one of them would betray him, it was Simon Peter who motioned to John to make further inquiries (John 13:21-26). That same evening Simon Peter asked where Jesus was going, prompting the reassuring promise of Christ’s eventual return after leaving to prepare a place for his disciples in the Father’s spacious heavenly home (John 13:36–14:4).

Even when Simon Peter resisted Jesus, taking him aside to rebuke him, Jesus’s counter-rebuke was in the presence of the others so they could learn from the exchange (Mark 8:32-33). Moreover, the initiative and frequent inquiries of Simon Peter benefitted not only the listeners near him, but we still profit today as we read and learn from these documented accounts.

How He Responded to Correction

From the Lord

Simon Peter’s instinctive and sometimes arrogant confidence was frequently tested and challenged. On many occasions Jesus had to correct and rebuke him but also commended him, encouraged him, instructed him, set an example for him, and prayed for him. Instead of always reacting with stubborn pride and defiance, Peter was generally receptive—learning, growing, being transformed—ultimately developing a humble confidence.*

In the end, Simon Peter came to realize that Christ’s example, both in giving and receiving criticism, is worthy of emulating (1 Pet. 2:21-25). And through his own example and teaching, Peter demonstrates how we ought to interrelate with one another and the world in which we live. “Finally, you all be single-minded, sympathetic, having mutual affection, compassionate, humble, not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, rather blessing; for to this you were called that you should inherit a blessing” (1 Pet. 3:8-9).

From a Brother in Christ

As Simon Peter was learning and growing and serving, he was still far from perfect. Even after Jesus’s commission to make disciples of “all nations” (Matt. 28:18-20), it took three visionary communications from the Lord, a direct message from the Holy Spirit, and an indirect message from God’s angel to convince Peter he was supposed to share the gospel with non-Jews (Acts 10:9-28). But even then, whether it was a lapse in memory or simply buckling under pressure, he later acted as if he still didn’t get it, resulting in his Christian brother and fellow-apostle publicly chastising him for his hypocrisy and bad influence (Gal. 2:11-14). How did he react to Paul’s stern admonition? He dutifully resumed his faithful service among Jews and Gentiles and would later write: “and consider the forbearance of our Lord salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you” (2 Pet. 3:15).

From Enemies of Christ

Although repeatedly reprimanded for his mistakes, there were occasions when Simon Peter was challenged and degraded for doing what was right. Having healed a crippled man “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” and preaching the gospel to a large gathering of Jews, Simon Peter and John were arrested and brought to trial before the same Jewish authorities who had condemned Jesus to death a few weeks earlier. Simon Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, shamelessly said to them, “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands before you [physically] sound …. and there is salvation in no one else, for no other name under heaven has been given among men in which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12). When commanded to refrain from speaking or teaching anymore in the name of Jesus, Peter and John responded, “for we cannot but speak what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-20). On another occasion, standing before the same murderous adjudicators, “Peter answering, and the apostles, said, ‘It is necessary to obey God rather than men’” (Acts 5:29).

Extent of His Ministry

Despite his Galilean provenance (Mark 14:70; John 1:44), and perhaps due to the proverbial maxim, “no prophet is welcome in his own homeland” (Luke 4:24), Simon Peter was known “to lead about [περιάγειν] a believing wife” (1 Cor. 9:5), implying itineracy. The biblical record traces his apostolic ministry in and from Jerusalem (Acts 1:4–8:14), through Samaria (Acts 8:14-25), back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26-28; Gal. 1:18), Judea and Samaria (Acts 9:32–10:48), Jerusalem again (Acts 11:2-18; 12:3-17; 15:4-29), Antioch of Syria (Gal. 2:11-14), and finally Rome, where he suffered martyrdom (1 Pet. 5:13; 2 Pet. 1:14-15)⁴ after roughly three and a half decades of faithful service.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

¹ Unless noted otherwise, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation, with added words in [square brackets] and emphasis in italics.

² The Byzantine Majority Text reads ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (“the Christ, the Son of the living God”).

³ See K. L. Moore, “Leaving All to Follow Jesus,” Moore Perspective (16 Dec. 2012), <Link>.

⁴ Peter sends greetings from “she who is in Babylon, chosen together with [you] …” (1 Pet. 5:13a), commonly understood as a metaphoric allusion to the Christian community in Rome (BDAG 162; Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. 3.1.1; cf. 2 Tim. 4:11; 1 Pet. 5:13b). See also K. L. Moore, “Distinctive Features of 1 Peter,” Moore Perspective (4 July 2018), <Link>. On the authorship of the Petrine letters, see “Authorship of 1 Peter,” Moore Perspective (19 June 2018), <Link>; and “Authorship of 2 Peter,” Moore Perspective (25 June 2018), <Link >.