Saint Peter - The Impulsive - The most prominent of Jesus' twelve apostles. The New Testament gives a more complete picture of Peter than of any other disciple, with the exception of Saint Paul. Peter was the first disciple to be called - Mark 1:16-18 - and the first to be named an apostle. - Mark 3:14-16 - His name heads every list of the twelve in the New Testament. He was apparently the strongest individual in the group. He frequently served as a spokesman for the disciples and he was their recognized leader. - Mark 1:36; Luke 22:32 - Peter's being an impulsive and dominant personality was his readiness to walk to Jesus on the water - Matt. 14:28 - and to ask Jesus the awkward question of how often he should forgive a sinning brother. - Matt. 18:21

Called to a post where the keys of heaven would swing from his fisherman's cinture. No proportion between his weak "Simon" nature and the name "Rock" given by Christ to a man who was only a reed. Jesus began the process which would lead to Peter's awareness by asking a non-threatening question.

'But you', he said 'who do you say I am?' Then Simon Peter spoke up, 'You are the Christ', he said 'the Son of the living God'. Jesus replied, 'Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the under-world can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven. - Matt. 16:16-19 -

Peter had an impulsive personality and a sincere love for the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing the Lord during a storm he stuck his foot outside the boat and asked to walk on water and then lost faith and begun sinking. - Matt. 14:28-31 - He proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah and then was rebuked for rejecting the cross. - Mark 8:33 - He promised to die for Jesus and then denied Him three times. - John 13:37-38 - How ironic that the one who denied Jesus most vehemently in His hour of suffering should be the first person to witness to His resurrection from the dead. Yet according to the Gospel of Luke 24:34 and Paul, 1COR. 15:5, Peter was the first apostle to see the risen Lord. We can only marvel at the grace of God in granting such a blessing to one who did not seem to deserve it. Peter's witnessing of the resurrection was a sign of his personal restoration to fellowship with Christ. It also confirmed His appointment by God to serve as a Leader/Pope in the emerging Church.

After a meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of Jonah, do you love me more than these others do?' He answered, 'Yes Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs". A second time he said to him, 'Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?' He replied, 'Yes, Lord, you know I love you.' Jesus said to him, "Look after my sheep". Then he said to him a third time, 'Simon son of Jonah, do you love me?' Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and said, 'Lord, you know everything; you know I love you'. Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep".

Dull in mind when he could not understand what the Lord said about blind leading the blind and asked; 'Tell us what the parable means'.

At this, Peter said to him, 'Explain the parable to us', Jesus replied, 'Do even you not yet understand? Can you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is discharged into the sewer? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and it is these that make a man unclean. For from the heart come evil intentions: murder, adultery, fornication, theft, perjury, slander. These are the things that make a man unclean. But to eat with unwashed hands does not make a man unclean. - Matt. 15: 15-20 -

After the Council of Jerusalem, Peter went to preach the Gospel in Rome. He was crucified downwards on Vatican Hill during the persecution of Nero in 64 AD. He is venerated with Saint Paul on June 29.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -