The Life of Peter - Research Paper Example

THE LIFE OF PETER When one starts to read the Bible and comes across the world 'doubtful' or 'denial' then there's only one person that strikes the mind of individuals and that person is the follower of Jesus Christ, that is Peter. This person fulfills all the criteria to represent this word. Initially the name of Peter was Simon but when he started following Jesus Christ his name was changed to Peter. Peter was one of the most dedicated disciples of Jesus but had to be scolded by Him on several occasions. During the life of Peter he faced accidental greetings, scenes which were divine and most importantly he faced refusal. Hence it is believed that the story of Peter in the bible is one of the greatest narrations that depict a transformation in the way of life. It has been observed that amongst all the twelve believers Jesus had during His rule on Earth, Peter is considered to be the most candid of all. Undoubtedly he was considered to be the part of the most gallant advocates of the belief. His birth was of a common man but the death was of a great apostle. It has been observed that the start of his life was very modest in origin. As mentioned earlier the original name of Peter was Simon. It was Jesus who improved his name to Peter. The name Peter has literally originated from the term Petra which means "rock". Peter was basically a fisherman from the Galilean times and is apparently the brother of Andrew. Peter and his brother are considered to have their origination from the settlement of Bethsaida. It is said that Peter was also a follower of John (Baptist). He was married. Before he had experienced divinity was a corrupt and sinful man. The guilt of being sinful was seen at various occasions, especially when he was in the company of Jesus Christ. Peter and his brother Andrew have the honor of being the first believer. (Meyer, 35) Since the fishermen of that time were fierce, bold, fearless, hot tempered and often used abusive language all these aspects were also present in Peter. Since their job requires physical labor which had made them rough and tough. They were full of themselves and had a bossy attitude. Their life was rough and bold as they had encountered various ups and downs in life like storms and thunders which had shaped their personality. Peter before he had met Jesus was lost and did not have any goal in life. But once they found Jesus without any further thoughts they starting to believe Him and followed him. They did not question Jesus Christ and left everything behind for the sake of being good humans and firm believers. Like I mentioned previously, peter was one of the first believers of Jesus Christ as well as he has the honor of being the spokesman of Jesus at various occasions irrespective of the good or the evil. The thing that separates Peter from any other disciple is the unique vision he possessed which was related to the image of Jesus. Jesus's title that is 'Son of the Living God – The Savior' was also given for the first time by this noble man. He was so humble and considered himself so guilty of the sins he did in his earlier life that he used to feel that he did not deserve to be in the company of such a holy man. The love Jesus had for his him and his brother made them distinct and the “fishers of men”. There were certain flaws that were associated with Peter. For instance, that the boldness Peter flaunted most of the times became wrong for him. It is said that once he scolded the God and claimed that he could even sacrifice his life for Jesus. Despite this when Jesus was arrested and trialed, Peter refused the Lord around three times. Jesus was insightful and he knew that among his disciples who is actually honest to him and who would ultimately cheat on him. Peter has the honor of witnessing many miracles associated with Jesus from his own eyes. Along with two other disciples he witnessed the Shekhinah Glory during the time of Transfiguration. This is considered to be the time when the humanity of Jesus was unwrapped to show the splendor of His Divinity. Basically all the Christians today are the followers of Jesus Christ and that’s what disciples are. "For a disciple ofJesus Christ, discipleship meant to follow him closely and learn the ways ofthe Kingdom ofGod." (Recio, 21) The difference between an apostle and disciple is that an apostle is superior and hence has been sent forth, the purpose of apostles is to announce the gospels belonging to Jesus Christ. When it comes to the bible or the New Testament the criteria of being an apostle is that they should accompany Jesus during His time on the earth or they should be with Jesus Christ during the time of their rise. Thus Peter had the honor to announce the Christ to a Gentile. He was also the very first one to educate on the day of the Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was about to come. He is considered to be one of the daring apostles amongst all. It was his own choice to suffer from persecution, captivity, whippings, and further he was proud of the fact that he chosen and found worthy to tolerate suffering and pain for the sake of the God. (cullman, 69) There has been always a debate that the Gospel which belongs to Mark according to various church backgrounds it is actually the Gospel of Peter. The