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BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY: CRUCIFIXION - Did Peter see this? BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY - A fisherman's work
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PETER |
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PETER
MEETS JESUS He was captivated by Jesus - by what he said, by his personality, by everything about him. Jesus was from the same modest background as Peter, and from a town even more nondescript - he came from Bethsaida. But Peter realized that everything else about this preacher was compelling, and he threw in his trade as a fisherman to follow him. His parents had named him Simon or Simeon, but Jesus gave him a new name, a sort of nickname - Peter, which means 'rock'. His nickname was not too far from the modern name 'Rocky', and it sent the same sort of message: Peter was a solid no-nonsense man, a man you could trust. His father's name was John, and we know that Peter married - there is mention of his mother-in-law, though none of his wife. PETER, THE MAN What sort of a man was Peter? Very human, like the rest of us. At times he was vacillating and unsure, as in his relations with the church of Antioch when he first ate with the Gentiles and then later on refused to do so; but he could also be resolute. Sometimes he was rash and hasty, irritable or even angry, but overall he was capable of great loyalty and love. He seems to have been unlearned, in that he was not trained in the Mosaic Law. Almost certainly, he did not know Greek, which was the scholarly language of the day. He was a slow learner, but when entrusted with responsibility he was mature and capable. PETER AS LEADER There are several incidents in the gospels that tell us about Peter the man, what he was like as a person. The first is his assertion that Jesus is the Messiah. (Mark 8:29, Luke 9:20). 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Peter was aware of Jesus' divinity, and blurted it out, demonstrating his faith and insight. He was by nature a blurter: when Jesus said at the Last Supper that he would only accept as friends those whose feet he had washed, Peter told him to wash not only his feet but his hands and head as well.
'Christ Washing St. Peter's
Feet', |
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'Peter
met a charismatic
preacher called Jesus of Nazareth, and it changed everything.' |
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PETER DENIES JESUS
But in both cases it was a short-lived lapse, and not a loss of faith in Jesus. Earlier, when Jesus had told Peter that he would deny him, Peter had indignantly refuted the idea and declared that, even if all the other disciples deserted Jesus, he would suffer death rather than disown his Lord. But when the moment came, Peter had cut and run just as Jesus predicted: when confronted in the courtyard of the High Priest, he denied ever knowing Jesus. When he realized what he had done, and that Jesus had been right all along, Peter was deeply shamed, and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:75; Mark 14:72) PETER SEES JESUS ON EASTER MORNING After this, Peter emerged as the leader of the breakaway Jewish sect that became the early Church. Peter was the first to 'raise his voice' (Acts 1:14-39) and preach at Pentecost, the day when the Church came into being. He served as an advocate for the apostles when they were taken before the Jewish religious court in Jerusalem (Acts 4:5-22). He was the judge of contentious matters within the Church (Acts 5:1-10). All in all, he dominated the small but growing community of Christians in the first fifteen years after Jesus' death. Peter went to the Samaritans where he encountered the magician and faith healer Simon Magus; then he went to Lydda, where he healed the paralyzed Aeneas; and then at Joppa he cured Tabitha (Dorcas) in the name of Christ. In the Mediterranean coastal city of Caesarea Peter introduced Gentiles into the community of Christians. At the time, a Gentile convert had to become a Jew through the rite of circumcision before they could become a Christian. In accepting Cornelius and others without submission to circumcision, Peter introduced a practice that was to open up the Church to the Gentile population. Peter was arrested and imprisoned, but was visited by an angel of the Lord, 'and the chains fell off his hands' so that he was able to escape (Acts 12:1-8). PETER'S DEATH
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BIBLE
REFERENCE
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| PEOPLE
IN THE STORY Peter, a fisherman from Galilee who became Jesus' trusted friend and disciple |
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FAMOUS
QUOTES
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INTERESTING WEBSITES - stories, pictures, information Peter fled from the hideous death of Jesus: BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY: CRUCIFIXION The life of a fisherman in 1st century Palestine: BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY: WORK ________________________________________________________________________
ACTIVITIES AND FOCUS QUESTIONS In
depth study of one person's story In
your presentation (approximately 10 minutes), answer the following questions: 1.
What are the main events of the person's life? 2. What were their main qualities? What made them stand out from the crowd? 3.
What obstacles did they face? 4.
How did they use their abilities to do God’s work? 5. Which part of their story appeals to you most? Why? You must include three short quotations from the gospel texts to illustrate the points you are making.
Making
it graphic
'But
surely you don't believe in all that nonsense.....?'
Focus
Questions
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