Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (September 2014)
When considering Peter’s life as a disciple there are two distinctive phases which can be discerned: Firstly, there was the inconsistent and self-centred phase of his life between his conversion and filling with the Holy Spirit, but after the experience of Pentecost we see Peter as the Spirit-filled disciple of Jesus who had the power and insight to act consistently according to the will of God and to do great things in the establishment of the Christian church. During the first half we see a Peter with limited knowledge and fluctuating loyalties, in whose life the Spirit and the flesh were strongly opposed to each other (Gal. 5:17). In the second half we see a Peter in whose life the flesh is crucified, with the Holy Spirit in full control to guide, equip and use him as never before.
It is obvious that all believers pass through these two stages in their spiritual life: It starts with their conversion and initial spiritual awakening when they still have to learn many things –including how to prevail against temptations and the flesh with its lusts. When the commitment to growth is not taken seriously and pursued to the crisis point of sanctification, spiritual stagnation sets in which prohibits the person from reaching the second phase. Such believers confine themselves to a spiritual nursery school like the one described in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Hebrews 5:12-14. To those who fully surrender themselves and trust the Lord for complete sanctification (1 Thess. 5:23-24), carnality is replaced by a Spirit-filled life and they achieve victory over the stumbling-blocks which formerly choked them spiritually. The battle and temptations do not end, but these believers know how to handle it without limping along from one defeat to another.
We can learn much from the two phases in Peter’s life, as most of their characteristics are experienced by disciples of the Lord Jesus throughout the church dispensation.
Peter was a fisherman at the Sea of Galilee when he was called to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus: “And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him” (Matt. 4:18-20). Peter left everything to follow the Messiah – his work and his family – and stood at the beginning of an intensive period of training.
Peter received important revelations from the Lord, and was the first disciple to openly declare that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God. He said without any hesitation: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). To this testimony Jesus replied: “… you are Peter [Petros – a small rock] and on this rock [Petra – a large rock] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). The large rock refers to Peter’s testimony that Jesus is the Christ. In His pronouncement the Lord Jesus confirmed four key principles with regard to the New Testament church:
1. He Himself would establish His church (the ecclesia, or called-out ones) in the world, and He would be the Head of the church – not Peter or any of his so-called successors.
2. As Saviour He would be the rock or foundation upon which the church would be built.
3. The church would experience immense spiritual opposition as all the evil powers of Satan would be harnessed against the church in an effort to deceive or destroy it.
4. The true church will not be destroyed, but will survive all the attacks against it.
During the time when Peter received the important revelation on Jesus as the promised Messiah and Son of God, he was not yet a Spirit-filled believer and did not know the whole counsel of God. He was not at all aware of the fact that Jesus would come twice, and that, during His first coming, He would be the suffering Messiah who would lay down His life as a ransom for sinners. Because of his carnality and poor knowledge Peter could not understand why Christ had to suffer and die, and he strongly resisted any notion to this effect.
The Lord Jesus said that He would “suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matt. 16:21). Peter reacted to this statement in utter negation: “Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Matt. 16:22-23).
Shortly after Peter had made a statement on a great truth with regard to the Messiahship and deity of Jesus, the devil exploited his poor knowledge about God’s counsel and deceived him into outright rejecting the possibility of Jesus’ crucifixion. Many Christians who are spiritually immature and ignorant on certain aspects of biblical doctrine, also act like this. The one moment they confess a great truth from Scripture, and the following moment they deny a core principle of the Bible and proclaim one of Satan’s many lies. Despite their distorted view of Scripture they are usually fully convinced that they entertain the correct view on the Bible. Christians should be mindful of the fact that they do not necessarily always act in the Spirit. Sometimes they act in the flesh, and then they can even be a mouthpiece for the enemy to deny biblical truths and proclaim lies.
After Peter was corrected it was still not the end of his carnal arrogance. Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus said to His disciples: “‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night.’ … Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples” (Matt. 26:31-35). Peter was so self-complacent and sure of himself that he in effect said to Jesus: “You can leave this matter in my able hands, because I know what I believe and I will stand with You to the end – come what may!” By this carnal attitude he also influenced the other disciples to trust in their own power and integrity.
A person can have the best and most noble intentions to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus and not deviate from them, but without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit which He gives to us, all our efforts will come to nought. When Jesus was on the verge of being condemned to death through crucifixion, and His disciples under real pressure of persecution, Peter was not even able to confess to a humble servant girl that he was a follower of Jesus. He was overwhelmed by fear and uncertainty, and in self-defence he later even denied with an oath that he knew Jesus (Matt. 26:69-74).
