Matthew 10:1 ¶ And when he
had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against
unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease. 2 Now the names of
the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and
Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and
Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose
surname was Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the
Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Notice in Matthew that the twelve disciples, the Apostles as we
call them, are not mentioned as all having been called until we get to this
point, after the popularly called Sermon on the Mount, while what many
evangelicals call Luke’s account a version of that event as it already has the
twelve Apostles chosen. See Luke 6:13-16. This is one argument for them being
two different events based on the Apostles being chosen or not, the immediate
audience, the exact location, and the focus of the word choices. Otherwise,
Matthew and Luke are simply variations with differing details of the same
sermon and, perhaps, the late mention of the majority of the twelve Apostles is
merely a flashback. Regardless, both sermons define each other so
cross-referencing is paramount to understanding.
Simon Peter is listed first. Roman Catholic tradition has him
founding the church at Rome but there is more Biblical evidence that Paul would
have founded that church as per the ending of Acts. Peter, from the Biblical
narrative, went eastward to Babylon from whence the Babylonian Talmud would
come, from a place that contained a great many Jewish refugees.
1Peter 5:13 The church that
is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my
son.
Historical church tradition can be very helpful but when it goes
against the Biblical narrative we must choose the Bible. Why is Babylon thought
to be used for Rome in Revelation? Because, as we know that Rome is not now
likely to be the seat of the Antichrist, the Beast of Revelation, we can see by
the description that that Babylon is a reference to the Babylonian tradition of
paganism and rebellion against God. It is the expression of the Tower of Babel,
which some governmental organizations have used as a symbol. Could Rome be
Babylon at the end times? Certainly, but so could Jerusalem as I have explained
in my comments on Revelation.[1] Take the
Bible literally unless you cannot is the best way to think.
You will find, however, that most people will point out that
several early church fathers have Peter at Rome and being crucified upside
down. The first legitimate early church leader who mentions Peter at Rome is
Clement of Rome in AD96. From him you can trace the future references to Peter
at Rome.
Peter is a commercial fisherman.
Matthew 4:18 And Jesus,
walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew
his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
Of course, being a coarse and common person he was subject to hot
temper and fits of cursing when frustrated.
Matthew 26:73 And after a
while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art
one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.74
Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And
immediately the cock crew.
John 18:10 Then Simon Peter
having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his
right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
He practiced the common customs of his working class background
surrounded by men of his ilk.
John 21:7 Therefore that
disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon
Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he
was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
So, don’t make the modern evangelical mistake of making Peter out
to be a refined, Victorian with impeccable manners and a soft disposition. It
belittles the raw power of the man whom Jesus chose to do his part in spreading
the good news of Christ. Perhaps this is the toxic masculinity that Marxists
lament in our current society in America but it served a purpose once Peter was
able to digest in his mind what the Resurrection of Christ meant. He is a
different person in Acts than he was in the gospels as we have all seen, now
unafraid to preach Christ, and confident in his own resurrection. Remember him
all through the book of Acts.
[1]
Ernest L. Martin, “The Seven Hills of Jerusalem,” on Associates for Scriptural
Knowledge, http://askelm.com/prophecy/p000201.htm.
(updated February 1, 2000).
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