The Jewishness of Peter
How the apostle Peter depended on the Tanakh in his writings Newsflash: The apostle Simon Peter was not a Roman Catholic. He did not consider Rome his homeland, and he certainly did not understand himself to be the founder of anything like the papacy. The man called Simon Peter was Jewish, both religiously and ethnically; and when his peers addressed him, they would have called him Shimon, notGet More Articles—Subscribe Today!
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One of the themes of this issue is the importance of the Old Testament. I totally agree with this importance. I love the study of the Old Testament and the principles it teaches. We find the seven feasts in the Old Testament and they represent God’s timetable. The first four have been accomplished in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and Pentecost. The last three will concur at the Great Tribulation Period (Rosh Hashanah), the coming of Christ (Yom Kippur) and the wedding feast of the lamb (Sukkot).
I used the Old Testament to equate marriage to our relationship to God. In my paper – One Flesh – I point out a few mysteries.
One mystery hidden in plain sight is found in the man and woman. I see them as representative of the New and Old Testaments. God’s words were, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” This indicates that all of the characteristics of the Trinity was placed in Adam and through him all of humanity. This includes the gifts of the Spirit. These characteristics vary in each of us. Some are more dominate than others, but they are all there to some degree.
A man’s basic drive is in accomplishment, the next challenge. At an early age he is playing games that stress challenges. Competition is the avenue he chooses and the need to be better than the other guy. His need for relationships is very minimal. His need for a relationship is to build himself up. It makes him feel better about himself. It is a great avenue to display his greatest Godly characteristic of leadership. Some of the by-products of leadership are guidance, discipline and challenges. Therefore, the man is a type or representation of the Old Testament. The Old Testament tells us who God is and what He expects of us. It is His guidance, discipline and challenge to us.
A woman’s basic drive is to build relationships. From her early childhood she is seen playing with dolls, setting up relationships between figures that represent men, women and children. It is a great avenue to display her greatest Godly characteristic of love. Women tend to be more emotionally involved within the relationships they build. These traits are the things that draw us closer to our mothers and wives. This is the essence of the New Testament. It shows us the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ. Only then do we find mercy – a byproduct of love – and are able to have a relationship with God.
Both Testaments are needed to find completion. The Old Testament gives us the law which leads us to the realization of our failures. Then God’s mercy is revealed in Christ. What good would mercy be if there is no condemnation through the law? What good would the law be for the sinful if there was no mercy? This principle is seen again in the ministries of Elijah –focused on the law – and then Elisha – focused on mercy and grace.
It is not surprising that Adam was created first. It was necessary for the law to be first. Then Eve came second, out of the man, from his rib. So mercy proceeded from the law to bring new life. Wow! Mercy and love can’t be separated from the law. They are necessary parts to each other. The relationship is strong and the one is useless without the other.
If you find this useful, please pass it on to the other authors in this issue.