Peter quickly realised his mistake: “And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly” (Matt. 26:75). When one’s best intentions end in defeat, you feel very disappointed, ashamed and sorry for your cowardly action. Your view of yourself is shattered and your testimony as a Christian is destroyed. You wonder how it was possible to be such a weakling. However, Peter did not abandon the struggle; he had bitter remorse over his defeat and decided to try again.
At this stage, Peter was still not filled with the Holy Spirit, so it was unlikely that his effort to restore his integrity and image as disciple would be successful. Shortly after the crucifixion of Jesus he joined the other disciples and tried to mend his broken spiritual life. However, the disciples were all fearful after the execution of Jesus and went into hiding behind a locked door. The Sunday when Jesus rose from the grave they were still in the locked-up room: “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be with you’” (John 20:19).
During this meeting the disciples received the Great Commission for the first time, and Jesus also breathed on them, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (cf. John 20:21-22). Although at this stage they already had the peace of the forgiveness of sins through the Holy Spirit, they were not yet endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and could therefore not start heeding the command to evangelise the world. They first had to be spiritually equipped to do so: “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high’” (Luke 24:46-49).
Before the filling with the Holy Spirit Peter and the other disciples realised that they did not have the spiritual power and motivation to confront an apostate, hostile world with the gospel of Christ. They were fully aware of their inability to do so and consequently backed away from this big challenge. They decided to keep a low profile and return to their secular professions for the time being. Peter said: “‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We are going with you also.’ They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing” (John 21:3).
The Lord Jesus fully understood their lack of knowledge, spiritual power and dedication, and tangibly showed to them that they would not be happy if they returned to the world. He went to the Sea of Galilee to meet them there, and through a miracle ensured that they caught an abundance of fish, thereby demonstrating that only He could make a difference in their lives. He could also make them fishers of men. This event shocked Peter back into reality, and for the first time he fully realised the mighty power of the Saviour. Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to confirm three times that he really loved Him. In this way he made amends for the three times he denied Jesus. He was then commanded to act as shepherd for His flock by feeding and protecting them: “Feed My lambs. … Tend My sheep. … Feed My sheep” (John 21:15-17).
Among the ranks of carnal Christians there are also various persons who, after a time, decide to quit following and serving the Lord, and to fully involve themselves with their secular work in the world without giving much attention to the kingdom of heaven. They no longer seek the Lord and only serve Him in a half-hearted way. Such people will never be happy because they exchanged their spiritual calling for something which is temporary, inferior and unfulfilling. To backslidden and disillusioned disciples of Christ there is only one way and that is the way back to the Lord Jesus, to renewed cleansing by His blood and filling by his Holy Spirit. They should read Psalm 51 and, together with David, again surrender themselves to the Lord.
However, this does not mean that a disciple of Jesus should not do secular work, as the principle stands firm: “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess. 3:10). Only a minority of disciples are called to fulltime ministry, and they are usually so deeply involved with the work of the Lord that there is no opportunity for secular work. Peter was one of these believers who was called to fulltime service, and he only decided to again become a fisherman when he could no longer face up to the challenge of his spiritual calling. What he needed was to be endued with power from on high.
Peter was among the group of 120 disciples and other believers who waited in Jerusalem on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that they could be endued with power from on high. In Acts 1:8 the Lord Jesus said: “… you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The commission was superhuman, but likewise also the enabling power of the Holy Spirit which is available to all disciples.
A time of waiting on the Lord was needed before the promised blessing was received. Peter, who earlier repeatedly denied Jesus when he succumbed to the pressure of hostile people, humbled himself for ten days together with the other disciples to confess his sin and fleshliness. He fully confirmed his faith in Jesus and waited on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to empower him for service. On the day of Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and the “new Peter” with great boldness proclaimed the gospel of Christ to the deceived Jewish nation. He was only then able to fulfil his calling to be a fisher of men. This disciple, who was overcome by human weaknesses less than two months earlier, delivered a powerful message under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and three thousand people were led to the Lord for salvation.
Peter was not only an evangelist, as the Lord Jesus also entrusted a threefold pastoral ministry to him (John 21:15-17). He had to feed the Lord’s lambs, which refers to his duty to do follow-up work among young converts with a view to firmly establishing them in the Christian faith and ensuring their spiritual growth. Furthermore, he was commanded to tend the Lord’s sheep, which emphasises his responsibility to care for the entire congregation by protecting them against deception and also strengthening them spiritually to endure tribulation. In the last instance, he also had to feed the sheep, which means that mature believers should regularly get spiritual food to build them up as worthy disciples and witnesses of Christ. Milk should be served to the lambs and solid food to the sheep, so all of them can spiritually become stronger.
