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The "stumbling stone" that Christ was ( to the Jews mind you) is because of HOW He died ( Crucified/hung on a "tree") AND for the gentiles, His resurrection.
Please explain this, dear P (peace to you!)... as I am pretty certain the Jews stumbled over my Lord BEFORE he died. It was their STUMBLING... that caused them to call for his death, luv. As to the Gentiles, as well... because I am not sure THEY stumbled over him... but in fact FOLLOWED him... when the JEWS stumbled. Indeed, it was the Jews STUMBLING... that opened the way FOR the Gentiles... was it not? Please, share what you mean?
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Peter was, however, the "rock" upon which the early church was formed.
Goodness, not THAT again... Seriously, people? Please... PLEASE... show us where Peter was named the "rock" on which my Lord was to build his Body/church. Please. And if you're going to refer to where Peter's FAITH... IN the Rock... was why he was renamed "Petra"... please know that MY name ALSO means "rock" (yep, it does!)... but that doesn't mean my Lord is building his church on me.
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He was such ( along with the two other "pillars", John and James) because of his faith AND his LACK of faith.
Dear one, you do realize that that was merely Paul's OPINION... HIS perception... perhaps based on the OPINION of others, yes? And that he had it only because the others weren't as vocal as these? AND that he ultimately came to think perhaps not? A review of the account regarding Paul's introduction to the Apostles... as set down by Luke... will explain this, along with an understanding of the verse at
Galatians 2:9 (which is what led you to believe this to be a FACT, which it is not). In that verse, Paul is giving his opinion as to what it APPEARED these were, what some reputed them to be... but that doesn't make it so. That someone is more vocal or takes the lead... doesn't mean they ARE the lead.
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While John remained steadfast in being with Jesus through it all, he still believed it over when Jesus died.
Yes. As did the others, particularly Thomas. Yet, that original faith... and subsequent lack of it... didn't make these any LESS pillars than the other... or the others MORE pillars than them. Christ did not and does not work that way.
Indeed, IF he was going to raise up one Apostle over the others... it would have been one who not only had such GREAT faith that, unlike the others, HE did not run and hide... but stood with my Lord's mother, Mary, when my Lord was impaled... faith SO great that my Lord trusted the care of his own mother TO that one. The one for whom my Lord had the most AFFECTION. And that was not Peter, James, OR John... but Simon, the Kanaen (Zealot) aka Simon the Leper... aka Lazarus... the brother of Martha and Mary of Magdala (thus, the Magdalene)... with whom he resided in Bethany whenever he visited Jerusalem.
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James has never believed until the risen Christ came to him and then because of his faith ( and being Jesus' brother) he became a "pillar" in the early Church.
Why, though, would my Lord raise JAMES... his brother who only came to have faith in him LATER... over one of the TWELVE... to whom he said, "YOU have stayed with me THROUGH MY TRIALS"?? He didn't even acknowledge James as his BROTHER... while he was ALIVE. James didn't even RECOGNIZE him as Christ while he was alive. At what TIME, then... did Christ "name" JAMES... as a "pillar"? He didn't, dear one. When Paul made that statement to Timothy, Paul himself was newly acquainted with the Apostles and disciples... and so, again, was only expressing his OPINION. Please... not only read the verse... but look up the Greek words. Please.
Peter was the "unofficial" head because, well, He was such during Jesus' life time and even though He denied Christ, Jesus forgave him and gave him gave him the responsibility to "care and feed" his sheep.
Wait... where did you get THAT? Peter was the most PRESUMPTOUS... and so had to be continually CORRECTED. When my Lord said to him, "Feed my sheep"... he wasn't bestowing a privilege on Peter - he was telling Peter to... ONCE AND FOR ALL... WALK THE TALK! Do you not remember that although our Lord TOLD Peter that he would deny him... PETER denied what our Lord TOLD him? As if HE knew BETTER? Yet, he was proved wrong, wasn't he? Do you not remember, when demanding to be allowed to walk on water... Peter SUNK? Why? Because HE LACKED FAITH. Do you not remember that when it came time to have their feet wash, Peter first tried to stop our Lord... then wanted more than his feet washed? Do you not remember that it was PETER who tried to talk our Lord OUT of giving his life? Do you not remember how it was Peter to lashed out and cut off the soldier's ear... only to have our Lord tell him that if he lived by the sword he would DIE by it? I ask you: how did Peter DIE?
The "lesson" of Peter is NOT that Peter was raised UP. The LESSON is so that we can SEE Peter... and see how his presumptuous caused him to have to be corrected... again... and again... and again... even by Paul... and possible to the detriment of his own life! Peter asserted that he would NOT deny Christ... that he LOVED Christ. Well, on several occasions his CONDUCT "proved" otherwise. And so our dear Lord gave dear Peter one last way to "prove" his love: NOT be the head of his (Christ's) church... but to NOT BEG OFF... and go do what he would be sent to do! NOT run away... NOT deny! SHOW his love!
I am SO sad that some of you have placed Peter where you have... because it is not what Christ did... or wanted. He SAID "He that is greatest among must be LEAST." Yet, as you can see by the record, dear presumptuous Peter NEVER learned that lesson! But... our Lord KNEW he wouldn't... just as he KNEW Peter would (1) sink in the water, (2) cut off the man's ear, and (3) deny him. So... in order to SAVE Peter... FROM HIMSELF... from his OWN presumptuousness and lack of HUMILITY... he gave Peter something he COULD do: share with others of Christ's sheep what had been given HIM.
That's it and that's all... dear, dear P. Truly. Yet, you dear folks are now raising up yet another for folks to look at. I ask you: if folks are looking at PETER... how in the WORLD are they to see CHRIST?? Peter is not the image of Christ, dear one, at least, no more than any of the others.
Finally, if Peter was as you dear ones believe him to be... why... oh, why... wasn't HE given the revelation... instead of John?? Why was JOHN the one so privileged? And please do not tell me because John was the disciple our dear Lord loved. Because that was Lazarus.
I will share with you why John was chosen (of course, I asked... especially when I found out the one folks THINK was John was actually Lazarus!)... but I would like to read your understanding, first. Please, I need you to explain these things further... because they are all quite disturbing. Quite. But also revealing. Because I now think I can understand why some can't hear... or see... Christ: Peter is standing "in the Way."
Oh, dear...
Ah, well. Off to finish re holy spirit...
Again, peace to you!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shellamar
That Peter (and/or his faith/proclamation of Jesus being The Christ) is called the "rock" is clear from Matthew AND also from the earliest church traditions such as:
Tatian, Tertullian, Clement and others that existed BEFORE there was an "official church" as we know it.
15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” 16 He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 17 He *said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus *said to him, “Tend My sheep.
It is clear that the writers of the gospels, Paul and subsequent generations viewed Peter, even with full knowledge of his huge mistakes and flaws, as, AT LEAST, ONE of the most important Apostles.
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