The First Letter of St. Peter

Born : Bethsaida, Syria Died : 67 AD, Rome, Italy Spouse : Febronia (?) Buried : St. Peter's Parents : Jonah Siblings : Andrew the Apostle

Who Was Peter?

• • Matthew 4:18 As [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. Matthew 14:28-29 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.

Who Was Peter?

• Mt 16:16-19 [Jesus] said to them, “ But who do you say that I am ?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “ Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Who Was Peter?

• Matthew 26:74-75 Then [Peter] began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know the man!” At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Who Was Peter?

• Mark 9:2-3 Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Who Was Peter?

• • John 18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.

John 20:6-7 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.

Who Was Peter?

• John 21:17 [Jesus] said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Who Was Peter?

Acts 3: 38-42 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit….And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

The Trinity

1 Peter 1:2 …who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: CCC 258 The whole divine economy is the common work of the three divine persons. For as the Trinity has only one and the same nature, so too does it have only one and the same operation: "The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not three principles of creation but one principle." However, each divine person performs the common work according to his unique personal property. Thus the Church confesses, following the New Testament, "one God and Father from whom all things are, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things are, and one Holy Spirit in whom all things are". It is above all the divine missions of the Son's Incarnation and the gift of the Holy Spirit that show forth the properties of the divine persons.

Like gold Tested in Fire

“For in proportion as the body suffers ten thousand things, in the like proportion has the soul goodlier hopes and becomes brighter, like gold refined in the fire more and more. And see how he brings to nothing the sorrows of this present life.” (St. John Chrysostom; d. 407)

…angels long to look

1 Peter 1:12 …the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven— things into which angels long to look!

Gird Up Your Mind

Imperishable Word of God

1 Peter 1:24-25 “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” That word is the good news that was announced to you.

Questions

• • • How do the three persons of the Trinity act in the redemption?

What did the Old Testament prophets say about salvation?

What does it mean to be holy?