Peter wrote two epistles in which he evangelised fellow Jews and also ministered to congregations pastorally. In this way he ensured that young believers desired the pure milk of the Word that they might grow thereby (1 Pet. 2:2). The congregations were also prepared on persecution for the sake of their faith, so that they would not be discouraged when it happened but rather would emerge stronger from their trials and tribulations: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1 Pet. 4:12-13).
Furthermore, he strongly warned against spiritual deception as deceived members of the church cannot be worthy witnesses of Christ. An entire chapter (2 Pet. 2) is devoted to false teachers and the danger of their false teachings. Deceived teachers promise to people liberty while they themselves are slaves of corruption (2 Pet. 2:19). The only solution to this problem is vigilance and watchfulness against deception, as well as an increase in the knowledge and grace of Christ: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:17-18).
During the entire phase of Peter’s life after Pentecost he always knew what it was to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and to look far beyond earthly enticements to our eternal home in heaven. From his own experience he knew what it was to be a carnal believer who disappointed and denied the Lord Jesus in various ways, but by the grace of God he earnestly considered the command to wait on the Lord until he received the power of the Holy Spirit. After that he never faltered or looked back, not even at the end of his life when he was faced by a martyr’s death through crucifixion.
Do you also walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit? If so, you will receive the power to be a witness for Christ, to stand firm in your faith and never, not even under the most trying circumstances, become despondent and consider turning back to the world. You will also be strong in the Lord to successfully resist the attacks of Satan. Furthermore, your knowledge of the Lord and His Word will increase until you will be able to fully comprehend with all the saints the boundless love of Christ for us, and to be rooted and grounded in it.
Peter pursued his Christian ministry with great fervour and dedication. He had a strong passion for evangelisation, and called on believers to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). He reminded them that he and his fellow apostles proclaimed real, historically verifiable facts: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16).
The young congregation were also reminded that they were sojourners and pilgrims in an evil and perishing world in which everything possible should be done to abstain from evil and to serve the Lord with undivided hearts (1 Pet. 2:11). This call was also made in the light of the approaching second coming of Christ: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Pet. 3:11-12).
Holiness unto the Lord was an important theme in Peter’s epistles and preaching. He reiterated the command to Israel in Leviticus 11:44, thereby confirming its universal applicability to people of all ages: “… as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Man was created in God’s image of holiness, but this divine image was destroyed by the Fall. However, we are called upon to become spiritually quickened and put on God’s image of holiness, without which it is impossible to please Him. He made this new life possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Pet. 1:3).
Peter lived during a time of severe hostility towards the church of Christ. The opposition did not only come from the Jewish Council due to their militant rejection of Jesus as Messiah, but also from the apostate Roman Empire. These two powers both plotted together to condemn Jesus and have Him crucified as a criminal. During the trial of Jesus, Peter and the other disciples did not yet have the spiritual strength, insight and motivation to understand what was going on and to stand by Jesus to the end. They were overcome by fear of the Jewish leaders and fled. However, this fear completely vanished when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and after that they did not even shy away from a threatening martyr’s death.
Peter would never again deny Jesus, and he did not even fear Nero’s power when he was confronted by crucifixion in Rome. Jesus had earlier predicted the unhappy end to Peter’s earthly life when He said to him: “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.’ This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (John 21:18-19). He did not only proclaim the gospel of the cross, but also physically followed Jesus on the way of crucifixion.
According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs Peter was sentenced to death and was crucified in Rome: “Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, ‘Lord, whither dost Thou go?’ To whom He answered and said, ‘I am come again to be crucified.’ By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.”
It is only when one’s eyes are fixed on your eternal destiny in heaven that you will unconditionally follow and serve the Lord Jesus – regardless what the cost may be. Filling with the Holy Spirit is an absolute requisite for a life of unwavering service to the Lord, as well as fearlessness regarding the consequences of doing so – even if it means a martyr’s death. Peter had a vivid experience of filling with the Holy Spirit after conversion. Although the Holy Spirit was poured out in the first century once and for all, every believer first needs a time of humbling and soul-searching to have his heart purified and cleansed from all sin and fleshliness – only then will the Holy Spirt take control of him in all His fullness.
Can you also testify to the filling of the Holy Spirit and do you still walk in the Spirit? Without that you will not have firm convictions, you will be carried about with every wind of doctrine, you will easily succumb to the smallest resistance, and above all you will not be fit to act as a witness for the Lord Jesus while He tarries to come. We should also, like the 120 faithful followers of Jesus in the upper room, wait on the Lord until we are endued with power from on high. Then alone will we be able to engage in the difficult commission which He has entrusted to us.