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The gospels are very clear that there was an inner circle of the apostles: Peter, John and James.
Forgive me, dear P (peace to you!), for I do NOT mean to be contentious... but can you elaborate? I do not find such clarity in Matthew, Mark, Luke, OR Lazarus' account. Can you share that with me, please? Because if I'm missing something I'd really like to know about it.
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That Peter was the more vocal and came off at times as the unofficial leader of the group is also clear.
I agree dear Peter was more vocal, but I never got that he was the unofficial leader... or that the group HAD any leader other than out dear Lord. In EVERY single account involving Peter IN THE GOSPELS, save TWO (when he was told by his brother that they had found Messiah, and when he responded to our dear Lord's question as to who he was),
Peter is shown as quite impetuous, extremely hasty, hard-headed, nosy, and even lacking faith (on at least three occasions). BUT... he was always WILLING (to follow our dear Lord), even while he still didn't understand some things. Except for that one time, of course. All of this was true of Peter... BEFORE he received holy spirit.
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That Peter was single out by Christ to shepherd and tend the flock that Christ left behind is also clear from the GOJ.
Again, I don't think it IS clear. I think certain men's (erroneous) interpretation of what Christ was talking about on two occasions... which two interpretations are in stark opposition to a PLETHORA of other things Christ and others said/wrote.. SEEMS to make it (seem) clear...
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That Peter AND John and James (Jesus's brother, not James Zebedee) were called the pillars of the Jerusalem church is clear.
You realize that James (our dear Lord's brother) was NOT one of the 12, though, yes? And so, James being pillar wasn't something CHRIST established, but MEN. Because Christ would NOT have placed James OVER one of the 12, whom HE chose... covenanted with... and SEALED with holy spirit. James didn't even acknowledge our dear Lord while he was alive - indeed, he opposed him! His being considered ("seemed to be") a pillar among those in Jerusalem only meant two things, dear one: (1) that folks look to him; and (2) because he was our dear Lord's brother in the flesh. So, of COURSE he (might) know what our dear Lord might want/do. Funny... Paul knew, as to circumcision of the nations... BEFORE James did, though.
So, being "considered" a pillar just meant he took a lead, which he did (he obviously wasn't a very timid man, if he deigned to oppose Christ in the first place). Didn't mean Christ APPOINTED him such a position, though. CHRIST is the one who appoints the pillars in God's "house"... and those appointments haven't been made, yet. They certainly weren't by the time John received.. and wrote... the Revelation (
3:12 - notice, Christ said HE would make them a pillar...). NOR does the consideration of these three AS pillars
by men mean they WERE pillars... or were the ONLY ones perceived as such (BY men). Please note, when Paul made mentioned, he said they SEEMED to be pillars (don't take my word for it, luv - look it up in the Greek). Wouldn't Paul have
known?
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That Peter is a central figure in the apostolic era ( the years after Christ ascended) is also clear.
Please show me how that is
clear? If Peter was such a figure, why wasn't HE given the Revelation? Surely, the Father, who GAVE Peter to our Lord, could have allowed Peter to receive it. That JOHN received it... and given what John wrote in HIS letters, I am of the mind (and heart) that he had even more specialized knowledge than Peter.
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What does all that mean to me?
That Peter, John and James were central figures in the emerging church, that Peter was the most "visible" of that group and that, according to the writer of the GOJ, Christ directly asked Peter to tend and watch over and to shepherd his ( Christ's) flock.
Peter WAS the most visible
when our dear Lord was with them in the flesh. But THAT is because PETER provided the most TEACHING opportunities (as to what NOT to do/how NOT to be). After our Lord ascended, it would seem that Paul was most visible (and vocal). Peter made a pretty lengthy speech, yes, which MIGHT have made some THINK he was more visible, but then so did Stephen. Unfortunately, they killed him. And why was Peter used to go to Cornelius, rather than the others? Because Peter's TRACK record was that he almost NEVER believed what he was TOLD! So, HE had to be SHOWN... HIMSELF... rather than another be shown the "unclean things" then telling Peter. Remember, Peter didn't believe when the women told him our Lord was raised. He CERTAINLY wouldn't have believed it if one of the others had come to him and said, "Okay, the Lord says Gentiles are clean, now!"
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We also know that Peter was not a good person, he was rude, judgmental, short tempered, weak willed at times, lost faith, and was in short, TYPICAL of all of us.
YEP... and so a PERFECT example to help us see how NOT to be!
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Peter had in himself ALL that we human have as a prime example of needing God's grace.
Dear one, they ALL did! We ALL do! Peter just always made HIS readily manifest and so easy to use as a TEACHING lesson!
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In that, Peter truly was the figure head of the Church.
Christ is the figure head of the Church, dear one... and that was the point of Paul's words... when some were SAYING, as you and some do today, they "follow Cephas." It was wrong THEN... and it's wrong now.
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You won't find a better example of someone in need of redemption than Peter
SURE you will! Paul, who was arrogant, rebellious, impetuous, unfaithful, judgmental... and responsible for the MURDER of MANY of the Body! Judas (Iscariot) who, although our dear Lord's childhood companion, betrayed our dear Lord but WAS remorseful, to the point of taking his own life! David, who had a man killed, so that he could have his wife, resulting in the death of his son WITH that wife! Moses, who not only killed a man but blasphemed. Solomon... Cain... SO many. TOO many to name. Heck, you could put MY name on that list! LOLOL!
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and you won't find anyone better than Peter to demonstrate that ONLY via God's GRACE are we saved.
Again, yes, you will. All those I named above, just to start.
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To me, that is the true point of the end of the GOJ, Christ forgiving Peter 3X as Peter had denied him 3X AND giving him, Peter, who deserved so little, giving Peter so much.
I understand, which is why I was given another POV for you to consider. If you could receive it.
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Truly it exemplifies God's grace through Christ.
Why would he NOT forgive Peter... for acting out of FEAR and so denying him... yet, forgive, say, Moses, David and Paul... who acted out of INTENT... and literally killed people? Yet, they WERE forgiven, yes... else God would had made SURE the Law that says "a life FOR a life" was fulfilled in their cases?
Dear P, I am going to ask you a very sincere question... which I TRULY hope does not offend, but I am compelled to ask: it is POSSIBLE that you cannot, at this time, see Christ... because you are looking... at Peter? And is it POSSIBLE that you cannot HEAR him... because you're not listening to HIM, but to others, including those who look to and have raised PETER up... as "(figure) head of the Church"?
I ask because doing things like that can be very... mmmmmm... debilitating... to one's sight and hearing love. But when there's a FULL turning to Christ, so that there is NOTHING... and NO ONE... else... BETWEEN one and him... in ANY way... well, one would be surprised at what they hear... and see.
Again, I wish you peace, dear one!
YSSFS of Christ,
Shellamar