proofs provided are extremely dependable and most historians that study religion believe in this. It has been observed that the person responsible for the discipleship was Peter for Jesus Christ. But John Mark who was his partner took the entire credit. Those who have read the Gospel of Mark can clearly state that the bible seems like a narration by Mark from the view point of Peter. Further Mark himself was neither a disciple of Jesus nor an apostle. What seems here that the work in the Gospel of Mark is actually the work of Peter which has been retold and rewritten by John Mark. This can be proved as Mark was not physically present during various close occasions which have been discussed in this gospel, then how could he write about them. This testifies that the Gospel is just rewritten by Mark. Another example is during the time of Transfiguration. Mark was certainly not present during the Transfiguration and when you read the Gospel it seems like the narration of another person's experience. (Ehrman, 22) Hence those who read the gospel of Mark realize that this is more closely linked to Peter and his experiences. The death of Peter is the death of a soldier who sacrificed his life for the cause of his religion. Jesus himself at one point said that the death of Peter will be similar to his, which means that Peter will be crucified. Before the death of Peter many apostles had been brutally killed. So at the time when Peter was crucified, he hands were stretched far and wide. His clothes were basically the prison attire. He was forced to go to a place where nobody ever wanted his life to end that is the place of crucifixion and was finally crucified there. He considered himself to be sinful and filled with guilt and wrong deeds therefore he chose to be crucified in an upside down manner unlike Jesus as he believed that he did not deserve to die like Jesus. (Publication of Religious tract society) There has been great transformation seen in the character of Peter. Initially he was a rude, smug, proud, hot tempered individual but with time he became modest, agreeable, efficient and most important a slave to the desires of the Lord till his last breathe. He was immensely happy on the day of his death because he knew that after death he will be able to unite with his Lord whom he adored. He lived for almost sixty five years in which at least forty years of his life were devoted to Jesus Christ in which he proclaimed His gospel.It is said the peter was always tested in the same way that number 40 was in the New Testament. It is believed that whatever Peter has done for Christianity will be always remembered and he will be one of those apostles that will lead with Jesus in the heaven. The work of peter is divine. He changed from a common fisherman to a person who brought divinity to the people. He spread the message of the Lord to the people through his noble deeds and his work in the gospel. ANALYSIS: I believe that the life of Peter is an inspiration for the entire Christian community. The change that peter underwent during his life was drastic and is an inspiration for the entire mankind to follow his footsteps and reach divinity. His early life was a mixture of various events that shaped his personality. Being a fisherman he was rough and tough being steadfast to face the world. This was a very important period of his life as it made him bold and confident. The remarkable change was when he gave up on everything for the noble cause to obtain divinity. His courageous decision made him loved in the eyes of the Lord and hence therefore he became one of the twelve apostles. He followed Jesus Christ and did his best to serve the Lord. He was present with Christ on various intimate instances that prove that he was the closest to the creator. Hence he was even with Jesus on the day of the transfiguration. According to various justifications it is also believed that the Gospel of Mark is actually the work of Peter as he was far more close to Christ than Mark. Hence in a nutshell, Peter was one of the closest apostles to Jesus. His death is a trademark that symbolizes purity and devotion. He considered himself a sinner therefore he chose to crucify himself upside down which proves that he was so humble and was still grieved for his previous ill deeds although he had become an apostle. Thus the reason to study Peter is "is so together we might better known Jesus. For the story of Peter is the story of Jesus. Perhaps, if you and I do our best, the same will be said of us someday." (Card, 180) References Meyer, F B, Lance Wubbels, and F B. Meyer. The Life of Peter: Fisherman, Disciple, Apostle. Lynnwood, Wash: Emerald Books, 1996. Print. Recio, Martin A. Peter and Paul: A Devotional Study of the Lives of Peter and Paul. S.l.: West Bow Pr, 2011. Print. Card, Michael. A Fragile Stone: The Emotional Life of Simon Peter. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 2003. Print. Cullmann, Oscar. Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr : a Historical and Theological Essay. New York: Meridian Books, 1958. Print. Ehrman, Bart D. Lost Christianities: The Battle for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Print. "The Life and Writings of Saint Peter: In Four Parts." Publications of the Religious Tract Society. Vol. 3. (1819). Print. Read More